The Impact of Music and Sensory Stimulation on Dogs in Daycare

As a dog daycare or boarding kennel owner, your top priority is to ensure the wellbeing of the dogs in your care. Yes, you're in it to make money as well, but the wellbeing of the dogs if priority number one. This wellbeing includes providing a safe and stimulating environment where they can play, socialize and rest. In addition to the physical benefits of exercise and socialization, dogs also respond to sensory stimulation, such as music and other sounds.

In fact, research has shown that music can have a profound effect on dogs’ moods, behavior and overall wellbeing. Really? Yes, really (click the link above!). With that said, today we're going to talk about the importance of having the classical music playing in the background of your dog daycare or boarding kennel, as well as the need for scent work toys and games.

Music has been shown to have a calming effect on dogs, reducing anxiety and stress. In a study conducted by the Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow, it was found that classical music had a calming effect on shelter dogs, reducing barking and stress-related behaviors. In this same study, dogs in kennels that listened to classical music showed a significant reduction in stress levels compared to those who were not exposed to music. We're all about scientific research here at DoggieDashboard. If it's been proven that adding classical music to the background will make your dog boarding facility or daycare more relaxed and less anxiety-inducing, why wouldn't you add some music?

In addition to its calming effects, music can also help to stimulate dogs and improve their overall mood. An interesting study conducted by the University of Helsinki found that dogs who were exposed to music for 30 minutes a day showed increased activity levels, indicating that they were more relaxed and in a better mood. Similarly, research has found that playing upbeat music can help to increase play and exploration in dogs, which can help to improve their overall mood and wellbeing. A well-exercised dog is a happy dog, so it makes sense to use anything in your arsenal to encourage your dogs to play and explore more.

Another aspect of sensory stimulation in dog daycare is providing a variety of scents and textures for dogs to explore. This can help to keep dogs mentally stimulated and improve their overall wellbeing. For example, introducing new toys and play equipment can help to provide dogs with a variety of sensory experiences and keep them mentally engaged. Similarly, incorporating different scents into play areas, such as essential oils or scented toys, can help to engage dogs’ sense of smell and provide additional stimulation. Over on reddit, there's a nice thread about various scent games you can do with your dogs. The AKC also has a nice article about different types of games you can play with dogs that like to do scent work. Dogs are natural sniffers and giving the something to sniff helps keep their brains engaged.

So what did we learn today. If you're the owner or manager of a dog daycare or boarding facility, it might be in your best interest to start streaming some classical music in the background throughout the day. It's going to help keep your dogs more relaxed and less anxious. Beyond that, adding some scent work games and toys to your facility will help keep your dogs mentally engaged, and that's exactly what dogs need in order to be happy and fulfilled.

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