How your pet hears sound?

The ear is composed of several structures that work together to process sound. When sound waves enter the ear, they travel through the external ear canal and cause the eardrum (tympanic membrane) to vibrate. These vibrations are then transmitted through the middle ear to the inner ear.

The middle ear of a dog or cat contains three small bones called ossicles: the malleus, incus, and stapes. These bones amplify the vibrations received from the eardrum and transmit them to the inner ear. The inner ear contains the cochlea, which is responsible for converting sound vibrations into electrical signals that can be interpreted by the brain.

Sound waves can cause vibrations in the eardrum and subsequent movements of the middle ear bones. Excessive sound intensity, high and low frequencies or sudden loud noises can potentially cause discomfort, temporary hearing loss, or damage to the delicate structures of the ear in pets.

The brain processes the electrical signals received from the auditory nerve and interprets them as sound. This allows your pet to perceive and understand different sounds in their environment.

How we design sound for your pet’s ears.

Our Pet Acoustics® proprietary process innovated by Janet Marlow in 1997, called “species-specific music”, modifies sound waves within designed music to be the most comfortable for the mechanism of pet hearing. Frequencies and volume levels that trigger stress are modified according to each animal’s comfort hearing range.

The results of our Pet Acoustics® music maintains hearing health in animals, elicits behavioral balance and lessens stress in their living environment.

Pet Tunes Canine used at the Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation (video)

Pet Tunes Pro is a multi-sensory speaker that calms dogs and cats with Pet Acoustics® science-based music, light colors, and nature sounds. Proven through biometric studies, Pet Acoustics@ proprietary sound design relieves pet stress for wellness in veterinary, kennel and home environments.

Dogs identify hues of blue-violet and cats hues of yellow-green. Light and colors help reduce stress levels in dogs and cats. Easy Touch tap on the speaker changes color choices. Enhances veterinary and kennel environments.

Pet Parents! Use Pet Tunes Pro to lessen anxiety in the veterinary exam room. Video shows Rigby go from anxiety to calm while seeing soothing colors and listening to the music.

Pet Parent Review -“Mitzi and I got your Pet Tunes Pro in the mail a few days ago. Mitzi and l have been listening to it almost continuously since. She absolutely loves it. The quality of the device and the music is exceptional."

Do dogs see colors?

Yes, dogs do see colors, but their color perception is different from that of humans. Dogs have fewer color receptors in their eyes than humans, which means they can only see two primary colors: blue-violet and yellow-green. This is a condition known as dichromatic vision. In contrast, humans have trichromatic vision, which means we can see the full spectrum of colors.

Because of their limited color vision, dogs see the world in shades of blue and yellow. Colors such as red, orange, and green appear as shades of yellow or gray to them. However, dogs have excellent visual acuity and can detect even subtle changes in movement and contrast, which is why they are such great hunters and trackers.

Do cats see colors?

Yes, cats do see colors.  Like dogs, cats also have dichromatic vision, which means they can only see two primary colors: blue and green. They do not have the ability to see reds or oranges, which appear as shades of gray or brown to them.

Despite their limited color vision, cats have excellent night vision and can see well in low light conditions. They also have a wider field of view than humans, with their eyes positioned more toward the sides of their head, giving them a 200-degree field of view compared to the human's 180-degree field of view. This wide field of view helps them to detect movement and avoid predators while hunting.

What is dichromatic vision in animals

Dichromatic vision is a type of color vision in animals that is characterized by the ability to perceive only two primary colors. In dichromatic vision, the eyes have two types of color receptors, also known as cones, that are sensitive to different wavelengths of light. The most common form of dichromatic vision in animals is the ability to see shades of blue and green.

This type of color vision is found in many animals, including dogs, cats, and most other mammals. Dichromatic vision is thought to be an evolutionary adaptation that allows these animals to see important visual cues in their environment, such as the contrast between a predator and its surroundings or the ripeness of fruit.

In contrast, humans have trichromatic vision, which means we have three types of color receptors in our eyes, allowing us to see a full range of colors. This is due to a gene mutation that occurred in early primates, which gave us an advantage in finding ripe fruit and detecting subtle changes in skin color that can indicate emotion or illness in other people.

