Effects of Music Pitch and Tempo on the Behaviour of Kennelled Dogs
Domestic dogs often live in confined environments for different reasons. These environments can be challenging for some dogs and this can lead to high levels of stress and arousal, which could affect welfare. Auditory enrichment has been shown to reduce arousal-related behaviours in dogs, and the aim of this study was to investigate if these effects are induced by particular characteristics of music such as tempo and pitch. The behaviour of 10 kennelled dogs was monitored in response to music tracks played with different characteristics (high pitch, low pitch, fast tempo and slow tempo), as well as white noise and a control. Low pitch tracks seemed to prompt behavioural changes by increasing the level of alertness of the dogs, potentially due to the association between low frequency vocalisations with agonistic contexts, making them more vigilant of their surroundings.
Amaya, V., Descovich, K., Paterson, M. B.A., & Phillips, C.J.C. (2020). Effects of music pitch and tempo on the behaviour of kennelled dogs. Animals : An Open Access Journal from MDPI, 11(1), 10.3390/ani11010010. doi:E10 [pii]
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View ResourceTopic(s): Environment, Environmental Management and Monitoring, Noise Levels, Shelter and Rescue