Feeling Stressed? Channel These Dogs Chilling the Fuck Out to Some Reggae

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Feeling Stressed? Channel These Dogs Chilling the Fuck Out to Some Reggae

Life could be so much better as a dog.
Ryan Bassil
London, GB

(All photos by Jake Lewis) Dogs are one of the earth's greatest jewels. Sloppy yet cute, these four-legged bundles of joy can bring happiness (and a load of moulting hair) into any room they enter. "Who's a good boy?" you probably say, as they frantically claw at your face and lovingly coat your nose in a juicy dollop of wet saliva. "Aren't you a special smooshy wooshy doggy, oh yes, yes you are."

Thing is, setting aside the fur and the tail and the unrelenting desire to chase plastic balls through the wilderness, us humans have two things in common with dogs: 1) there are some famous beasts out there (shout out to Scooby Doo, Pluto and the badass skateboarding bulldog); 2) for every man or woman knocking their knees back and forth and scratching their way into anxiety-induced psoriasis, there's a lonely and stressed dog sinking into a carpet somewhere. Maybe you've seen them, tail between their legs, sadness washing its way across their eyes, an emotional imbalance pulling their already floppy ears closer to the ground.

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Luckily there is an answer, a cure of sorts, a respite to the waves of stress that so often crash into our and those of our furry friends. Last month scientists discovered that listening to reggae makes dogs feel less stressed than if they were to listen to, say, doom metal, pop, or the measured hum of natural existence. Obviously scientists know what they're talking about. But could I really pass up an excuse to go and hang out with dogs for a day to prove their theory? Are you dumb, my friend? That's not me. It's definitely not you, either.

Last week our photographer Jake Lewis and I went to Battersea Dogs & Cats Home in London, armed with the collective works of Bob Marley and Jimmy Cliff to see how the hounds would respond. As always, the dogs were at first excited. After a while though, they calmed down. They became chill. Look upon them below and channel their serenity. Bookmark this page so when everything gets too much you can come back here, your new safe space, your lagoon of refuge and pure happiness. And, when you feel so inclined, come through to the Battersea website to investigate how you can take one of these soon to be famous dogs home, today. All they want is your love.

ALFIE

Look at this soppy little youngster! His name is Alfie and that white coloured discharge you see dripping from his nose is thankfully not related to a medical condition but his love of cream cheese - which he devoured while unwinding to the loose percussion of reggae's most relaxing hits.

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RUBY

Awww. Ruby is a six-year-old (and house-trained!!) Staffordshire Bull Terrier who: (a) immediately softened to the tone of Bob Marley's finest and; (b) will absolutely not take vacant looks from a plastic and undeniably lifeless chicken.

ASKA

Ever heard of the Saluki breed? They're the Persian version of the Greyhound, which is perhaps why Aska looks more gorgeous than the last person you made eyes with across the club. Inquisitive, calm, cool, collected: she loves reggae more than your grandmother on a Sunday afternoon.

SOCRATES

Fig 1) Socrates going wild for the spread of artificial turf. Fig 2) Socrates chilling the fuck out and aiming to break your heart in the process. Until Battersea took him in, this nine-month-old Beagle was a stray :(

TIAH

Woah there, Tiah!

Woahohohoh!

"What do you want, my human friend?"

"What is this thing you're brandishing in my face, making sounds far too loud for my sensitive canine ears?"

"Reggae?"

Oh :(

As you can see, it took Tiah a minute or two to come to terms with the strange music wafting through her play area. After a while, though, she became at one with the sound. Behold: a four-legged medium conveying the infinite sadness and nostalgia that circulates through the veins of even the happiest-sounding tracks from reggae's back catalogue of sun-drenched tearjerkers.

HOLLY

Baby girl, baby girl. Here's the angel known as Holly, the retired racing dog. At this stage in her life, all Holly is looking for is a sofa to kick back and relax on. See here as her ears prick up to one of the most soothing genres of music known to man, woman, and now Greyhound.

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ZUKI

Ba-da-bah-da-bah… It's-the-only-and-only-Dee-Oh-Double-G.

Zook dogg!

This beautiful, handsome creature is an Akita and he's cooler than anything Andre 3000 has ever declared to be ice cold. Look at that strut. Look at that face. It's enough to get even the most cold hearts pumping with the scarlet warmth of love. This guy loves reggae. He loves people and I love him too. I wish I could bring him home with me. To any managers reading this taking note of my next birthday: here it is, my one wish and declaration. Akita for Ryan Bassil.

To everyone else: come through once more to the Battersea website and give a dog a home (and play them some reggae when they get there – they'll love it).

You can find Ryan on Twitter.