[wp_ad_camp_2]For gundogs that work in the shooting field, whistle control is essential.
But I recommend that all dog owners train their dog to respond to a gundog whistle.
I will explain why.
First let’s look at what whistles can and cannot do.
What a whistle cannot do
Experienced dog owners may be surprised, but there are plenty of dog owners out there, who have high expectations of a dog whistle, and are deeply disappointed to discover that the whistle itself has no special powers when it comes to training a dog.
When you buy a whistle, you need to be aware that a whistle has no ‘intrinsic’ meaning for a dog.
Your dog is likely to be interested in a whistle because it is a distinct and unusual sound, compared with the constant background noise of everyday conversation and other normal human noises.
Because the whistle is ‘distinctive’ the dog may approach you to investigate when you blow it, but don’t be fooled by this.
This effect is completely temporary. The dog will soon lose interest in the whistle unless he begins to associate the sound of it, with something that he values.
Whistles do not train dogs, people do
Do you need to buy a whistle to train a companion dog?
Strictly speaking, you do not need a whistle. Whistles do not train dogs, people do. You can teach any dog to recall to voice alone, and a pet dog can be trained to a high standard without a whistle.
However, a whistle is a very useful tool. You will find a whistle very useful outdoors, and you may find you feel a lot more dignified blowing a whistle than bellowing at the top of your voice when you dog is a long way off.
Why do we use whistles for gundog training?
We use a whistle for gundog training rather than human voice, for three main reasons.
- It is easier to hear
- It is unambiguous
- It is less disturbing to game
It is easier to hear
The first reason we use a whistle for gundogs is because these dogs have to work at a distance from the handler, outdoors and in all weather conditions. The human voice simply does not carry as effectively as a whistle, especially on a windy day.
It is unambiguous
The second reason a whistle is used for advanced dog training is because the whistle makes a very clear and unambiguous signal.
The human voice is infinitely variable and this is a disadvantage when we are training animals. Each command a dog learns, is learned most effectively when paired with a crystal clear and never changing cue.
A good quality whistle will not alter in pitch when you are angry or tired, or when you have a sore throat. It is totally reliable and consistent.
It is less disturbing to game
The purpose of a gundog is to collect food for the table. More specifically, food that has been shot by his handler. The human voice is very disturbing to game, a whistle far less so.
If a ‘hunter’ is not to go home empty handed, it is important that gundog work is carried out with the minimum of disturbance in the countryside.
What are the limitations of the whistle?
Sometimes we want to work a dog in almost complete silence, in these cases a hand signal, or whispered voice command may be more appropriate. The same applies when a dog is at very close quarters. And unlike your voice, whistles can get lost, or forgotten. In practice, most gundog handlers teach voice commands first then add whistles and hand signals in a bit later as training progresses.
Some gundog handlers find it awkward to shoot and use a whistle at the same time. This is only a factor when working a young hunting dog, where the whistle is normally kept in the mouth whilst the dog is hunting and flushing game.
What is special about a ‘gundog’ whistle
The Acme gundog whistles that I use are very robust. In over thirty years I have never broken one (though I have certainly lost a few) Their strength is another reason why I recommend them to pet dog owners too.
And you can now get them in brighter colours which make them easier to find if you drop them.
The Acme whistle also has a very consistent sound. They come in different ‘pitches’ to suit the preference of the owner. If you lose one, you can buy another with exactly the same tone.
You can buy staghorn gundog whistles from gunshops and pet shops. These come in various shapes and sizes and can look very attractive, but when you lose one, you may struggle to find another with the same pitch. This is why almost all gundog handlers use acme gundog whistles.
How do I train my dog to a whistle?
There is nothing different or special about teaching your dog to respond to a whistle. It is done in just the same way as teaching the dog to respond to a voice command. You will need to pair the whistle with the behaviour you want to see in your dog, and reward the dog when it completes the required action. This process takes time.
You can find detailed instructions on training your dog in the Gundog Club Training Guides. If you have a pet gundog you might prefer to work through my recall training programme which is available from July 2012. It’s called Total Recall. And is available from Amazon.
What are the standard gundog whistle commands?
Sometimes people are unsure how to blow the whistle for best effect. In principle it does not matter which type of whistle signal you use as long as it is always the same. In practice there are some standard ways of using the whistle in ‘gundog circles’ that you might find helpful to begin with
The recall signal
This is usually string of ‘pips’ on the whistle. I use five: pip-pip-pip-pip-pip. Some trainers use three or four pips, which is fine for retrievers. But as I work spaniels, I like a really strong distinction between recall and turn whistles
TIP: blow the recall signal softly whilst your little puppy is eating his dinner, he will associate it with a great reward right from the start.
