Recall to whistle

Hey everyone, was just wondering some things about using a whistle to recall/teach recall.

Is there a designated sound people use for recall? or just a blow on the whistle?

Do you use the whistle even when they are fairly close/can hear your voice?

If there are people close to you, how do you not deafen them if you need to whistle the dog back?

Hey everyone, was just wondering some things about using a whistle to recall/teach recall.

Is there a designated sound people use for recall? or just a blow on the whistle?

Do you use the whistle even when they are fairly close/can hear your voice?

If there are people close to you, how do you not deafen them if you need to whistle the dog back?

You can use any whistle you like eg referee, silent, gundog, shepherd's, or your own.

YOU choose what command suits you, it can be 1 to a number of pips; short or long.

There is no point in using a whistle if your voice or even a hand signal is more appropriate!

If you use a referee whistle you may deafen them, but others are not an issue.

Hi

I teach both voice and whistle recall.

I use a gundog whistle 1 1/2 from memory!

The whistle is taught by using voice recall and then the whistle sound I use three short toots for recall. As far as I know I haven't deafened anyone

I also use a loud long toot for come out wherever you are so I can see you.

I practice the whistle at home as well as on walks and also recommend whistle feeding - it reinforces the whistle = something yummy.

You can also prime the whistle like a clicker - whistle, treat, whistle, treat.

Hope this helps - with a breed like mine that ventures some distance a whistle is a necessity for me - plus they tend to respond quicker as can hear it better (except the English who hears it just will respond when ready )

If your dog already responds to the voice command any NEW command must PRECEDE the known one.

Ie if you want to introduce a whistle you whistle, wait a second and then say the word come.

This is to ensure that the dog learns properly ie it will soon ANTICIPATE that the whistle means come, and then you can stop using the word.

Thanks guys!

Alfie responds to voice (as long as there aren't any dogs he wants to play with instead ), so have that too, but want to use a whistle and smokeybears method of splitting food up into small amounts and getting one when he recalls straight away, but the park is quite big and he knows it so well he runs off to see any other dog he pleases.... so thought a whistle may be good, plus when mum whistles with her mouth (i can, but really quietly.. i kinda fail ), he seems to respond a bit better anyway!

Hey,

I have an ACME 211 1/2 gundog whistle.

For gundogs they have different pips and sounds for different things, if you'r not interested in teaching Alfie sit to a pip of the whistle then you needn't bother. Just teach him to come to a long blow.

I shout Louie's name - then blow the whistle - to get his attention. But to get him to know what the whistle mean't I had to charge it like a clicker - 2 pips = a tasty treat - something he only gets when he hears the whistle. Then as you would a clicker - you take it out in the garden - then the drive, then on a long line - you go further afield. Treats and lots of praise when he comes back - like you would with a name response.

If you want to have both a name and whistle response when they are close by then use both. When Louie's on a scent but not too into it, I call his name then whistle as he is running to me.

If someone's standing too close - that's their fault. If they say something you apologise and carry on.

Like name response - never whistle if there is no chance of them coming back - my OH did that and now I am retraining the whistle command - UGH! Takes months to build and one idiot, one minute to destroy - despite being told what to do..

Thanks

Yeah I will do the same as I do with the clicker, which is hide it so only I know where it is.........
No one can mess about with it then lol

Ah I'm not the only one who walks the dogs. I am though the only one who seems capable of keeping consistent training.

I am sick of hearing "sit then, sit, sit Louie, sit" Instead of "Louie, sit" my OH's mum.

But my parents are the same "Down" No the word for get off the sofa is "OFF" Down means lay down -

The dogs a challenge enough - I don't need the added ignorance.

I never use a dog's name before giving it a command, unless I have more than one of them!

After all, if I am i a room with someone talking I do not say "Brian, do you want a drink"? I just say "do you want a drink" as nobody else is there!

Same with the whistle, if my dog can hear my voice ok then there is no need to whistle is there?

So I whistle this means "come"
I say "come" this means "come"
Or I use the relevant hand signal, this means "come"

Well I train differently. His name is said to get attention - and it's not even his name - just "Woowoo" which is his nickname - it is working and I will soon drop the name - sometimes I don't say it, but sometimes I do. It's just how I train. There is no real right way to train a whistle - there are wrong ways but this is working for me.

Kammi asked for advice - I gave her my way of training as did you and Rachael - she can choose what she sees fit. And I tend to have more than one dog out on a walk.