Do birds see colors?

Yes, most birds have excellent color vision and can see a wider range of colors than humans. Birds have four types of color receptors, or cones, in their eyes compared to the three types found in humans. This means that they can see ultraviolet light and a wider range of colors, including colors that are invisible to humans.

Birds use their color vision to find food, attract mates, and navigate their environment. For example, some species of birds can see the ultraviolet patterns on flowers that guide them to nectar. Other birds use their color vision to recognize the bright colors of other birds and to distinguish between different species.

In addition to their excellent color vision, many birds also have sharp visual acuity and depth perception, which helps them to accurately judge the distance and speed of objects while flying. The combination of these visual abilities allows birds to thrive in their natural environments and play important roles in pollination, seed dispersal, and insect control.

Do horses see colors?

Yes, horses see colors.  Like dogs and cats, horses have dichromatic vision, which means they can only see two primary colors: blue and green. They do not have the ability to see reds or oranges, which appear as shades of gray to them.

Despite their limited color vision, horses have excellent night vision and can see well in low light conditions. They also have a wider field of view than humans, with their eyes positioned on the sides of their head, giving them a 350-degree field of view compared to the human's 180-degree field of view. This wide field of view helps them to detect predators and avoid obstacles while running.

Horses also have a special ability to see motion better than humans, which is thought to be an adaptation for detecting predators in their natural environment. This ability allows them to detect even subtle movements in their environment, such as the flicker of a predator's tail or the movement of a fly on their skin.

Can you keep a light on to calm a dog?

Keeping a light on can be helpful in calming some dogs, especially those who are afraid of the dark or have separation anxiety. Dogs are social animals and often feel comforted by the presence of their human family or other dogs. Keeping a light on can help them feel less isolated and anxious, especially if they are left alone for long periods of time.

However, it is important to keep in mind that dogs are diurnal animals, meaning they are most active during the day and sleep at night. Keeping a bright light on in the room where your dog sleeps can disrupt their natural sleep patterns and may cause them to have difficulty sleeping or resting properly. To avoid this, it is recommended to use a low-level night light or a dimmer switch to create a calm and soothing environment for your dog without disturbing their sleep.

Is light useful for separation anxiety for a dog?

Light can be used as part of an overall strategy to help manage the condition. Separation anxiety is a common behavior disorder in dogs that can cause them to exhibit a range of destructive or anxious behaviors, such as barking, chewing, or trying to escape when left alone.

To help manage separation anxiety in dogs, it is important to create a calm and predictable environment for them. This can include providing them with a comfortable and secure place to sleep, such as a crate or a designated area of the house, and leaving familiar toys, blankets, or other items that have your scent on them.

In some cases, leaving a low-level light on in the room where your dog sleeps can also help reduce their anxiety and make them feel less isolated when you are not there. 

Can light be soothing to cats?

Yes, light can be soothing to cats, especially natural sunlight. Cats are crepuscular animals, which means they are most active during the dawn and dusk hours and often rest during the day. Exposure to sunlight during these times can help regulate their natural sleep-wake cycle and promote relaxation

Changing lights 

If you are considering using changing lights to entertain or stimulate your pet, it is important to monitor their behavior and response to the lights. If your cat seems to enjoy the changing lights and is not showing any signs of stress or discomfort, then it may be a harmless way to provide them with some visual stimulation. However, if your pet is showing signs of stress, such as hiding or becoming agitated, it may be best to discontinue the use of changing lights.

In general, colored soothing lights can be helpful in calming pets, including dogs and cats. Soft, muted colors such as blue, green, and purple can create a relaxing and calming atmosphere, especially when used in conjunction with other calming strategies such as music or aromatherapy.

Colored lights can be used in a variety of ways to create a calming environment for pets. For example, a soft blue or green light can be left on in a quiet room or sleeping area to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety. Similarly, a color-changing lamp or LED strip can be used to create a calming and visually stimulating environment for pets.

