Recent studies show that music (and other sounds) can profoundly
influence animal behavior. Music therapy for pets is one way to
help a dog with behavioral or anxiety problems. Does your poodle
whine and pace when the alarm clock goes off? Does your German
shepherd bark uncontrollably when your neighbors mows their
lawn? Is your boxer afraid of guests? You might want to head
straight for your CD player. Though a dog doesn't tap his foot
as a person might, their internal organs do speed up or slow
down in accordance with external rhythms (a process called
entrainment) and respond to the vibrations around them. In
today's noisy world, full of sirens, motorcycles, and leaf
blowers, in households with multiple TVs, computer printers and
food processors, dogs might just be overloaded with sensory
input. "Music is one way to control and mediate the sound
environment," said sound researcher Joshua Leeds, who recently
co-authored a new book and CD set called Through A Dog's Ear:
Using Sound to Improve the Health & Be