Posted: Sun May 13, 2007 8:36 pm Post subject: Whistle training. Good or not?
Well one week today, we will be picking up our first Labrador puppy, Alfie. My question revolves around training and the use of a whistle.
Obviously we want to start training Alfie as soon as possible after he has settled in for a few days and I have been informed by a good friend of mine who has trained his own dog (an Italian Spinoni) as a gundog, that the use of a whistle in training is a godsend, especially for recalls.
Would any of you guys have had any first hand experience of training with the aid of a whistle?
It's fantastic wish I would have done it sooner, I reccomended it to my neighbour who got her lab at 14 wks he is now about 20 weeks and doing really well.
Fudge responds well, I didn't start her ill she was 15 mnths she is now nearly 2
i use the whistle with coal for recalls and its great. its a constant pitch and therefore he knows what it means and it saves me voice too. can be used by any member of the family and still sounds same etc so very good.
brilliant
____________ Sam, Coal & Finn
It�s never too late to be what you might have been
All photographs remain copyrighted to me with al
I think its great too, having a few probs as there are loads that use it when we walk out pmpl so some times poor rosie can be dancing as she dont know which whistle to listen too
Boo is so in tune with the whistle now that there is a certain bird that does the same sound in our local fields & Boo looks up & goes mad trying to find where the noise is coming from as she thinks someone is calling her
Hi too have started using a whistle for Bailey for recall but sometimes he comes and sometimes he doesn't so not sure if its working and if i should continue... he has 100% recall at home with it but only 50% when were out Sarah and Bailey
We use a whislte, for recall mainly, when we are on the beach & Jansen is very far away he can hear it better than me trying to shout against the wind etc.
its a constant aswell, where as you may vary commands without realising it.
"sometimes he doesn't so not sure if its working and if i should continue..."
I only blow the recall whistle if Jansen is looking at me, if he runs off I wont whislte till he stops & turns to look where I am, then I'll whistle & open my arms up & start waving... then it works.
The key thing we have been taught at gundog training this week, is dont set yourself upto fail, if your dog is running away from you there is no point in blowing the whistle as he will just keep on running... HTH
Hi i think thats where i am going wrong i am expecting it to fail and i do whistle when he is running thanks for posting it has helped Sarah and Bailey
Even a whistle carries some intonation. they do sound different if blown hard or softly. I make sure I use the same pressure on the whistle in the training field and on walks and working.
A calm 'toot toot' in training can become a 'TOOT TOOT' when you're anxious. The dog will pick up the difference in sound and anxiety levels in the handler.
I use ACME whistles like a lot of folk but they are popular and that can be confusing. My old dog I trained on a stag horn whistle. Each whistle is unique in tone and there was no confusion in the field but then I went and lost it...........
As some of you may know i have got a 10 week old choci, Also called Alfie,,
I must admit i really like the idea of using a whistle to help recall and have a acme one at home.
As he cant go out just yet, I have only tried it out once in the garden to see how he reacted and he turned and scampered towards me everytime when i blew it.
whereas the littleman at the minute doesn't even respond or know his own name, so i thought that was really good.
At least once they are looking at you you can use your body language to encourage them back, so it seems getting them to re address their attention to you as opposed to what they are doing is half the battle won.
no idea how to get them to sit / laydown by the whistle just yet, but loads on here i'm sure I can search to work that bit out.
You cannot post new topics in this forum You cannot reply to topics in this forum You cannot edit your posts in this forum You cannot delete your posts in this forum You cannot vote in polls in this forum You cannot attach files in this forum You cannot download files in this forum
Sarah and Bailey
