‘Zen Dog’ A Soothing Orchestration For Pets And Pet Owners

By Nancy K. Crevier

“Music hath powers to sooth the savage breast, to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.” — William Cosgreve

Janet Marlow has proved that music truly does have the powers to soothe the savage beast, as Cosgreve’s saying is often misquoted. A renowned ten-string guitarist who has performed at Carnegie Hall and in venues around the world, Ms Marlow, a fifth generation musician and performing artist — and animal lover — has melded her talents into a series of CDs and DVDs geared toward dog, cat, and horse relaxation.

“The tipping point for me was in 2003 when my cat, Osborn, who was with me for 15 years, spent five days at the vet,” said Ms Marlow. Although Osborn had visited the veterinarian for short examinations, it was the first time that he spent an extended period of time there, and what surprised Ms Marlow, who had used music for years to soothe the cat, was the complete lack of music in the veterinarian office environment. It seemed to her that of all places, a veterinarian’s office would be most in need of creating a less stressful space.

“I began to do research. I wanted to know why Osborn was so appeased by music,” Ms Marlow said. What she found was that there is an exact hearing range for dogs and cats, according to data of frequencies and decibels. Employing her newfound knowledge and her musical skills, she began using digital programs to develop music geared specifically toward dogs, cats, and horses.

“Dogs hear twice as much as humans do, and cats hear three times as much,” explained Ms Marlow, plus animals are also extremely sensitive to vibrations and noise levels. “We have spent a lot of time on researching smell and sight sensitivities in animals. I am bringing awareness to pet owners about acute hearing capabilities and how it affects a pet’s behavior, as well as using music as a tool for the pets’ well-being,” she said.

Because dogs and cats rest up to ten hours a day, she has discovered that they require long, sustained, melodic musical phrases for a calming balance in their environment.

Horses, on the other hand, prefer short melodies and rhythmic music. “Horses and humans have the most closely related hearing ranges,” said Ms Marlow. “I accommodate the music to the rhythmic sense of horses.”

Using synthesized guitar music for horses, and synthesized orchestral music for dogs and cats, Ms Marlow then manipulates the frequencies to the ideal for those animals. “It all sounds like background music to a movie,” she said, not surprisingly, as Ms Marlow has composed music professionally for films and television. But there are not chase-scene musical numbers, or threatening or jarring moments in the music composed for pets. “It is all designed as if for an hourlong, soothing journey for animals,” Ms Marlow said.

Susan White, her husband Brian, and their three children, Ian, Emmett, and Andrew, of Newtown have four large dogs. Grady, a 7-year-old golden retriever, Daisy a 3-year-old Leonberger, Marley, a 1-year-old Newfoundland, and their newest addition, Earl, a 4-month-old bullmastiff, enjoy Ms Marlow’s music when the family has to leave the house “to help keep them calm and mellow until we return,” said Ms White.

It was actually through their sons’ classmates at Chase Collegiate in Waterbury that the Whites met Ms Marlow. The families were standing next to each other at a lacrosse game, said Ms White. “Janet appears with this wriggly, bubbly ball of fur with a smile on four legs. It was [her dog] Rags and they had just brought him into their lives — and that was the beginning. This sounds so cliché, but Rags was truly noticeable different. I remember Janet telling me she was so intrigued by how Rags listens very intensely when she creates music and thus she became curious as to how he hears. Janet of course did copious research and talked to many experts and decided to try to write music just for Rags. We would joke about all the years of her professional classical training and now she is writing for her dog,” Ms White said.

The Whites have not used Ms Marlow’s massage techniques on their pets, but the music has been a part of the lives of three of the dogs since puphood. “I must admit,” said Ms White, “that it is so soothing I have been known to put the CD on for myself when it is snowing out and the world slows down a bit — it completes the peaceful day.”

She added, “My mom has a farm and she uses the music for horses when the farrier visits and one of them, Exodus, has been known to rest his head on the farrier’s back while listening to the horse CD. And last summer, we lost a dog to cancer and while she was on her bed getting her meds, I would put the music on in hopes that it would comfort her in some way. I like to believe it helped.”

 “Relaxation for My Pet and Me” is a series composed for people and pets to enjoy together. For use in stables, therapy riding, during farrier visits, or just day-to-day, Ms Marlow has created “Music for Horses.”

Available at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide since February, The Zen Dog: Music and Massage for a Stress-free Pet has been introducing more dogs and cats to the serene tunes that Ms Marlow said relaxes and comforts them.

“Zen Dog is geared toward dogs specifically, and includes a book, a CD of music for dogs, a DVD that is a step-by-step instruction for massage for your dog, and a currying brush,” Ms Marlow said. “Pet owners will observe that the dog will completely ‘get it’ within five minutes of it being played on the sound system. The animal will feel comfortable, and relax into the music,” she said.

Osborn did not return home from that musicless visit to the vet, but the good thing that came out of it, said Ms Marlow, is that the veterinarian became so intrigued by the idea of calming music for animals that she now incorporates Ms Marlow’s music into every aspect of the animal hospital.

For dogs that shudder and tremble at the approach of a storm, Zen Dog can help. “Some dogs are greatly bothered by the low vibrations of thunderstorms, or big trucks, and the music masks those noise vibrations. It is great for separation anxiety issues, too,” she added.

Ms Marlow has appeared regularly on Animal Planet, and has lectured with dog behaviorist and television star Cesar Milan. “Cesar told me that my dog Rags is the most balanced animal he has ever met,” confided Ms Marlow.

Music and Horses was featured in the November/December 2008 issue of Equine Wellness magazine, and she is featured in the May 2009 Rachel Ray magazine, as well.

“I am so excited to provide this pet owner tool,” said Ms Marlow, who spoke recently at Griffin Hospital in Derby. She will be at the Barnes & Noble Bookstore at The Shoppes at Farmington Valley in Canton, from noon to 2 pm, June 13, for a book talk about Zen Dog, and will take part in the White Memorial Conservation Center Pet Festival in her hometown of Litchfield, Sunday, June 21, at 1 pm.

Ms Marlow is recognized by the Animal Behavior Society, MSPCA_Angell, Boston, and the Connecticut Horse Council. She is also a consultant for New York Presbyterian Dog Therapy Program. The pet relaxation expert is available for one-on-one consultations. Contact Ms Marlow at 860-567-9217 or info@musicforpetsandpeople.com.