A Danish orchestra was in need of a special sort of performer.

After all, a musical piece titled ‘Hunting Symphony’ by Leopold Mozart, required a bit of imagination to help simulate the environment of a hunting party.

So when they went looking for their newest members, they knew they needed a very specific set of skills – barking.

Bring in Cookie, Sophus and Sica. Three dogs chosen for their ability to bark on command, alongside the musical instruments playing.

Conductor Adam Fischer knew when he decided to play ‘Hunting Symphony’, he wanted something different. The musical piece features barking dogs, hunting calls and simulated gunshots. Most orchestras, he said, used recordings of dogs. But Fischer wanted something different.

Conductor Adam Fischer and several chamber musicians worked with the dogs at an audition to see whether they could bark and stop on command. Photo by Toke Bjoerneboe/Danish Chamber Orchestra

So that is how three dogs, along with their owners, performed for an audience of 750 people in Copenhagen.

“I immediately had the idea that I should try to perform it once in the original version,” Fischer said

The audience gave a howling ovation after the Sept. 3 performance, he said.

“I did this [symphony] once at a New Year’s concert in Budapest about 20 years ago, but only with one dog,” Fischer said.

“This time, I thought we could stick to the composer’s intention of [using] several dogs that should bark,” he said.

After issuing a call for any show dogs, there was an open audition and of the dozen dogs, these three were chosen.

“The dogs showed whether they could bark and stop again, and afterward, a string quartet accompanied them so we could see how the dogs reacted to the music,” said Andreas Vetö, CEO of the Danish Chamber Orchestra.

Conductor Adam Fischer and several chamber musicians worked with the dogs at an audition to see whether they could bark and stop on command. Photo by Toke Bjoerneboe/Danish Chamber Orchestra

Helle Lauvring, 60, was thrilled that her four-year-old Spanish water dog, Cookie, was one of the three picked.

“I’ve been training Cookie for many years, and I knew she could bark when I asked her to and that she would be perfect for the job,” Lauvring said. “She is very obedient and good at taking commands.”

After several training sessions with a dog trainer, Vetö said, they found that the most effective way to get them to respond to commands was having their owners give them treats.

About a dozen dogs showed up for the spring audition with the Danish Chamber Orchestra. Photo by Toke Bjoerneboe/Danish Chamber Orchestra

“The dogs showed us that suddenly we can communicate music to an audience that would not necessarily listen to classical music,” Fischer said, explaining that the canines inspired people who might not attend classical concerts to give it a try.

While Fischer enjoyed the dogs’ performance, he isn’t sure he will use them again, but he’s keeping an open mind.

“I would be happy to perform other pieces,” Fischer said. “I love animals.”

To hear the three dogs in action, see some of their performance below.

Sources: Washington Post | EuroNews