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Madrid’s police dogs are learning to relax with Mozart

The Local Spain
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Madrid’s police dogs are learning to relax with Mozart
Photo: Policia de Madrid

Madrid’s police dogs have new digs. And the new kennels not only come with air conditioning but piped classical music in a bid to reduce stress.

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The 22 dogs that comprise the canine unit at Madrid’s municipal police force have moved into new kennels this week where they will experience music therapy, an innovation thought to aid relaxation.

A video of the dogs in their cages relaxing to classic music was posted by the Madrid Police on their Twitter account:

Known as ‘the Mozart effect’, a recent study by animal psychologists published in the Journal of Veterinary Behaviour determined that regular sessions listening to music can help reduce anxiety in dogs.

The study found that classical music had the most calming effect but that dogs also respond well to soft rock, jazz and reggae. Heavy metal, however, was shown to increase stress levels.

Each of the dogs in Madrid's Canine Unit, which was created in 1983, have different roles in the force.

Some are trained to sniff out narcotics, explosives and even counterfeit money, while others are dedicated search and rescue.

The newly refurbished kennels also provide outside grass play areas for the working dogs, air conditioning in summer and heated mattresses for winter.

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