As a canine behaviour expert reveals that many dog’s music preferences mirror their owners
Have you ever questioned if your dog were a person, who their favourite artist would be? Would they be a ‘Hairy Styles’ fan? Or perhaps they’d like a taste of ‘Motley Chew’?
Well, with almost 1,000 people every month Googling ‘do dogs like music?’ and ‘what music do dogs like?’, it’s a reasonable thought to ponder… especially as we humans enjoy a range of music genres.
This got the experts at music licensing company PPL PRS thinking… do different breeds like particular types of music?
PPL PRS worked with dog food brand tails.com scanning thousands of playlists (and so millions of songs) that feature the UK’s most popular breeds of 2022 in the title. Dog owners are evidently making music mixes for their much-loved pet and the similarities denote what works best for each breed!
The results are in – and fascinating – to give you a feel for what your dog may like listening to!
The ‘Top of the Pups’ chart:
- Labrador Retriever (19,381*) – Rock / Pop
- French Bulldog (13,762*) – Electro Pop
- Cocker Spaniel (12,109*) – Garage Rock
- Springer Spaniel (5,349*) – Rock
- Dachshund (3,893*) – Pop
- Golden Retriever (3,232*) – Indie Pop
- German Shepherd (2,359*) – Dance Pop
- Staffordshire Bull Terrier (2,139*) – Rap / Trap
- Pug (1,635*) – Classic Rock
Staffordshire Bull Terrier owners, watch out, as you’ve got a rap sensation on your hands… with the top 100 ‘staffy’ tracks strongly leaning towards the ‘rap/trap’ genre. ‘A$AP Puppy’ is in the house.
Whilst, less surprisingly, the sweet (yet sassy) Dachshunds have been found to be listening to ‘pop’ on repeat. Come on, you can’t beat a little Bone Direction!
For Labrador and Golden Retriever lovers, it may only take one hit of indie pop icons ‘Bast-heel’ or ‘Fleetwood Mutt’ to boost your pooch’s mood (particularly after a visit to the vets).
Indeed, in a new survey** about the relationship between music and dogs, PPL PRS found that over half of owners (52%)* revealed that their four-legged friend becomes anxious or stressed when left alone. However, 48%* of these paw-rents believe that playing music or the radio to their dog helps them to relax when anxious or stressed.
If you’re curious to test out these musical preferences with your pup but are unsure about how to recognise a positive reaction, an expert canine behaviourist at tails.com, Carolyn Menteith recommends looking out for “gentle tail wags or swaying, relaxed ears, and steady breathing with any wrinkling above their eyes or at the corners of the mouth smoothing away.”
Carolyn adds: “I love the idea of breed-specific musical preferences! I certainly have seen dogs whose musical preferences mirror their owners.
So, I’ve noticed musician’s dogs who seem to love the type of music – or instrument – their beloved human plays, and I’ve seen music lovers’ dogs enjoy everything from opera to heavy rock depending on their personal preference. This is probably more to do with sharing their owner’s enjoyment and pleasure – and that their human is far more relaxed and happier when listening to their choice of music.
Music is a social experience – and it certainly seems our dogs share that.”
Does your taste in music mirror your pooches? Or are you a little more a-stray from the said genre?
References
*Official Kennel Club registrations in 2022 as at March 2022.
**A survey of 400 dog owners in the UK conducted through Attest in June 2022