How do animals react to music?

Have you ever wondered if our pets enjoy music in the same way we do? Here are some cool facts on our fellow animal friends' relationship with music!

Does music have an influence on our animal friends too? 

Cows

It has been proven by a team of psychologists from the University of Leicester, in England, that listening to Beethoven and other "calm" genres of music increases the production of cow’s milk! Researchers alternated between fast music, slow music, and silence for 12 hours each day for nine weeks. The slow and quiet music actually helps them to relax and be less stressed.

Dogs

A 2012 study by researchers from Colorado State University monitored 117 kennelled dogs, including their activity levels, vocalisation, and body shaking. They played different types of music for the dogs (classical, heavy metal, etc. as well as no music at all).

They found that the dogs slept the most when the classical music was playing, indicating that it helped them to relax. With the other types of music like heavy metal, the dogs' reaction was the complete opposite (body shaking/nervousness).

The results show that music can have a big influence on man’s best friend, by providing a calm and reassuring environment.

Elephants

You may not know this, but a lot of elephants are able to paint with their trunks, and it just so happens that they may also be better musicians than humans!

In northern Thailand, a conservationist named Richard Lair put together the Thai Elephant Orchestra. 16 elephants played specially developed instruments like steel drums and harmonicas. Neuroscientists determined that the animals were able to keep a very steady tempo on a large drum, even more stable than a human can!

Birds

As we know, birds are pretty much the best singers of the animal kingdom. Researchers at Emory University in the USA examined the brains of male and female white-tailed sparrows as they listened to the sounds of male birds. While the birds were listening to the male bird sounds, it turned out that female white-tailed sparrows had similar brain responses as humans do with music. However, the male bird's brain reaction was similar to when humans listen to music they don’t like.

The study's lead researcher explained: “We found that the same neural reward system is activated in female birds in the breeding state that are listening to male birdsong, and in people listening to music that they like.”

Give classical music a try!

It seems like classical music is the most popular genre for our furry friends! If you would like to play music to help calm your pet, it's best to avoid hard rock or heavy metal as that may stress them out. Classical music seems to have a real positive impact on animal’s behaviour, so why not give it a go!

Do you think that your pet is a lover of music?