Researchers have discovered the kind of music that dogs like. According to a study by the Scottish SPCA and University of Glasgow, dogs enjoy listening to soft rock and reggae music.

The study published in the journal Physiology and Behavior revealed that playing reggae and soft rock has a positive effect on the stress levels of shelter dogs. The result of the experiment suggests that "music has an effect on a dog's behavior," said Ph.D. student Amy Bowman.

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Using heart monitors, the stress levels of dogs were assessed while they listened to Motown, classical, and pop music. Researchers found out that "reggae music and soft rock showed the highest positive changes in behavior."

Professor Neil Evans said, "overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preference." The author believes that the findings will help new shelter dogs adapt to their environment.

Evans emphasized that the goal of the study was to give dogs a good experience in shelters. He said that a "dog who is looking very relaxed and interacts" well with people are easily adopted.

In 2015, the Scotland animal welfare charity performed a study evaluating the impact of classical music on canine behavior. It was observed that classical music made dogs lie down more often and bark less, which are signs of being relaxed. However, on the seventh day of the experiment, the effect started to wear off, and the animals got bored.

"We were keen to explore the effect playing different genres of music had, and it was clear that the physiological and behavioral changes observed were maintained during the trial when the dogs were exposed to a variety of music," the researchers said.

Following the findings of the research, Scottish SPCA is now planning to set-up sound systems inside kennels that will play dog-preferred playlists.