Music And Your Pets!

When greyhounds are being raised and living at the tracks, they have music playing 24 hours a day! So, when people first adopt a greyhound, we tell them that it might lessen the separartion anxiety problems if they leav a radio or TV on when they leave the dog. We did that with Paula when we first got her, but stopped it when we got Buddy. We aren't big music fans, so we rarely have the radio on in the house.
However, the dogs love being sung to! I sing TERRIBLY and yet they love it when I lay down next to them and sing a soft song. Usually I just make up my own words and put it to a lulaby-type melody.

Bo doesn't pay any attention to any kind of music we play, be it classical, rock or bluegrass. But she does enjoy watching television with us, she'll actually look at the screen and her ears wiggle when she sees or hears something interesting. She's a better sport than me, she actually watches the commercials! :)

3-Greys,
Why is music played 24/7 for greyhounds at racetracks? That's so interesting!

Our dogs seem oblivious to music, but they do enjoy TV! Because of our energy crisis here in California, though, we don't leave the TV or other entertainment stuff on when we leave the house, so K & E have to just entertain themselves... :eek:

I don't know beans about dogs since I havent owned one since I was 11 - but when I see these dogs howl when someone sings to them or bark when music is played - are they really enjoying it or does it hurt their ears? I used to live right by a fire station and when the whistle went off all the dogs in the neighborhood would howl - I suspected that was hurting their ears. Don't high pitched sounds usually hurt a dog's ears since their hearing is so keen?

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Originally posted by kobieeli:
<STRONG>3-Greys,
Why is music played 24/7 for greyhounds at racetracks? That's so interesting!</STRONG>

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I think it's done mainly to create a constant background noise. When there's hundreds of dogs living in rows of crates at a track, it is noisy round the clock. So, the backgraound music kind of drones out the doggy noises. Also, if there's a strange noise outside or inside the kennels, then the dogs are less likely to hear it over the music; for example, if there's people approaching a part of the kennel, the dogs in that area will be less likely to hear them coming, and wake up and throw a fit. Different kennel managers choose different types of music. Most have soft rock or talk radio, but I've heard of at least one that played hard rock round the clock!

Thanks--I learned something new today! :)

I have never noticed that any of my dogs like one certain types of music better then others but some of you may know that I had this Goffins cockatoo named Pica (which I sadly had to find another home for due to blasted allergies) anyway, my brother one day brought home this CD of a band called "Squirrel Nut Zippers". They are a very upbeat and kind of big bandy. When Pica first heard the song called "Hell" she began to dance the most endearing dance and she continued dancing throughout the entire song. She was on the floor, and she was bopping her head, she was moving her tail feathers, her wings and her whole feather body to the beat. It was one of the best memories I have of that precious bird. When we needed a laugh we played that song for her and she had an absolute blast dancing to it :)

Hey!! Tanya/Cookie is a perfectly normal dog and BSN rule!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! everyone's entitled to their music preferences and Tanya/Cookie hates Britney Spears or Christina Aguilera or A! or 98 degrees. She'll howl if their songs come on the radio.

All my dogs come and lay under the piano when I play! It is usually either classical or contemporary christian music being played. However, when I play my clarinet they are nowhere to be found. Dusty still hasn't learned not to run so he sits there and paws his ears. Eventually he has enough and leaves.

I also sing to my dogs. I have a soprano voice so when I get too high they cock their head from side to side and look at me as if I'm weird! I go higher than normal just to watch them do this. LOL

We don't do too much radio or such so when I'm not home, they need to entertain themselves and they do that just fine :eek:

Ah Dixie, that sounds like heaven - having your pups lounging nearby while you play. I'd love to say that happens at my house, but I don't have a piano, and I don't have any dogs. Oh well! :D

I am a singer and Daisy is my best audience! Before I have to song a solo or something like that, I practice to her. She won't laugh (or even notice!) if I mess up, and she will still love me no matter what afterwards! Singing to her always calms both of us down. As for listening to other kinds of music, she doesn't really like it. She pays no attention to it actually. She never has... except once! I know I have posted this story before but I just love it so here it is again, hehe! Last Christmas, Mom and I were watching a Charlotte Church concert on TV and Daisy was napping on the couch next to us. Suddenly Charlotte started singing and Daisy woke up and perked her ears up. She listened intently the whole show! We thought it was cute since she never cares about music, and then later we asked her to howl for us, because howling on command is one of her few tricks :) Now, Basset Hound howls are verrrry looow... and Daisy let out the highest howl I have ever heard! She was trying to sing opera like Charlotte Church! Mom and I were hysterical!

[ October 12, 2001: Message edited by: Daisy's Mom ]

I play the piano and Cookie is my best audience! Whenever I make a mistake, she'll whine and pull my pant leg. Then when I play correctly, she'll lick me. She's invaluable for practising with!!

My guinea pig, Squeekers, loves music of all kinds; chimes, computer prompt noises, anything lyrical! He sits on my lap for hours with music playing. When he is alone during the day, I keep the radio on for him. His favorites are The Back Street Boys, anything with 3 part harmony and the sound of my dogs barking. Well, I guess it's music to HIS EARS!!! :D

You go Squeeekers!!! You should meet Cookie! Both of you love BSB!! lovely guinea piggy.....

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Originally posted by purrley:
<STRONG>I love Celion Dion - but when I put her CD on and try and sing like her - my cats get right in my face, try and swat me on the side of the head. To me - I sound just like her :D :D</STRONG>

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LOL LOL... been there, done that... except that Casper and Kitty mostly just stare at me, and I swear I can hear them thinking, "why don't you just shut up already"
:D
I'd like to think I CAN sing, but apparentely, I can't... :eek: