Your Dog Will Thank You For Playing These Soothing, Expert-Approved Songs

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Dogs like music, too! In fact, there are specific songs that will help calm them down during car rides — and the best part is that it's a lot of our favorite songs, too!

Animal behavior expert Anna Webb has revealed 20 songs that help ease stress for dogs due to their rhythm, beats per minute or soft vocals, according to the Independent. Among some of the artists featured on the list are Harry Styles, Rihanna, Taylor Swift, Adele and Miley Cyrus, to name a few. There's a few classic jams in there from Bob Marley, David Bowie, Madonna, ABBA and Frank Sinatra, too.

According to a survey from car manufacturer Škoda, about 60% of dogs become anxious when in a car. Furthermore, 75% of drivers said their dog's behavior has distracted them while driving. Sixty percent of these drivers don't know what to do when their dog grows anxious — but now, Webb has provided a solution.

When it comes to smaller dogs, their heartbeat is faster than bigger dogs, so songs with a higher BPM will work well. On the flip side, the larger the dog, the slower the heart rate. So slower tempo songs work better for big pups. "This is important for dogs as their hearing is more attuned to hearing the vibrations in high and low frequencies than us. Their responses to music genres will be different to how humans respond to music, as they have increased sensitivity to the high and low frequencies we cannot hear," Webb said. "It's worth (acclimating) your dog to the playlist before you get into the car, so the dog makes positive associations with these songs before moving them into the car. These songs therefore will offer a 'memory' that all is okay in situations like weather conditions making the car suddenly a bit scarier, or suddenly sensing the movement of a huge vehicle overtaking you."

Here are the songs:

  • "No Woman No Cry" by Bob Marley
  • "Oh My God" by Adele
  • "Good Days" by SZA
  • "More Than A Woman" by Bee Gees
  • "Anti-Hero" by Taylor Swift
  • "Orphans" by Coldplay
  • "Coming Back" by James Blake
  • "Candy" by Paulo Nutini
  • "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac
  • "Fly Me To The Moon" by Frank Sinatra
  • "Flowers" by Miley Cyrus
  • "Cayendo (Side A - acoustic)" by Frank Ocean
  • "Hound Dog" by Elvis Presley
  • "The Dogs of War" by Pink Floyd
  • "Starman" by David Bowie
  • "Watermelon Sugar" by Harry Styles
  • "Stay" by Rihanna
  • "Careless Whisper" by George Michael
  • "Like A Prayer" by Madonna
  • "Knowing Me, Knowing You" by ABBA

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