Whistle help please

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Patchworkpony

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I am getting my new cocker pup this spring/summer as soon as I find a litter that's got the right breeding etc. I want to train for basic and then advanced obedience - not for competition but simply to have a well behaved dog we can take anywhere. I have never used a whistle before when training but can now see the advantage - not least doing away with the need to yell or shout. However I know nothing about whistle use and would really appreciate some tips from the experts on this forum. I can just about make some basic peeps by using my tongue but I have no idea how many peeps for what command and whether I use hand signals at the same time. I must confess that native ponies are my big expertise and dogs have always been just nice pets but now I'd like to be really good at it, like we were with ponies, and do it properly. If I progress well then I will probably consider some kind of competition but not unless I am utterly sure that I will be able to do it properly. I hate the idea of going to training classes as I have always trained my animals myself but a few pointers in the right direction would be great - and I would be so grateful.
 
I use a whistle for recall (two short blasts) and for drop (one long whistle). Thats just for me though-the only thing I'd recommend is getting an actual whistle-although mine respond to both, I live in a windy place and the dog whistle never lets me down lol. I just got an acme one 210.5 but am sure there are more professional ones you can get.
 
MotherOfChickens said:
I use a whistle for recall (two short blasts) and for drop (one long whistle). Thats just for me though-the only thing I'd recommend is getting an actual whistle-although mine respond to both, I live in a windy place and the dog whistle never lets me down lol. I just got an acme one 210.5 but am sure there are more professional ones you can get.
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Thanks for that. I have got an actual proper dog training whistle that I am now practising with but I find my tongue seems to help with the short blasts but maybe I'm doing it wrong.
 
I use a 210.5 whistle. It's not difficult to blow.
I was taught that you train to the voice at first then add in the whistle commands, then dispense with the voice.
I use 3 quick pips for come, which is like the excited voice you use to encourage the dog to come to you.
One slightly longer pip on its own gets the dog to look at you for the next command, such as arm directions.
A long blow is the sit, stay where you are command. This is like the voice saying 'staaay' in a steady voice.
I taught the stay whistle by walking my dog at heel, saying stay and even a hand command too. Walk on, return to dog, collect dog, walk on. Then you add the whistle in until you can get a stay on just the whistle. Eventually you can blow the whistle when the dog is running and it should just sit or drop where it is.
Hope that's the sort of thing you wanted to know.
 
Chiffy said:
I use a 210.5 whistle. It's not difficult to blow.
I was taught that you train to the voice at first then add in the whistle commands, then dispense with the voice.
I use 3 quick pips for come, which is like the excited voice you use to encourage the dog to come to you.
One slightly longer pip on its own gets the dog to look at you for the next command, such as arm directions.
A long blow is the sit, stay where you are command. This is like the voice saying 'staaay' in a steady voice.
I taught the stay whistle by walking my dog at heel, saying stay and even a hand command too. Walk on, return to dog, collect dog, walk on. Then you add the whistle in until you can get a stay on just the whistle. Eventually you can blow the whistle when the dog is running and it should just sit or drop where it is.
Hope that's the sort of thing you wanted to know.
Click to expand...
Gosh thanks Chiffy that is SO helpful. What is a 210.5 whistle and where do I get one? Showing my ignorance now.
 
Acme gundog whistle comes is various tones the most common being 210 1/2 and 211 1/2. You can now get them in a variety of bright colours. I use combinations of long and short peeps and I think I had st least 5 commands when I trained maya. 1 short = sit, 1 long and 1 short = down, 3shorg = come, 1short and 1long = go left, 1 long = go right.
TBH it doesn't matter what combination you use as long as you are consistent.
The easiest way to start off a baby puppy is to blow your recall whistle each time you feed your puppy. When I bred a litter I did this from starting weaning and therefore all my puppies went to their new homes with a good start to their recalls.
 
satinbaze said:
Acme gundog whistle comes is various tones the most common being 210 1/2 and 211 1/2. You can now get them in a variety of bright colours. I use combinations of long and short peeps and I think I had st least 5 commands when I trained maya. 1 short = sit, 1 long and 1 short = down, 3shorg = come, 1short and 1long = go left, 1 long = go right.
TBH it doesn't matter what combination you use as long as you are consistent.
The easiest way to start off a baby puppy is to blow your recall whistle each time you feed your puppy. When I bred a litter I did this from starting weaning and therefore all my puppies went to their new homes with a good start to their recalls.
Click to expand...
Thank you for your help you are so very kind to a complete novice whistle blower - at least it will annoy my horrid neighbour.
 
satinbaze said:
The easiest way to start off a baby puppy is to blow your recall whistle each time you feed your puppy. When I bred a litter I did this from starting weaning and therefore all my puppies went to their new homes with a good start to their recalls.
Click to expand...

My parents did this with labs we bred - so simple but gives them such a great head start.

My GSP's are whistle trained. I use a high frequency whistle with adjustable tone which i adjusted to the tone that worked best & then ... er ... glued it like that! :-) I train voice commands first then match similar whistles to them, & thereafter start throwing in/replacing voice commands with whistle commands - 4 peeps for recall, 1 peep for sit (or drop to a sit while away from me), 2 for lie down.
 
eatmyshorts said:
My parents did this with labs we bred - so simple but gives them such a great head start.

My GSP's are whistle trained. I use a high frequency whistle with adjustable tone which i adjusted to the tone that worked best & then ... er ... glued it like that! :-) I train voice commands first then match similar whistles to them, & thereafter start throwing in/replacing voice commands with whistle commands - 4 peeps for recall, 1 peep for sit (or drop to a sit while away from me), 2 for lie down.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much - very helpful.
 
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