It is important to note, however, that some pets may be sensitive to bright or flashing lights, and exposure to these types of lights can cause overstimulation and stress. If you are using colored lights to calm your pet, it is important to monitor their behavior and response to the lights. If your pet seems to enjoy the lights and is not showing any signs of stress or discomfort, then it may be a harmless way to provide them with some visual stimulation. However, if your pet is showing signs of stress or agitation, it may be best to discontinue the use of colored lights.

Overall, colored soothing lights can be a helpful tool in promoting relaxation and reducing anxiety in pets, but it is important to use them carefully and in conjunction with other calming strategies to ensure the best possible results.

Introducing an advancement in pet care!

PET TUNES PRO

A multisensory speaker to balance behaviors in dogs and cats

PET TUNES PRO - Veterinary, Kennel, Home

Pet Tunes Pro is a multi-sensory speaker that calms dogs and cats with Pet Acoustics® music, light, colors, and nature sounds. Proven through biometric studies, Pet Acoustics® proprietary sound design relieves pet stress for wellness in veterinary, kennel and home environments.

Pet Tunes Pro by Pet Acoustics- New!

Dogs identify hues of blue-violet and cats hues of yellow-green. Light colors can help reduce stress levels in dogs and cats. Easy Touch tap on the speaker changes color choices. Useful for veterinary and kennel settings.

Dogs hear twice as much as humans and cats three times more. Our Pet Tunes Pro's 360° omni directional speaker helps to balance canine and feline behaviors in their listening environment with volume capacity from small to large spaces.

PET TUNES PRO INCLUDES:

• Pet Acoustics® preloaded Micro TF Card with calming music for dogs and cats

• Pet Acoustics® Nature Calm TF Card for dogs and cats

• Pet Acoustics® White Noise TF Card

• Nature Sound Built-in Mode (8 Choices)

• Multicolor Touch Light Choices

• Home Pet Hearing Test

• USB Charging cord

• AUX IN cable

Bluetooth® compatible - plays any music from device

Multiple RGB color choices to soothe pet environments 

Digital LED alarm clock timer for scheduling prompts

Why the word PRO after Pet Tunes?

From Latin pro (“in favor of, on behalf of”) Pet Acoustics’ products are in favor of pet wellness and on behalf of providing the best products for your pet.

* Shop additional SD cards for dogs, puppy, cats, horses or birds available

Over the past 14 years, Pet Acoustics has set out to show on a biometric basis how our products affect the state of dogs, cats and horses. These studies prove that in their listening environment of Pet Acoustics species-specific music the physical response results in lower cortisol levels, lower pulse rate, higher heart rate variability (HRV) and calmer activity level. The following Pet Acoustics’ biometric study was published and peer reviewed in the International Animal Health Journal. For all of our Pet Acoustics biometric publications, please visit: https://www.researchgate.net/search.Search.html?query=pet+acoustics&type=publication

Did you know the most cancelled appointments are pet parents not being able to get their cat into the carrier to go to the vet exam? Listen to Janet Marlow, Sound Behaviorist on Cat Anxiety solutions on how to get your cat to the veterinarian visit from the carrier, to the car to the exam room easily without stress. Click on image to Listen to this Podcast on any device.

https://on.soundcloud.com/t2ZC5

Janet Marlow, M.A., Sound Behaviorist, founded Pet Acoustics and invented the science of species-specific music in 1997. She is world renowned for her contribution to the understanding of pet hearing and how sound and music affects behaviors. Her scientific studies are peer reviewed and published in veterinary science publications detailing clinical studies proving the effects of species-specific music for behavioral balance and well-being. She is an author, speaker, and consultant to organizations and veterinary practices on this new field of understanding. Janet Marlow continues to innovate products for the welfare of animals for pet parents, veterinarians, shelters, trainers and breeders through proven scientific methods.

What is sound behavior?

Sound behavior is a new field of study that describes the way in which an animal or person acts in response to a particular situation or stimulus from sound  as a sensitivity to an external or internal stimuli.  

A sound behaviorist is a person who specializes in the study of behavior in response to auditory perception and acoustics.

