His favourite master's voice is classical

Barking dogs were "less likely to be picked"

Dogs who listen to classical music in the pound stand more chance of attracting a new owner, according to a study by Queen's University Belfast researchers.

The scientists from the School of Psychology tested the effect that four kinds of music had on the behaviour and welfare of dogs being cared for at a rehoming shelter run by the charity, the National Canine Defence League (NCDL).

The study funded by the NCDL and carried out by Dr Deborah Wells and her colleagues Lynne Graham and Professor Peter Hepper has been published in the journal Animal Welfare.

They said after the study that classical music encouraged "behaviour suggestive of relaxation in the dogs, including resting and lower frequencies of barking".

It is now believed that dogs may be as discerning as humans when it comes to musical preference

Researcher Dr Deborah Wells Researcher

Heavy metal music, by contrast, resulted in more agitated behaviours, including increased barking and longer periods of time standing.

And neither pop music, nor human conversation, had any apparent effect on the dogs' behaviour, the researchers said.

Dr Wells said: "It is well established that music can influence our moods. Classical music, for example, can help to reduce levels of stress, whilst grunge music can promote hostility, sadness, tension and fatigue.

"It is now believed that dogs may be as discerning as humans when it comes to musical preference."

Stressed

Clarissa Baldwin, NCDL chief executive said: "It is very important to us that the dogs have as pleasant a time as possible while they are in our care.

"Some of our dogs have had a rough start in life and may be stressed out by being in kennels, so we need to ensure they are as calm as possible.

We always have the radio on in our rehoming centres and we will be tuning into classical stations from now on."

The researchers said they had also carried out studies which showed that dogs' behaviour determined whether on not they were rehomed.

"Visitors to rescue shelters have a much greater preference for quiet dogs over those that are seen barking, often wrongly assuming them to be unfriendly," Dr Wells said.

She said her team would now explore the effects of music in rescue shelters on the moods and perceptions of staff and visitors.

NCDL is the UK's largest dog welfare charity and last year cared for more than 11,000 stray and abandoned dogs at its 16 rehoming centres.

It is opposed to shelters which destroy dogs for which homes can not be found.