Traveling to the tune of a happy dog

by Jessica Howell

For many pet owners, car rides -- whether on vacation to the Grand Canyon or simply on the way to the vet -- can be quite an experience. We're not saying bad necessarily, but an experience all the same. Rowdy, anxious pups can barely contain themselves and older, wiser dogs often won't budge from the backseat. To make things easier on everyone involved, intuitive animal communicator, Dr. Kim Ogden has provided her expertise in the creation of "Songs to Make Dogs Happy," a musical CD perfect for traveling with your four-legged companion.

We couldn't resist sampling catchy tunes with names like "Squeaky Deaky" and "You're a Good Dog," which aren't exactly the best we've ever heard, but seemed to please our tester pup.

Testing for "Songs to Make Dogs Happy," as it so happens, was taken quite seriously at L.A. based Laurel Canyon Animal Company. Canine focus groups consisting of 200 participants were selected, assembled and questioned by Dr. Ogden (pet "guardians" providing the verbal feedback) on music and content preferences. The result: a twelve-song disc that retails for $14.95 and promises to do exactly what the title suggests while easing serperation anxiety, improving human-canine relationships and providing the perfect soundtrack to lengthy roadtrips.

Even veterintary clinics have shown interest in the CD, playing it for dogs recovering from surgeries -- and reactions are amazing, according to some dog lovers.

Says Richard Porter, veterinary doctor, "When I received the [CD,] I wasn't sure what to expect of it, but I though I would try it on [one] Labrador patient to see if it could possibly help to calm him. Even with intravenous medication, the Lab puppy was still very 'agitated' with any external stimuli. We decided to turn on the CD and amazing things happened: The puppy became much more relaxed!" The immidiate change spurred Dr. Porter to send the CD home with the pet and his owner, who reported that it made a difference in the next few days of recovery as well.

To hear "Songs to Make Dogs Happy" youself or purchase your own copy, you can visit www.petcds.com.