Contact us at hello@petacoustics.com

Imagine your dog and cat who lives about 2 to 4 feet off the floor of your house. They have a sense of safety in your normal day with the comings and goings of the family, daily scents, sounds, treats mealtime, walks and communications. Now it’s the holidays and their home is filled with family and friends. Dogs and cats feel calm when they have their routines. It’s wonderful to have a merry household for the holidays but just being aware your pet’s world of acute sensory perceptions on a different level will help you help them feel less stressed. So Pet Acoustics has produced holiday music with a dual purpose. Pet Tunes Holiday will provide a festive mood to your home while helping your pets remain calm with music sounds that elicit calm behavior. Want to know what this sounds like listen to this video presentation of Pet Tunes Holiday. Now add some toys of a squeaky Santa and feathery mouse for fun and frolic.

We love our dogs and cats. We love everything about them, the feel, their touch, their funny personality, the calm and active times we share daily. There are many levels of relationship that we cherish throughout their lives as we care for their well being. The last week in September is Pet Acoustics’ spotlight on pet hearing health. National Pet Hearing Health Week goes from September 26 to 30th. Each day we are asking you to observe your pet’s hearing ability as part of their health at any age. In our research over the past twenty five years, we’ve learned many aspects of what entails pet hearing health. Pet Acoustics now offers the first FREE Home Pet Hearing Test for dogs or cats to know for sure if your pet has full or partial hearing range. Learn more.

One pet parent said “ I just whisper “treat” and if my dog comes running I know they have hearing”. We’ve learned that knowing if your pet has hearing health requires more care and attention and that pet hearing has three levels of responses, high, medium and low ear/brain triggers. Each of these mean different triggering responses to animals. Simply put, human and animal health parallel. Human babies start with extraordinary hearing, the best the human ear can do, from the lowest vibrations to the highest sounds. As we age, our hearing diminishes in capacity and in old age, we lose more and more ability to hear. This, of course, varies form person to person but generally this is the case. In dogs and cats, the same range from birth to senior applies to our animal friends. This is why it’s important to acknowledge that your pet will be losing some hearing ability as they age. Most of the time, we recognize that our dog or cat is not hearing after the fact of hearing loss, when they no longer respond to our call, or have a new level of anxiety as this sense diminishes. So keeping track of your pet’s hearing ability throughout their life is a new and important awareness. which is what our Pet Acoustics National Pet Hearing Health Week is all about. Take time once a year to know the status of your pet’s hearing as a check-up.

Senior to geriatric dogs, who fall in the age range of seven to fourteen years or older, experience hearing loss as they age. The physical cause is due to degenerative changes in the nerves inside the ear. Loss of hearing is very gradual, so as a pet parent you may not notice the change right away. The common form of deafness in pets is age-related hearing loss, referred to as ARHL. Most experience some degree of ARHL, beginning in the third trimester of life. ARHL begins by affecting the middle to high frequency range of sounds but eventually encompasses the entire range of frequency hearing ability by the geriatric stage. 

For seniors, acknowledging their hearing loss is an important step to helping them navigate a new life stage. When our pets have pain or have an illness, pets often become stoic, not showing feelings of pain. Fortunately, when they’re in our care, we can be on the lookout for signs of hearing loss. Perhaps your pet no longer comes when you whistle, shows changes in daily behaviors, has an increased startle reflex specifically to touch, creates a louder than usual bark to get your attention, increases sleep time or has general apathy. When you have suspicions that there is something wrong with your pet’s hearing, take her to the veterinarian for evaluation and possible treatment.

Veterinary check up

Your veterinarian will observe your pet’s hearing ability. They’ll likely check to see if your pet responds to sounds outside their field of vision and take note if your pet has involuntary flicking or twitching of the ears, called-Pryor’s reflex-in response to sound.  

BAER Hearing Test- A veterinary procedure is an electro-diagnostic test used to evaluate the hearing of dogs, cats and other. domestic animals. It evaluates the components of the external ear canal, middle/inner ear cavities, cranial nerve and selected areas of the brainstem.

