Using the whistle in training

luke0927 · Post by **luke0927** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 12:10 pm

If i want to intorduce a whistle how should i do it? i can say his name and turn my body and point and he will start working that way. Is that what most people do? I would like to have whistle command for here, left, right etc? Is it practical to do this for just a hunting dog?

Lab Man · Post by **Lab Man** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 1:54 pm

For my pointers I only use the whistle for the come in command. I use verbal commands for everything else. For my retrievers I use it for the come in command, sit command, find it command. Everything else is used by a verbal command. Good luck

birdshot · Post by **birdshot** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 3:01 pm

having trained spaniels, i used the spaniel whistle system. one tweet for stop, two pips for over, 4 or 5 trills for come all the way to heel. you are correct in giving body language, voice and whistle command at same time until he connects the new language.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:50 pm

Most trainers train a dog to sit to one whistle, come in to three whistles, and two blasts means NO. The only time you'll really be casting a dog in the field, after he's trained, is to handle him on a blind. Then he'll work to the commands BACK and OVER. I really prefer LEFT and RIGHT to OVER, but that's just my preference. If I'm remembering right Luke, you do have a Lab?

Usually when you use the two blasts, it means shorten your range or change direction.

bird · Post by **bird** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 4:51 pm

ddshine · Post by **ddshine** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 7:41 pm

I have trained dogs for clients one blow to turn and a couple to come in to heel. keep it simple have a whistle trained pointer is kind of unnecessary if the dog is patterned correctly.

nitrex · Post by **nitrex** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:17 pm

bird wrote:Now if your workin with a pointer then you need to first take the pea out of the whistle and put it in your right pocket. Then put the rest of the whistle in you left pocket. Now your good to go!

If your talking about a retreaver than I can't help ya... lol

Sorry... I couldn't help myself.

Banish me to the woodshed.

I couldn't agree more!!! Nothing worse than hunting with a guy blowin' the whistle all day.

nirex

luke0927 · Post by **luke0927** » Sat Jan 26, 2008 9:25 pm

gonehuntin' wrote:Most trainers train a dog to sit to one whistle, come in to three whistles, and two blasts means NO. The only time you'll really be casting a dog in the field, after he's trained, is to handle him on a blind. Then he'll work to the commands BACK and OVER. I really prefer LEFT and RIGHT to OVER, but that's just my preference. If I'm remembering right Luke, you do have a Lab?

Usually when you use the two blasts, it means shorten your range or change direction.

no i have a couple of shorthairs...i will mostly be doing upland hunting.....so the best thing is to do like have been when they are out i call their name then point and start walking that way. It is working really well on my male GSP. he will here and heel he is listening really well when he is out. i have started to work him on whoa but before i put him on any birds i need to address his bad hardmouth. I my younger female she is still on the CC and not running on her on yet in the field.

gonehuntin' · Post by **gonehuntin'** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 9:22 am

Like the other guys have said Luke, don't be blowing that whistle all the time or yelling in the field. The dog's will learn to seek cover that hold's birds (you'll help them learn that), and you'll basically follow.

I do think it shorten's the process for the dog to teach them where the bird's are, and I personally like my dog's to hunt a quartering pattern, so I train them to do so.

For a dog that's strictly a pointing dog then, I use one blast for whoa, two to change direction, and three to come. It is not uncommon for me to go for days and only blow the whistle once or twice a day. Once they're trained, you don't need it much.

Don · Post by **Don** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:24 am

bird wrote:Now if your workin with a pointer then you need to first take the pea out of the whistle and put it in your right pocket. Then put the rest of the whistle in you left pocket. Now your good to go!

If your talking about a retreaver than I can't help ya... lol

Sorry... I couldn't help myself.

Banish me to the woodshed.

I have no idea why you'd carry around all that extra weight. I whistle thru my lips. One to turn, two come in and a strange one to have them check in. And when not in use, I keep my lips in my right pocket.

Actually I had a beautiful leather round braided double lanyard with two Roy Gonias, removeable sides, on it years ago that I was quite striking in. Hadn't tried the whistles in years tho!

Windyhills · Post by **Windyhills** » Sun Jan 27, 2008 10:39 am

What do you pointing dog owners who dislike whistles do when your dog is out there at some distance and you want it turn away from where it looks like it's going--or come back to you? I am assuming you all don't hunt in huge country where any direction the dog goes is OK?

I start teaching turning with me and coming in on the check cord. Layer over the e-collar as they are ready for that. Same with the whistle, which can be layered over before they are ready for the e-collar.

Gun Dog Forum

Using the whistle in training

Using the whistle in training

i came from spaniels