The stop signal
Usually a single strong blast on the whistle. ‘peeeeeeeeeeep’
TIP: teach your dog to stop to a soft-shortish peeep to begin with and save the really strong blast for emphasis when he is a long way off
The turn signal
Hunting dogs are taught to turn on two pips of the whistle ‘pip-pip’
If you are still unsure how the whistle should sound, or how to blow yours effectively, you can book a session with a gundog instructor who will demonstrate for you and go over the basics to get you off on the right foot with your whistle training
Switching from voice to whistle
If your dog is already trained to a known voice command you can switch quite quickly to whistle by giving the whistle command followed by the voice command over a period of a few days, then gradually fading out the voice command.
I think you will find that it is well worth the bother of doing this, even with a pet dog!
Have fun with your whistle training!
If you enjoy my articles, you might like my new book: The Happy Puppy Handbook – a definitive guide to early puppy care and training.
Gina Jackson says
Hello,I have a whippet that I would like to train by whistle. She is 10 months old and has no self control,so recall is a little problem. What is best a 210.5 or a 211.5? I don’t know what the difference is. Many thanks
John says
Can a gundog be tough by two people ect, my girlfriend training her HPR to the whistle as well as I? I was told people blow the whistle differently which means I won’t be able to use my girlfriends dog out on shoots as the dog will only respond to her whistle?
Thanks
sam cresswell says
Hi Pippa have just brought a 8 week working cocker, so a long way to go yet! But could you tell me the difference with the stop sit whistle, to the drop whistle commands
Regards Sam
Pippa says
Hi Sam, the purpose of the stop whistle is to ‘stop’ the dog in his tracks. Initially, we often teach the dog to ‘sit’ to the whistle as this is an unambiguous command and ensures that the dog cannot move. Later on, many trainers stop insisting on a sit and just expect the dog to stop and stand still. You’ll find some people refer to this process as ‘sit whistle’, ‘drop whistle’ or ‘stop whistle’ Those who call it a drop whistle sometimes ask their dogs to lie down rather than sit. But it is all the same process. The aim is simply to stop the dog and have him look to the handler for instruction.
Joanne says
Hello Pippa – Have you tried a traditional shepherd’s whistle for gundogs? Soft tones when you need them to be but sharp tones that can carry up to 2 miles and capable of lots of different commands – some shepherds run 4 or more dogs together all with 5-10 commands each. easy to train the dog on as the sounds are distinctive, consistent and so less confusing.
Pippa says
Hi Joanne, I haven’t tried a sheepdog whistle, that would be interesting! Normally when handling gun dogs,at a distance, we are only directing one dog at a time, so different whistles is not really an issue in the way that it is when you have two sheepdogs working in conjunction with one another. Also, probably we don’t have so many different commands? I believe the shepherds whistle is held inside the mouth? Not sure if I would like that 🙂 🙂 Love watching collies work though!
Joanne McHardy says
Hello Pippa – have a look at Logan Whistles on http://www.loganwhistles.com There is a consistency and urgency to the tone which these whistle produce that dogs really appreciate. There is no need to build a full vocabulary of commands – only what you and you dog need and use regularly. The critical being the Stop command which is usually one long tone. The whistles are sculpted to fit in the mouth and there is a knack to using them. But they’ve been developed for use in a working environment so the dog and handler can work in all sorts of weathers, reducing the stress on the dog by making commands clear. To a large extent they have been the ‘shepherd’s secret’ as the long article on these whistles in the latest edition of the International Sheepdog News describes them to be. But watch any dog respond to the sound they make and you’ll see their potential and why they are now being used much more widely.
Bess says
I want to train my 11 week old whippet puppy to recall to a whistle, and am interested in the Acme silent whistle as I live in a built up area and don’t want to disturb other people too much. Is it as effecitve as th 210.5 / 211.5? And if so, why doesn’t everyone use a silent whistle? It seems like a really good idea….
Grant says
Can anyone advise me on what sort of whistle pitch I should use for a Labrador?.
He has just turn 18 month and I have been doing some dummy training with him and he is really good with marked retrieves, blind retrieves and memory retrieves up to 150 meters.
I currently have a ACME 210.5 pitch whistle. He will come to heel and sit next to me with the whistle. When retrieving he will sometimes sit to the whistle then followed up with shouting sit! but only with in within a 10 meter radius of me. I think he lets his excitement over come him when retrieving.
I have read that 211.5 pitch whistles are best for Labs and I could do with some more whistles (as I sometimes leave the current whistle in other jacket pockets).