Pet Acoustics Home Pet Hearing Test is an easy, hands-on way to observe and record if your pet has full hearing or may have partial hearing or hearing loss. We’ve simplified the science of pet hearing into key ranges; high, mid, and low frequency hearing. This natural method includes animal vocalizations that are familiar to your pet. After conducting the test, you will know better if your pet hears all three levels or may have hearing loss.  

How it works

• Sign up on PetAcoustics.com to start the free Pet Acoustics Home Pet Hearing Test 

• Click on each audio test 

• Mark your pet’s observable reaction after playing each sound. 

• The survey test takes one minute to complete.

You’ll be emailed the test results which you can share with your veterinarian.

For Mother’s Day, we’re celebrating YOU being a Dog Mom or a Cat Mom!

Pet Acoustics announces our special partnership with Basepaws, a pet health & genetics company. Starting now, see their special Mother’s Day Gift Guide discount offer for a Cat DNA Test to know your cat better. Basepaws helps you discover more about our cat's genetic background, lineage, health, traits, – what a great gift for Mother’s Day!

Thousands of animal shelters across the globe share the goal of inspiring people to adopt. Approximately, 7.6 million companion animals enter shelters in the U.S. every year. Pet Acoustics, a global pet brand, produced a motivational song and video for animal rescue organizations to boost support and inspire new adopters.  

Animal rescue organizations can freely download to use the Rescue, Rescue song and video as an uplift to their campaigns and noble cause of helping those who have no voice. The lyrics are catchy to the ear with driving beats with a video story created to motivate adoption. Rescue, Rescue is written and sung by William Johnson, founder of Beats By Make. Pet Acoustics founder, Janet Marlow, wrote the lyrics and created the video production as The Pet Acoustics Rescue Initiative.

Rescue, Rescue is a story of one person’s search for a beloved companion to give them a forever home. 

Then I brought you home, Every day you lift my soul 

You’re life is warm and safe, You make mine truly whole

You’re no longer abandoned, Your safe from head to tail

Adopted from the shelter, You rescued me as well

“The sentiment of rescuing an animal begins with a burning desire that one’s heart is called to do. I know so many stories of people who, once they decide to adopt, will search and search until they find their beloved companion, myself included. It’s a journey of goodness and love. We want everyone to share and enjoy this song.” Janet Marlow, Founder and CEO of Pet Acoustics.

The Rescue, Rescue - The Pet Acoustics Rescue Initiative song is available on all streaming platforms, including, Spotify, Apple Music, TikTok, Pandora, Amazon, and iHeartRadio.

Watch and Download the video form the Pet Acoustics Youtube channel. Please share this video!!

The video is a give back to the pet community from the team at Pet Acoustics, which we have served since 2009.  We know that fundraising and support for each of the thousands of rescue organizations is motivated by the most dedicated people. We want to make this effort easier for them, with a media platform that gets straight to the heart of the world of rescue. 

Pet Acoustics Inc. has helped thousands of pets worldwide to overcome behavioral and environmental stress. Their popular clinically proven products, Pet Tunes Canine and Pet Tunes Feline are used by pet parents, rescue shelters and veterinarians to calm pets. The Pet Acoustics Rescue Initiative offers special discounts to purchase and gift to rescue shelters. Learn more here.

William Johnson, Singer, Composer, Engineer Janet Marlow, Composer, Sound Behaviorist

The Collaboration Back Story

Before Janet’s dedication to animals and leading Pet Acoustics’s mission, she was an international performer and recording artist. In the early 90’s as soon as digital composing came into being, she was one of the first to jump on board. Excited to educate others, she offered a course at a school to interested young people. William Johnson was one of those students. A few years later, The Janet Marlow Trio was performing, where backstage a fan came up to her and said I’d like to produce your next recordings. Amazingly, that was Will’s Dad, Taylor Johnson, a master recording engineer. The following six years, Taylor Johnson and Janet Marlow produced three albums, Passion & Grace, Essence and Latin Lover available on all streaming platforms. During this time Janet and Will reconnected as he too became a recording engineer, creating beats for hip hop artists and other recordings, called Beats By Make.

A few months ago, Janet reached out to Will with the project, which has now become The Pet Acoustics Rescue Initiative.