Songs to Make Your Dog Happy

Posted by Clare Bristow

dog-with-headphones

Two songwriters based in Laurel Canyon, California have produced a CD called "Songs to Make Dogs Happy".

Working with animal communicator Kim Ogden-Avrutik the songwriters, Dana Walden and Skip Haynes, identified which topics dogs liked and what style of music made dogs' tails wag.

After interviewing 214 dogs Ogden-Avrutik found that favorite dog topics included: I want my owners to love me, I want to tell my owners I love them, and I love my dog bed; and a Latin rhythm got the dogs' tails wagging.

12 songs were then written and tweaked until they were given the 'Paws Up' by a series of focus groups made up of about 90 dogs.

Here's a sample from the most popular track "Squeaky-Deakey"

If you'd like to listen to a sample of the tracks, head over to PetCDs where you can listen to an extract from all 12 songs.

Not convinced?

Apparently PJ, a dog living in Chicago, used to chew on curtains and couches whenever his owner left him alone in the house, but after listening to the CD PJ stopped his chewing and preferred lounging on the couch instead.

Still not convinced?

PJ's owner video-taped the newly relaxed pooch for 3 days to prove the CDs had a calming effect. Apparently Walden and Haynes have many other similar testimonials that they use to market their music.

I played all the sample tracks to Zoe and Fritz - Fritz was interested in 'Squeaky Deakey' and did start wagging his tail, he barked uncontrollably through 'Adventure Dog' (due to a dog barking in the background) and got up and left the room when 'I Like to Go Outside' played. Zoe lay on the floor unmoved by any of the tracks.

As we only listened to samples, it wasn't really a fair test of the music - has anyone else had experience of this CD?

The article on Songs to Make Dogs Happy appeared was published in the Los Angeles Daily News.

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