So do I stay with my 210.5 or should I change to the 211.5?.
Pippa says
Hi Grant, it really doesn’t matter what pitch whistle you use, it is the training you put in that brings the results. Pippa
Tom says
I will soon be working two dogs together in the field and know it will probably be beyond me to try and remember different whistle commands for each dog. What is the best way to allow each dog to know that the command is for them and not their kennel mate? Is different pitch enough, one with a pea, one “silent” and one Acme?
Pippa says
What sort of gundog work are you inI Tom? I ask because this isn’t normally an issue. Pippa
Charles Reaves says
Hi,
Our springer has decided to go walk about last thing at night. He will come – eventually – when called and whistled by mouth , but as it is often passed 11.00pm I really do not like standing at the back door calling and waiting. He responds well to a biscuit!
Which of the whistles would be less noticeable for the neighbours please yet get through to him
Many Thanks
Pippa says
Hi Charles, no signal, mechanical, verbal, or otherwise, is any more likely to ‘get through’ to your dog than any other signal. The effectiveness of a signal lies in the training that goes into generating a response to that signal. Not in the form that the signal takes.
If the dog is not coming to your calls, it is because he has learned to ignore them.
You can teach your dog to come to a whisper, or the flash of a torch if you want to. A completely new recall signal is usually required if the dog has learned that your old one has no meaning.
Check out this Recall Training Centre for ideas and information
Pippa
John says
Pippa
I have just bought a 22 month old part trained lab. My query is I am not sure what pitch of whistle he has been trained to. The guy I bought him off was looking out for a dog for me and sourced this one but didnt ask this question and has no contact details for the original owner. I use the 211.5 pitch with my older lab. If the lab has been trained to the 210.5 is this important or will the dog get used to the 211.5.
Thanks, John
Pippa says
Hi John,
It is not a big deal. Your dog will make the switch quite easily if you are using the wrong whistle, provided you start with simple training exercises and work up to more advanced handling as you get to know one another.
Pippa
John says
Hi Richard
I have just bought a 22 month old part trained lab. My query is I am not sure what pitch of whistle he has been trained to. The guy I bought him off was looking out for a dog for me and sourced this one but didnt ask this question and has no contact details for the original owner. I use the 211.5 pitch with my older lab. If the lab has been trained to the 210.5 is this important or will the dog get used to the 211.5.
Thanks, John
Richard says
When using a gun dog whistle on a shoot, where more than one dog handler is using a whistle with the same pitch, does this confuse the dogs?
Pippa says
Hi Richard,
It doesn’t normally cause a problem as we all have a slightly different way of blowing. The whistle is blown in context, with a particular ‘style’ and the dog is able to recognise this combination.
Pippa
Brenda says
I want a totally silent whistle to try and train the new neighbours yappy dogs to stop it when I am out in the garden but have read that none of them are totally silent, is this true and, if not, which one should I buy?
Pippa says
How do you intend to train the dogs to stop yapping Brenda?
Kate says
Thanks for your reply; it’s great to be able to ask all these odd questions!
Pippa says
No problem, and they are good questions!
Kate says
Does it matter which pitch of whistle I use to start my puppy – being totally new to gundogs and training I’m not sure which of the Acme whistles to buy?
Pippa says
No Kate, it doesn’t matter, it is personal preference. I prefer the higher 210.5, but the most popular is I think the 211.5 Both are absolutely fine for spaniels or retrievers. I think the 211.5 comes in more colours though. It used to be black or black, but now, you can colour co-ordinate your whistle! 🙂
Mike Smith says
I use a Galton Whistle, an “acme silent” with a small piece of plastic tubing pushed on to it’s end, this fits perfectly in a gap in my teeth, which happened a good few years ago when a dog broke it’s sit stay I bit down rather hard on a 210½ and lost one of my front teeth, so gently does it with the whistle use.
Pippa says
Ouch, that sounds painful!
Mike Smith says
What really hurt was the dental bill……………… two crowns later I had given up on that tooth, but at least I can use a whistle, I look on the incident as being Gods way of telling me I should calm down and not get so uptight in my training if things don’t happen as they should.
Kerryn Humphreys says
We use a thunderer for the stop whistle and an acme gundog whistle for the recall and search commands. I’m not sure if was by accident or design but our previous Irish Wolfhound learnt the recall whistle, which is most unusual for wolfies, she was a constant marvel at gatherings of wolfhounds and everyone was forever asking how we did it – hard work and digestive biscuits (her absolute favourite) was the stock reply. Our current young wolfie just can’t his head around whistles at all but we’ll persevere, it’s worth it.