Pets and Music Revisited

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

I have mentioned before that my dogs seem to like music. Moose (my German shepherd mix) seems to like it more than Lally (my boxer mix) does. When we lived in New Jersey, Moose would sit by the fence and listen to the teens down the street rehearse in the garage. He'd sit there for hours just listening!

Music isn't just for entertainment, either. It can be healing for people -- and for pets.

A harpist from Oregon conducted a study on the power of harp music on animals in 2000. Alianna Boone played her harp for dogs hospitalized at a Florida clinic. In many cases, the veterinarians saw lowered heart rate, steadier breathing, and less anxiety in the patients. Boone says that the harp is the most healing instrument -- after the human voice.

There's lots of anecdotal evidence to support the healing power of the harp:

• Cassie the cow -- a resident at the Maple Farm Sanctuary for livestock in Mendon, Massachusetts -- occasionally shows signs of stress by stomping her feet and snorting. Volunteers play harp music to get the savage beast to settle down and doze off.
• Gorillas at the Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Massachusetts blew kisses to a live harp performer before falling asleep.

Animal therapists and behavioral experts say that harp music doesn't work for every animal. But the animals who do respond, respond very well. The harp vibrations can relax tense muscles, relieve anxiety, induce restful sleep, and more.

Interested in trying harp music on your pets? Look for Alianna Boone's CD "Harp Music to Soothe the Savage Beast" or "Harp of Hope: Animal Therapy Edition" -- the disc that calmed Cassie the cow. Use the music before or during a stressful situation to help keep your four-legged friend calm and comfortable. It is definitely worth a try as an inexpensive treatment for stressed animals!

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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