Through a Dog's Ear: Using Sound to Improve the Health & Behavior of Your Canine Companion

by Joshua Leeds, Susan Wagner

You know that your dog's hearing is very sensitive, but did you know that you could create an environment of sound to improve the health and well-being of your canine companion? Now, psychoacoustic expert Joshua Leeds and veterinary neurologist Susan Wagner show you how with Through a Dog's Ear .

Using the latest science on how dogs hear and react to sound, Leeds and Wagner bring you a treasury of practical tools for enhancing the lives of our best friends―including music demonstrated in clinical trials to calm 70 percent of dogs in kennels and 85 percent in households.

Join these two innovators for fresh insights on the inner auditory life of your dog,

How to use sound as a tool to help alleviate separation anxiety, excitement with visitors, thunderstorm panic, and other behavior challenges
• For nervous dogs―tips and tricks for making any house or apartment more comfortable for canines
• Keys to understanding how our dogs hear the human world―including orienting responses, sensory confusion, and over- and under-stimulation
• 45 minutes of classical music psychoacoustically designed to soothe and calm dogs― and their human companions
FEATURED CUSTOMER

"I did play the tracks for Ruben and it calmed him considerably! The book Through A Dog's Ear is fascinating, and the CD truly lives up to my expectation and more! I have thoroughly enjoyed listening to the music, and am amazed that it has had a phenomenally calming effect on our four-legged family member and puggle, Ruben. Ruben is an energetic fellow with many interests that now include classical music!"
―Mary

Sounds True's book and music series Through a Dog's Ear was featured in a segment on The Early Show on CBS.

Genres: Dogs, Nonfiction

176 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Stephen Wallace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book would have made a good online article to read. They filled it up with studies to support their findings, but it is just common sense that noise and disruptions can stress a dog out and that soothing classical music would help calm them down. I have learned more useful information about how sound can effect or be used with dogs in passing references in other books.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

A quick read, and the science was easy to understand and very interesting. Worth the read if you are using the music. The authors very clearly love animals, and are interested in finding methods to calm animals and to add tools to the toolbelt needed for animals with issues like separation anxiety, fear, fear aggression, etc. They gave great suggestions for how to use this music with other training techniques and techniques such as energy work (I'm not sure what that is) and massage. Read the parts about the human-animal bond and dog and human heartbeats. It made my heart swell even more for my dog.

As a city dweller I found the parts coaching through how city noise can affect animals particularly interesting. I immediately went through my house and turned off unnecessary beepers and buzzers, and timed playing the cd when I know outside noise is the worst in our neighborhood.

I started using the music with my dog and two cats when my dog was injured and on restrictions. He was antsy and kept picking on one of the cats. The music definitely calmed them both down and lessened their negative interactions. It is also quite peaceful for the humans in the house.

[Holly · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saw a reference to this book in a music therapy journal and picked it up out of curiosity. It is fascinating to realize my taste in music is so similar to most dogs, haha. I've always had a preference for "beautiful" music and found popular music often overstimulating and grating-now I know why!! I also have the answer to why I spent a blissful year wearing earplugs every day of my life when I first joined the military. I think this book is wonderful for people who would like to better understand themselves or their anxious pets a little better. I loved reading about the affects acoustic instruments have on the body and this helped me understand why harps and pianos make such good therapy instruments. Also, a quick aside, I learned that the frequencies of bird song are those most conducive to thriving plant life...wow, but not surprising! This was just a good read altogether and and quick one with plenty of well documented research references.
Out of curiosity I listened to some of the classical dog CDs and thought, yeah I can understand why there is a warning that says Do NOT drive with this CD playing.

[Carnegie Mellon University Alumni Association]

Susan Wagner (DC 1979), Co-Author

From the author:
Through A Dog's Ear (TADE) looks at the effect of sound on our animal companions, and us. It gives tips for creating a healthy sonic environment and presents original research in the area of music therapy for dogs. TADE also provides a sample CD of calming music.

[David Geurtsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not just for pet owners

This is a good short read on using music therapy with dogs (and a few other animals). The suggestions regarding creating acoustically friendly environments for pets is completely relevant to humans, meaning that this book is for everyone who wants to incorporate sound/music into their therapeutic practice, not just those who have pets.

[Jennifer]

A fascinating read. Dogs are amazing! The more we learn about dogs (and other animals), the more we realize how much we have in common with them.

[Nicole Baratta]

While I only skimmed the book, I have to say that it's a very interesting idea. I have used the CD that came with the book while performing acts around the house that usually upset the pups (vacuuming, polishing, anything that makes noise) and the results are slightly quieter dogs. While it's no miracle, it's worth a try with your noisy pets.

[Janet · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's common sense that sounds can interfere with your dog's sense of well being, and this book confirmed it, underlining how important it is for us all to live in calm surroundings. The accompanying CD was certainly relaxing, but I wouldn't choose it over silence.