Having to travel by car with your pet can be a source of apprehension if you know that the latter is anxious in transport. But thanks to a playlist concocted by canine behaviorist Anna Webb, your road trips could soon turn into pleasant moments.
From Harry Styles to Bob Marley via Elvis Presley, this “Happy Hounds” playlist seems at first glance completely disjointed. And yet, selon The Independent, none of the titles appearing therein have been left to chance. All the songs have been selected according to their rhythm, beats per minute (BPM), or the softness of the voice. “Small dogs and puppies normally have a heart rate of 120 to 160 beats per minute. Science considers that mimicking this tempo has a calming effect.explains the behaviorist.
Among the twenty titles appearing in the playlist, we find “No Woman, No Cry” by Bob Marley and The Wailers. It’s no longer a secret to science: dogs love reggae. Anna Webb therefore wanted to include this musical genre in the playlist. With a unique rhythm and a 4×4 measure, this title seems ideal to relax during a road trip. Along with ‘No Woman, No Cry’, Harry Styles’ hit ‘Watermelon Sugar’ and ABBA’s ‘Knowing Me, Knowing You’ are on the shortlist. With BPMs similar to reggae music, these tracks will certainly be a hit with your four-legged friend.
The sweet melodies of “More Than a Woman” by the Bee Gees, “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus and “Stay” by Rihanna, also earn them a place in this playlist. “The bigger the dog, the slower its heartbeat”, specifies the behaviorist. So, more a slow tempo will suit him.
Finally, certain titles such as “Oh my God” by Adele and “Careless Whisper” by George Michael are among the selected pieces, given their low frequency. The hearing of dogs being more receptive than ours to these vibrations, your pet will not be insensitive to them.
The car, a source of anxiety
The playlist available on Spotify follows an investigation carried out on our four-legged friends by the car manufacturer Skoda. According to the latter, no less than six out of ten dogs are anxious when traveling by car. Unusual noises from the road or weather conditions, unusual space, heat, motion sickness: there are many reasons that can cause this discomfort.
A problem to which the owners felt powerless until then: on a panel of 1,000 masters, 6 out of 10 had admitted not knowing how to help their animal. And 75% of owners said their dog’s behavior distracted them while driving.
Before the launch of the playlist, Skoda therefore asked several owners to observe the impact that these pieces had on their hairball. The results were unanimous: “To be honest, I was a bit skeptical at first because the songs seemed random. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised”, reveals Carina, mistress of Monty. As for Thelma, owner of Theo: “He was really relaxed. He sat down and closed his eyes. When we arrived at his destination, he was sleeping peacefully in his basket.
To get the desired effect, the expert recommends getting your dog used to listening to the playlist before hitting the road. He will thus associate this moment with a positive experience.