Available on the Spotify platform, it was created by Anna Webb, animal behavior expert, in collaboration with Skoda. With only one goal: to make the journey more serene.
Does your dog get carsick? Or is he simply afraid of it? Do you get stressed if the journey is longer than usual? No problem. If his fear is not real terror, a circumstance for which it will be advisable to consult an expert, there could, in fact, be a solution. A musical solution. The idea is the result of a collaboration between Anna Webb, animal behavior expert, and the car manufacturer Škoda and the result is a playlist specially designed to relax our four-legged friends while travelling.
Dogs, in fact, love music and, according to the expert, “it also seems that some types of rhythms can calm them down during car journeys”. Thus, if we really cannot do without them, perhaps because we have to take them to the vet or travel, we can try this remedy.
The playlist (which you can listen to at this link or directly below) was born after a survey conducted by Škoda, which revealed that 6 out of 10 dogs become anxious when they are in the car. An anxious dog in the car can also be a safety concern: 75% of drivers said their pet’s behavior distracted them while driving.
Hence the idea of exploiting the relaxing power of some notes. In fact, it has been shown that a slow rhythm that corresponds to a low number of beats per minute, together with a repeating melody and calming tones are sound characteristics that help decrease the level of anxiety. And these are the principles on which Happy Hounds is based, designed for all families who travel with their pets on board. Among the songs that can be listened to are pieces such as Oh my God by Adele, No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley and the Wailers, Good Days by SZA, Anti-Hero by Taylor Swift, Flowers by Miley Cyrus, Stay by Rihanna and Orphans by Coldplay.
‘Science believes that heartbeat emulation has a calming effect,’ he said. “These songs work because they’re not heavy metal or similar genres, which are known to disturb dogs’ sleep. I’ve also included some reggae songs because it’s proven that dogs like this beat. They’ll work well for smaller dogs, whose heartbeats are faster than those of larger dogs who are more comfortable with slow ballads.”
(Opening photo: Yeomans ŠKODA Exeter)
Copyright © 2023 – All rights reserved