Selecting a whistle for your hunting or sporting dog – what to consider
If you are looking for a whistle for training your hunting or gun dog, you may be shocked at how many options there are. It can be confusing, especially if you have never trained using a whistle. In this post I will explain the use of whistles in dog training and help you understand the kind of whistle you should use to train your gun dog.
Why use a whistle to train my hunting dog?
Whistles are used as a form of communication with your dog in the field. Rather than yelling to your dog, if he is 30 yards away, you can use a whistle to communicate. This is very effective because the sound of a whistle travels further than your voice. Also, a whistle communicates a clear action, there is no begging or pleading with a whistle.
It is important to understand that your dog does not naturally understand the whistle as communication. You must first train your retriever to respond to the whistle commands.
Advantages of using a whistle to communicate to your retriever
There are many advantages to using a whistle to communicate to your dog in the field.
- Whistle sound travels further than voice
- Whistles create a clear definitive command
- Whistles allow you to command without emotion or pleading
- Save your voice and more peaceful hunting
The products I recommend I believe are a good value or good investment for anyone working to train or maintain training on their retriever. When possible, I include links to the product. Some of these links may be Amazon or other affiliate links in which I am paid a small commission at no cost to you. All opinions and recommendations are my own.
What to consider when selecting a whistle for my gun dog
While it may be tempting to think all whistles are the same, they are not. Sporting dog whistles are designed for function in the field. The main difference is the tone, the distance the sound travels and the design of the whistle.
Look for a whistle that is designed specifically for hunting dogs. Stay away from sports whistles, emergency whistles, ultrasonic whistles, “silent” whistles, and any other whistles that are not designed specifically for hunting use.
Decisions to make when selecting whistle for hunting dog.
Within the category of sport dog whistles, there are a few options that you should understand so that you can choose the right whistle for your needs.
Pea or pea-less whistle
Pea is the term used to describe the small cork ball inside some whistles. The pea vibrates within the whistle allowing you to form a “trill” sound. Some people prefer whistles with a pea for this reason. But there is one downfall. If you live somewhere with cold winters, the saliva from your mouth will enter the whistle and freeze the pea so that it no longer works. For this reason, I use a pealess whistle. Pealess whistles do not have a cork ball in them and are unaffected by the cold.
If you decide to use a whistle with a pea, it is a good idea to carry a backup whistle in case the pea freezes up and stops working.
Plastic or metal
Most whistles designed for hunting or sporting breeds are made from high-density plastic. But a few are made from metal.
Metal whistles look nice, but again you must consider your winters. Anyone who lives in a cold climate knows what happens when you put your tongue on metal in the winter. Putting wet lips on a metal whistle in extreme cold could cause a similar situation.
Regular or mega whistle
There are two designs for sporting dog whistles. A regular size and a mega size. Mega whistles have a plastic megaphone attached to a regular whistle. The megaphone pushes the sound away from the handler toward the dog. These are especially popular for owners or trainers who compete their dogs in hunt tests or field trials, or for hunters that hunt in windy conditions where it can be difficult for the dog to hear the whistle. If you do a lot of upland hunting, a mega whistle is highly recommended.
Another advantage of the mega whistle is that it may also be easier on the handler’s ears, given that the sound is directed away.
Choosing your whistle
Here are some questions that may help you decide what whistle would be best for you:
- Will I be using my retriever to hunt?
- If so, what kind of hunting.
- How far away from me is my dog usually?
- What kind of conditions can I experience when I hunt? Wind? Cold?
- Will I be competing in hunt tests or field trials?
- Is my retriever mostly a family dog or companion dog?
- What are the weather conditions I will be exposed to while using my whistle?
How to train your dog to respond to whistle commands
As I stated before, your retriever MUST be trained to respond to whistle commands. It does not happen automatically.
The most common whistle commands are one toot on the whistle for SIT and three quick toots in a row for HERE or COME.
You train your retriever to respond to whistles by working on obedience. Start by reviewing your commands using words. Make sure that your dog is responsive to your voice and is obeying the voice commands quickly and accurately. If your dog does not respond to your voice commands, this is not the time to start whistle training. Go back and work on each voice command until the dog is responding quickly and accurately to each command.
Teaching SIT with whistle
Once your dog is responding to your voice commands, you can start adding in the whistle. Do this by saying the voice command SIT, toot the whistle one blast. then say SIT again. When your dog obeys, praise him.
Continue working on SIT adding the whistle with the command. Repetition is key. Give your dog time to understand that the whistle means the same thing as the verbal command and then slowly phase out the verbal command and use only the whistle command.
Please note. It is important to understand that SIT at your side and remote SIT (away from you) is not the same in a dog’s mind. If you want your dog to SIT several feet or yards from you when you say SIT, you must teach your dog this.
If you dog knows the remote SIT command, you must teach both types of SIT individually, both with voice commands and with the whistle.
Teaching HERE or COME with whistle
Follow a similar training regimen as stated above. Have your dog SIT and walk away from him, or alternatively let your dog run around your yard. Call your dog to you using a verbal command of HERE or COME and toot the whistle three times quickly, then repeat the command. Repeat this action many times over several days or weeks. As your dog begins to understand, slowly phase out the verbal command leaving only the whistle command.
Your dog will become remarkably familiar with the whistle you decide to use. Like your dog knows your voice, he will also know your whistle. So if you decide to change whistles, understand that you may need to do a little conditioning with your dog so that he understands that the new whistle means the same thing as the old one did.
Final thoughts on what kind of whistle to use to train my gun dog
Whistles are an extremely useful tool when training your hunting or gun dog. They make communication in the field much easier, but you must take the time to whistle train your dog. Do not expect this to happen automatically and with no work on your part.
If you really want your retriever to grow and progress in his/her hunting this year but doing the training yourself sounds overwhelming or maybe your schedule is just too busy to get it done, I am here to help! You can email me (ottertailkennels@gmail.com) or just give me a call (651-303-6459). I would be happy to discuss your goals for your retriever and tell you about the programs I offer.
Until next time happy retrieving.
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