Music for dog walking - a (selected) playlist

Dog walks come in all speeds and varieties, age, breed and temperament determine the type of walk you’re going to have. With this in mind, here are songs / music for dog walking that may be appropriate for the occasion!.

Walking the Dog – Rufus Thomas shows you how to do it

This is one to get you in a dog-walking mood – an old RnB classic. Rufus Thomas begins by quoting Mendelssohn’s Wedding March, before he calls out for his dog to go walking with him (or is it a double entendre?). This one includes dog whistles and references nursery rhymes, and has been covered by Aerosmith, Green Day and many others.

Music for lethargic Labradors

If your dog is feeling lazy or lethargic, you might need to call on James Brown, the Godfather of soul (and funk) – to get ’em off the sofa or floor. Pretty-much the majority of James Brown’s ouevre would be suitable. If it takes longer to get your dog on his toes- put on a whole album

Music for dogs that are raring to get outside

On the other hand, if your dog can’t contain themselves as soon as you pick up the lead, then you might want to share her experience, by putting on something else high energy, like this Pointer Sisters 1980s hit.

So you are now outside. Are you leading your dog, or is your dog leading you? OK, so they are dawdling right now..

Music for dog walking at 90 beats per minute

There are many tunes to choose from for a slow walk, and it all depends on whether you want to keep the cruising pace, or whether you wish your dog would go a bit faster. Music with 90 beats per minute (BPM) would be appropriate. It all depends on your taste: Justin Beiber fans might go for Despacito, or if not(!), there’s Daft Punk’s Doin’ it right, Kanye West’s Golddigger, Katy Perry’s Roar, and The Red Hot Chilli Pepper’s Scar Tissue. However, in case your dog antcipates a bit of bit of rear sniffing, here’s one that might suit the occasion.

Music for dog walking – the casual stroll (110-120 BPM)

Our bodies like to move to music, and that includes when we are walking. According to Carl Foster at the University of Wisconsin, ‘When we are walking, we want to step in time with the rhythm’.

Picking up the pace a bit, your pooch is ambling, while smelling areas around lampposts. You go from Beyonce’s Crazy in Love at 110BPM to Lady Gaga, and you’re now in your stride – down the avenue towards the park as you listen to this:

You are now up to a fast walking speed and therefore you want music with120BPM, This is the most common tempo in pop music, and there are really are a lot of possibilities. You browse through your selections, and put Carly Rae Jepsen’s Run Away With Me,

Music for excited dogs let loose

Having made it down the street and into the park, here’s where your walk could take various turns. You decide to let your pooch off the lead, and they immediately spot a ball.

You throw it and your dog brings it back. A nearby dog wants to join in as well, and before you know it there are three dogs chasing the same ball.

After a half an hour of fun and balls and several tracks (including Prince’s Let’s Go Crazy), you take your dog further on. In the park’s distance there is a mansion with some stately hounds sitting there. Picking up the scent in no time, your pooch is off again in their direction. Could this be romance?

Your often-well behaved pooch has transformed into one that does not hear your name when you call it. You run towards, but that they run further into the distance. How are you going to get your dog back? Taylor Swift is up next:

You finally see your dog foraging in the undergrowth, and breath a sigh of relief, when there is no resistance to putting the lead back on. You purposely make your way towards the park entrance and back home. You remind yourself not to take it personally, because like a true nature’s child – they were born to be wild. You stick on this Wilson Pickett version just because… it makes a change from Steppenwolf.

Back home

You’re finally back, covered with mud and with nettle stings. You feed your pup, them watch them fall asleep. You have a load of things to do before bedtime, but you catch a few moment to review the last hour. You’re feeling sentimental, and relax on your sofa as an old Cat Stevens song starts up.