Music for lonely pups on Spotify
Does the thought of leaving your dog home alone while you’re at work? You’re not alone - and some people are turning to music to help.
Hills Shire
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Watching those sad puppy eyes as you close the door and head to work can be the hardest part of leaving the house each day.
If the thought of leaving your dog at home stresses you out, you’re not alone.
A survey from music streaming service Spotify showed 22 per cent of Australians aged 30-45 were stressed about leaving their dog at home.
In fact, it is the “number one” issue Norwest dog behaviour specialist Nathan Williams is called out for.
“It’s the most common problem people have,” Williams said.
Williams said the “world’s changed a lot” from the days when dogs would be kept outside away from their owners, and our constant proximity to our pets means it is harder for us — and them — when we have to leave.
“We went from a time when dogs didn’t have so much access to us which basically meant most dogs were outside … now the difference is the dog has constant access to the owner, and without rhyme or reason from the dog’s perspective the owner just shuts the door in their face (when they leave for work),” he said.
In the age of smart home assistants like Google Home and Amazon Alexa, where music can be played remotely, owners are turning to tunes to help put their dog at ease while they are away.
Spotify has even launched a new website with dedicated pup playlists.
Williams said playing music can be helpful if positive associations have been created around it.
“The reasoning behind music is all through association, dogs learn through association,” he said.
“Music on its own wouldn’t be very powerful so to speak.”
So how does it work?
Williams recommends playing calming music while engaging in activities that relax the owner and the dog, such as patting them.
“If you think about it, if you’re massaging the dog and you’re really relaxed and that dog is in heaven, you’re creating a powerful calming effect,” he said.
The aim is that once those positive associations are created, the same music can be played when the owner is away from home to generate that relaxed feeling in the dog.
Williams said the type of music did not matter as long as the owner finds it relaxing and calming — although heavy metal was probably one genre to steer clear of.
“This is the beauty of it — it’s an individual thing, everyone has different taste in music,” he said.
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