Meet the woman who developed a music program to calm shelter dogs
The gentle sound of piano music is helping to ease the stress and anxiety of shelter dogs as they transition into homes during adoption.
With "A Sound Beginning," a program developed by Julie Dorsey-Oskerka, 64, of Carol Stream, the music is initially played in the animal shelter for the dogs, which helps them relax, rather than pace, she said.
Her husband Bruce Oscar, who hosts the afternoon jazz radio program at WDCB-College of DuPage, composed the music for the CD and recorded it in a studio. This was done to keep the music royalty-free and to keep the cost of the program down, Dorsey-Oskerka said.
It also allowed her to get exactly what she needed; slower tempos with the majority of the notes in the lower register.
Area shelters using this program include Anderson Animal Shelter in South Elgin, Wheeling Animal Hospital and Pet Resort in Wheeling, Wiggles and Wags in Lombard and Narnia in Plainfield, she said.
Following adoption, the new owner plays the music in the car and in the dog's new home. By this time the music is something that is familiar to the dog, and helps it cope with stress and fear relating to the adoption process.
The music is also played during training sessions, which in part help the people understand their dog's body language. The goal is for the adoption to be successful, because more than 25 percent of adoptions result in the dog being returned to the shelter in two weeks, Dorsey-Oskerka said, according to a study by PetSmart Charities and the American Humane Society.
Dorsey-Oskerka said dogs who have spent a significant amount of time in no-kill shelters are anxious and stressed, and because of this they often show aggressive, though defensive behavior which can cause problems in their new homes.
"Things go wrong and people don't know what to do," Dorsey-Oskerka said. "Most of the people go too far too fast."
Dorsey-Oskerka, who has a background working at dog shows, first discovered that music helped calm the nerves of dog owners during obedience classes she was teaching.
"The program started as a concept when I was using the power of sound to be able to help dogs and their people to be less stressed," Dorsey-Oskerka said. "I started using music in the classes to give people something else to focus on."
During this time, she said she didn't realize there was actually science behind the power of sound and how certain music works to be able to calm the nervous system.
Later, she discovered scientific research had been performed confirming that soft music had a calming effect on dogs.
The program costs $175 and includes the music CD; the book "Adopting a dog? Start off with a Sound Beginning," cowritten by Dorsey-Oskerka with Patricia Rattray and Rebecca Cann; four 1-hour training sessions offered at eight locations in the Chicagoland area, and additional support.
For details, visit www.asoundbeginningprogram.com
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