During the first week one group was kept in silence while the other had classical music played into their kennels.
Conditions were switched for the second week.
The results, published in the journal Physiology And Behaviour, showed that in both groups the dogs’ stress levels decreased significantly after listening to music.
The research was carried out by Gilly Mendes Ferreira, education and research manager for the Scottish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, and Glasgow University PhD student Amy Bowman.
Ms Mendes Ferreira said: “Male dogs responded better than female dogs and both groups spent less time standing and barking when the music was being played.
"Although by the end of the week their heart rates and behaviour associated with kennel stress had returned to normal, the initial findings are very encouraging and show that classical music does have a positive impact on the dogs’ welfare.
“The average length of stay for a dog in our care can range from one to three weeks for small dogs and pedigrees, while larger breeds can remain with us up to six months and some breeds over a year.
“We want to make each dog’s time with us as comfortable as possible and this research is at the very forefront of animal welfare.
“This is the first step in a longer line of research and we can now try other types of music to find out how dogs respond to different genres.
"We will then decide how best to roll this out in all of our rehoming centres.”
Ms Bowman added: “Previous studies have shown potential psychological and physiological benefits of auditory stimulation, particularly classical music.
“Our study showed a similar beneficial effect of classical music but it only lasted for a short period.
“The dogs became habituated to the music after as little as one day.
"It seems dogs, like humans, prefer to listen to a variety of music and not the same thing over and over again.”
Reposted from Express UK
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