The Bottom Line
Pros
- Pleasant to read; a nice mix of clinical and anecdotal information
- Introductions about the upcoming chapter at the end of each chapter
- Good tips on how to use the CD for a variety of behaviors
- Large list of resources at the end of the book
- Affordable price: includes hard cover book and 44:45 minute audio CD
Cons
- Small numbers of dogs in pilot studies
- Would like more data about the timeframe for calming effect
Description
- I especially appreciated the practical tips for using the music in various situations and for different behavioral issues.
- The book encourages people to take a sonic inventory of their environment and evaluate for noise pollution.
- The resources section is robust and gives the reader plenty of options for exploring this field of study and therapy.
Guide Review - Through A Dog's Ear - Book and Starter CD
The concept of being aware of sounds in our environments is introduced at the very beginning of the book. Leeds writes about dogs as the "canines in the coal mine" -- the first alert warning that our 24/7 way of living may be creating many stressors to our health and our dog's health.
Dogs can hear frequencies almost twice as high (or more, depending on the breed) as humans can, from 20-55,000Hz.1 Why do dogs not seem to care about all of the noise? Or, do they try to tell us, but we are not listening?
Leeds discusses various ways that dogs show signs of stress and offers case-by-case examples of dogs reacting to noise overload. He also notes that dogs are very adaptable to our lifestyle. Could this adaptability be hurting them in the long run with stress-related behavioral issues or health problems?
Readers learn how the project came into being and the clinical studies done to validate the "acoustically designed" classical music.
The music CD
The sampler CD is a value at 44:45 minutes in length. The first track, Music to Calm Your Canine Companion is a sampler of 4 calming tracks that have been slowed in tempo, with some of the musical "voices" removed to simplify the auditory data coming in to the ear. Lisa Spector, pianist for these pieces, stressed that they did not rewrite these classical masterpieces (all notes are intact), they just simplified the musical complexity for a more calming experience.
The second track, Music for the Canine Household is a sampler of music intended to be "everyday" music for the home and while driving, keeping dogs moderately calm, but not so calm that the driver falls asleep.
References:
1Hearing frequencies: page 22, Through A Dog's Ear, Joshua Leeds & Susan Wagner, DVM, MS
2 Sound awareness: page 60, Through A Dog's Ear, Joshua Leeds & Susan Wagner, DVM, MS
