Doggie-pleasing CDs that go the distance

Nearly 30 million of us will hit the road this summer with Rover in tow. And most of us wish he’d calm down and let us do the driving.

Now you can use music to soothe your not-so-savage beast, according to a book and CDs released by a sound researcher and a veterinary neurologist.

“Through a Dog’s Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion” comes with a 45-minute starter CD; other CDs, including one devoted to making drive-time with Rover more pleasant, are also being released.

Do they work? For me, the answer is yes, if my experience with Darby, my 5-year-old Wheaton terrier, is any indication. Darby usually dances around in the back seat of the car when we travel, often whining while bouncing from window to window looking for cool stuff outside. He doesn’t slow down, even when I fasten him in with a doggie seatbelt.

But when I play either of the two “Dog’s Ear” CDs I have — both featuring classical music — he lies down and takes a nap…until I change back to something I’d prefer to hear. Then he bounces back up again.

Authors Joshua Leeds, a psychoacoustics expert, and Susan Wagner, a vet, believe that the anxiety dogs feel in the car, or at home, often is related to sensory overload.

They explain their theories in the book ($18.95); three hourlong CDs are also available for $14.95 each.

The music is a little too sleepy for me while I’m driving. But Darby’s happy. Now if I can just stay awake…

— Rosemary McClure, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer

[Photo: www.throughadogsear.com]

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This entry was posted on Friday, May 30, 2008 at 10:48 am by Rosemary McClure and is filed under National Parks, News, Tips & Advice, Northern California, Orange County, Oregon, Outdoors & Adventure, Pacific Northwest, Palm Springs, Travel with Pets, Washington, Weekend Getaways. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a comment, or trackback from your own site.