New Alexa smart speaker skill plays music for your dog
"Who let the dogs out? Woof! Woof!"
That's one of the songs (along with any other remixes of the Baha Men's 2000 hit) we'd include on the new Alexa smart speaker skill for your dog. Puppy Jams! is an iHeartRadio music skill that plays songs for your dog even if you're not around.
Monday is International Dog Day. Let your dog rock out in honor of the very official holiday by turning on the Alexa skill.
For any Amazon device connected to the digital assistant Alexa, you can say, "Alexa, open Puppy Jams!" Then you tell the AI how your dog is feeling: stressed, lonely, or happy. Based on the mood you indicated, the device will select an iHeartRadio playlist made for canines.
The playlists aren't just dog-themed songs, but classical melodies with soothing piano music and reggae -- playlists that actual research has found de-stresses pups. Apparently, classical music increases sleep time for dogs and reggae and soft rock decrease stress levels. Be careful because fast, repeating songs have the opposite effect. "Who Let the Dogs Out" might actually get your pooch too keyed up.
Either way: Woof, woof!
Sasha is a news writer at Mashable's San Francisco office. She's an SF native who went to UC Davis and later received her master's from the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism. She's been reporting out of her hometown over the years at Bay City News (news wire), SFGate (the San Francisco Chronicle website), and even made it out of California to write for the Chicago Tribune. She's been described as a bookworm and a gym rat.
