Sermon in the Saddle

CAN MUSIC SOOTHE THE SAVAGE BEAST?

He tilts back his head and yodels. We all laugh and call him “cute.” We claim our musically inclined dog loves to sing to unusual accompaniments . . . sirens, whistles, even the ear-splitting soprano voice blasting the airwaves.

But is our canine friend finding this so humorous? With all the noise pollution around us, is it any wonder some pets seem to be wearing smiles when they finally go deaf?

The everyday sounds we take for granted . . . traffic, the television, telephone, radio, household appliances, even our own voices can affect the sensitive hearing of our dog.

We wonder why our best friend suddenly transforms into a snarling savage beast at times, or resorts to irritation, trembling, whining or even disappearing under the bed. Perhaps the menacing cat perched on the window’s ledge isn’t to blame. Maybe the problem lies with us.

We forget that our dog has been blessed, or cursed as the case may be, with a keen sense of hearing. The intensity of the sounds our dog takes in may indeed be affecting his behavior.

Remember the time we listened to someone else’s horrendous choice of music blaring from an annoying boombox? One more minute and we’d have become savage beasts ourselves.

Now consider our furry friend. He can neither turn off the source of the offending noise, nor can he ward off the harsh sounds driving him nuts.

What can we do to help our best friend? Enter “Music Therapy for Dogs.”

If our pet is going through troubled waters, music therapy can be a blessing. Gentle music can have a soothing effect on our pet, as well as on us. There are calming CDs out there for people, just as there are soothing CDs designed for our dog.

At times our dog has to stay home alone. Why don’t we give our pet something to listen to while we’re gone? A good rule of thumb is “slow and less complicated music” for our dog.

Sometimes annoying sounds stir up negative reactions in our dog. Our wonderful friend is trapped in a delightful little body. He can communicate his needs in just so many ways. Offering him something peaceful to listen to is one way that can benefit him.

Another way to show consideration for our pet is to turn down the volume. A simple twist of a knob can spare our dog his noise phobias.

Don’t forget our own voices. There’s no need to shout orders at our pet. When we give a command to him, our words carry more authority if we use a lower pitch. Higher, excited voices can be saved for lavishing praise on our “good doggie!”

Let’s face it. We have enough stress in our lives. We don’t need to put stress on our dog as well. Conditioning ourselves to be mindful of the noises we allow to intrude into our lives can be beneficial to us as well as our pet. Offering music therapy to our dog can reap blessings in our noisy world, and his.

Music can soothe the savage beast . . . and the sometimes not so savage!