IT SEEMS that audiobooks have attracted a new audience.
Research carried out by the Hartbury College in the UK, and reported by the Discovery Channel and the journal Applied Animal Behaviour Science, has shown that dogs relate more to audiobooks than to classical music.
The study investigated the effects on 31 dogs in a rescue centre. They were exposed to classical and pop music and music “designed” specifically for dogs, as well as audiobooks.
“We were surprised that audiobooks appeared to be more beneficial than classical music as this has been documented as having a positive effect on a range of other species, such as reducing abnormal behaviours in gorillas and elephants,” said Dr Tamara Montrose, Animal Behaviour and Welfare lecturer at the College.
Interestingly, classical music doesn’t seem to work so well with horses. The same college found that the equine favourite is Country & Western.
Perhaps not surprisingly, jazz and rock led to stressful behaviour such as stamping, head tossing, snorting and whinnying.
I wonder what they’d make of audiobooks?