Posted: Wed Sep 28, 2011 11:53 am Post subject: Should I Start Training My Lab To Whistle Commands?
Buddy is 18 months now and has always been clicker trained. He has now joined the advanced class and as the youngest he seems to be progessing steadily, but I wondered if he would do better with a move from the clicker to a whistle.
I realise that they are two totally differents methods, with the clicker marking a behaviour and the whistle commanding the behaviour, but I just wondered if I could not spur him on in his training by commanding him with a whistle instead especially as he tends to find other dogs way more interesting than my recall. I am also very keen to get him into a distance 'down stay' especially in the event of an emergency.
I think he would respond well to a pitched whistle as he seemed very keen to whistle commands when they had the sheepdog trials on TV. The thing is, I would not know how to start training him with it as our trainer has no experience with this and I don't wish to use one haphazardly.
The experienced members will be able to offer you guidance on the 'how', but having done this, would highly recommend it. The whistle is clear, consistent and can be applied over a far longer distance than voice.
Have you a local gundog trainer who could help you with this, and perhaps assist with recall as well? there's nothing nicer to see than a dog perfectly recalled to a whistle command!
We have also done a lot of clicker training, and the 2 techniques are compatible. You can start quite easily in the house by using the whistle in assosication with feeding so it creates a feel good feeling, but others will be able to assist.
Thank you for your response. The other reason interested in indtroducing a whistle is because in our house I think there is just too much calling of 'Buddy, Buddy' and commanding from myself, my hubby and our girls and I think he is now oblivious to this.
I will have to make enquiries about local gun dog trainers.
id be very interested in this as well. like you to much is casper casper , i have my whistle, just not sure how to start it of we dont use clicker, just say the comands, but think be very usefull when out about of lead.
Whistle training is really useful - cannot recommend it enough. Having non-whistle trained dogs and now a whistle trained one, it is so much easier on the whistle.
How I did it was preceding the whistle with the word so that he learned to associated that particluar whistle with the word, and then the action. So for instance, when I want to recall Fin I whistle three short quick blasts - pip pip pip. So I would sit him up in the garden, shout 'Fin come' and then immediately 'pip pip pip' when he started to move. If you repeat that then the dog will eventually associate that particular whistle with the command and come to the whistle alone.
For everyday purposes, I only use two whistles - one to come and one to sit or stop.
But would a whistle commend help with recall for an intact 11mth male that was ingnoring you, as he was hell bent on peeing up every tree and long blade of grass he could find?
Whistle training is really useful - cannot recommend it enough. Having non-whistle trained dogs and now a whistle trained one, it is so much easier on the whistle.
How I did it was preceding the whistle with the word so that he learned to associated that particluar whistle with the word, and then the action. So for instance, when I want to recall Fin I whistle three short quick blasts - pip pip pip. So I would sit him up in the garden, shout 'Fin come' and then immediately 'pip pip pip' when he started to move. If you repeat that then the dog will eventually associate that particular whistle with the command and come to the whistle alone.
For everyday purposes, I only use two whistles - one to come and one to sit or stop.
Did you train your dog to the whistle yourself or did you have someone train you to use it?
It hasn't helped Fin, now he's going through a second bout of teenagedom!!!
I suppose it might add interest to the recall for a while, and it does really save your voice. The only thing is, if you recall them on the whistle twice and they're still not listening there's no point continuing to whsitle - you just have to get out there and give em a good telling off!
Its just useful to have - another string to your bow, another weapon in your arsenal and all that
If you whistle, it can sometimes add more 'weight' to your voice. If you recall them on the whistle successfully say 9 times out of 10, and then on number 10 they ignore you, when you shout and tell them off it will mean more as you are generally using your voice less when you whistle. Does that make sense? Or is it my weird logic??
Did you train your dog to the whistle yourself or did you have someone train you to use it?
Erm a bit of both. I had someone talk me through the basics and how to do it, but because, like so much training, it is down to repetition I was left to my own devices to teach it myself.
We're still working on his whistle stop, as I do gundog work. I taught him to sit on the whistle which he does no bother, but when he's a distance from me he thinks that he has to come back to me to sit, not just sit where he is! He went through a phase of getting it right and now he's forgotten as we've been working on other things.
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