Ever catch the judgy eyes of your pooch when you’re rocking out just a little too hard to your latest Spotify playlist? Turns out, if it was “One Love” you were cranking up, your dog was probably into it.

The Scottish SPCA and the University of Glasgow have published a paper which suggests music affects dogs’ behaviour. Researchers played a variety of music to dogs at a rehoming centre in Dumbarton and assessed physiological and behavioural changes. The new paper focuses on the effect of particular kinds of music, showing that reggae music is a firm favourite in the canine world.

The dogs were played five different genres of music: soft rock, Motown, pop, reggae and classical. The study suggested that dogs spent “significantly more time lying and significantly less time standing” when music was played, regardless of genre. By measuring the dogs’ heart rate, researchers said they showed a decrease in stress levels when played music – but most particularly when it was soft rock or reggae.

Wait, does that mean all dogs love Bob Marley? Not quite. “Overall, the response to different genres was mixed highlighting the possibility that like humans, our canine friends have their own individual music preferences,” study author Professor Neil Evans, from Glasgow University, said about the findings.

While a dog’s taste in music may seem like a silly thing to research, there are very real ways these findings can be put to use. Have to leave your anxious dog home alone for a bit while you run to the store? Press play on “I Shot The Sheriff.” It might just make their day a little bit easier! 🙂