Dogs enjoy the first-ever canine concert

Tails were wagging outside the Sydney Opera House in Sydney, Australia, during a recent special concert designed for canine ears. Almost 1,000 dog lovers attended the free, 20-minute concert, although they couldn't hear all of it. The dog whistles and whale calls featured in the concert weren't audible to people.

The concert, called Music for Dogs, was the brainchild of musician Laurie Anderson, who's married to rock star Lou Reed of The Velvet Underground. Her inspiration: her rat terrier, Lolabelle. "She likes things with a lot of smoothness but with beats in them," Anderson says. The effects of music on pets has long been debated. However, the majority of studies tend to show that music has a calming effect on animals.

Originally, the concert was going to only feature electronic noises played at a frequency too high for human ears. But in the end, Anderson decided to lower some of the octaves so that dog owners could enjoy the show too. The concert was part of Sydney's Vivid LIVE Arts Festival that runs until June 20.