Trial whistle commands

[mountaindogs]

When trialing a pointing dog, what type of whistle commands (or voice) are used for break away, handling into an area, and moving to the front

am I missing any? I have watched and heard some but frankly it sounds like all I am hearing is a break away which is either long single blast or double tweet, dpending on handler and then long single blasts pushing ahead. let's specify walking trials if it matters.

[shags]

Use whatever combination of toots, tweets, trills, and blasts you want Don't go with whatever everyone else is using because you can easily wind up with the competition handling your dog not in a good way. If you use a trainer, copy his.

[slistoe]

It is always my hope that only two commands will ever be needed - "get going" and "I'm turning". It would also be my hope that I would use the two toots only at the beginning of the trial and after each find. The long blast only at the hard corner in a one course trial.
Handling is most definitely one of those cases where less is more.
I am not saying don't handle your dog, what I am saying is that a dog which appears to not need handling is much better.

[shags]

Yep ^^^ Hacking with a whistle can be even worse than hacking with your pipes. Less is more.

[mountaindogs]

Thanks for the thoughts. Here is my thing. My dogs take their whistle casts. I rarely give them and they know I mean it when I do. I have even had hunt test judges comment on it. Never had an issue with it. Until I am around another handler who whistles and yells alot. I am under the impression this is fairly common at trials, and in fact when braced against some folks in hunt tests they whistle to push the dog out. It causes - if not a full pull in- at least a hesitation in my dog. And by the end of the test my dog is listening less to the whistle and hunting closer. This is not going to look good.

So in starting a young dog, do you get them used to other whistles and get them ignoring all else but your own? Or is this part of the secret society membership package and you have to be in it to get a real answer... How do you keep your dog snapping to your commands and not everyone elses?

[slistoe]

So in starting a young dog, do you get them used to other whistles and get them ignoring all else but your own? Or is this part of the secret society membership package and you have to be in it to get a real answer... How do you keep your dog snapping to your commands and not everyone elses?

How much trouble can the dog get in if the other handler simply commands it to "get going" and "check the direction we are going". Neither one has the dog stopping or coming in to me, but rather has them keeping the pace and moving to the front. The verbal commands are preceded by the dogs name (that takes quite a bit of time for the dog to get on to and is only good for the well trained older dogs) so if the other handler starts hollering "Willow - Here" or "Willow - Whoa" it will be a tad obvious.

[shags]

First, keep your whistle commands to a minimum. Don't rely on the whistle for go out, turn, hurry up, stop, whoa, check in, go back out, etc. Pick a couple that you need and stick to those. I use the same 'git goin' ' whistle command as my trainer does, and that's it. Occasionally I use the whistle to help my dog locate me if I mess up and neglect to have him zig instead of zag and conditions like high winds prohibit my voice from carrying well.

Second, develop a nice set of pipes and your own particular song that you use to keep in touch with your dog. Remember singing is not hacking and shouldn't resemble it. And find a vocal for getting his attention at a distance, one that means, Hey, heads up! I'm talking to you! You can use this when he's getting out of pocket, when you need to bring him in a bit, or whatever.

Be consistent in the use of these aids, but never nag with them. You nag, he'll eventually turn off the BellTones. That's why guys hack - they've yapped so much they need to keep ramping it up because their dogs ignore them.

When your dog responds to your whistle and voice, run him with a training partner so he can get used to other people handling their dogs. When you enter a trial or test he won't be so confused. After several times around with different bracemates he'll learn to mind you and ignore them. It's just an experience thing. Sometimes a particularly loudmouthed noisy bracemate can have a detrimental effect on your dog, but there's not much you can do about it; it's just part of being around different types of handlers.

In different venues and with different breeds there seem to be certain standards for noise. It's easy to get sucked into being as loud and noisy as the next guy. Whoopin' and hollerin' all over the place might sound impressive to some. But keep in mind that oftentimes the most impressive performances are those where the handler is quieter and the dog responsive to whatever few vocal cues given.

[RoostersMom]

Does anyone have an example of "singing to your dog?" I hear the phrase all the time, and have been to two riding trials and a few walking ones. Never heard any singing. Just wondering if there might be a youtube video out there showing what ya'll mean.

[shags]

Listen around 35 seconds in
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r9FukGHrhm0

[mountaindogs]

The one person sings like a long drawn out "whoa" with upswing. The move out whistle commands I heard sounded like that. Long whistle but my dog pays attention to the whistle. I don't hack and they know it so when they hear a whistle they stop or slow and listen.

I have never used a whistle push or break away whistle. maybe my dogs only know whistle as come-in or come around and that's why the hesitation. Maybe if I trained a push out they would not be pulled in by all whistle as much.

[orbirdhunter]

I've heard all kinds of different whistles used for different signals. I don't use whistles for this reason. My dog pays no attention to whistles

[mountaindogs]

Shags - running with another dog in training would really help. I need to get to more training days.

[birddogger]

I don't trial but I do use two whistle commands, one for recall and one for turning. But what I have been curious about is why trialers use a whistle command for the break away. It seems to me that it would be hard to hold a dog back vs. needing a command to go. I am sure there is a reason for it. Just curious.

Charlie

[mountaindogs]

I don't trial but I do use two whistle commands, one for recall and one for turning. But what I have been curious about is why trialers use a whistle command for the break away. It seems to me that it would be hard to hold a dog back vs. needing a command to go. I am sure there is a reason for it. Just curious.

Charlie

Those are the same two whistles I have always used also. I never bothered with breakaway because the dog is close enough to hear me say "huntup." However, I do believe that the breakaway whistle is simply helping instill the push out. "Real" trialers can correct me. After reading the above info, I think a lack of this breakaway might be what is cause mys dog to always work in on hearing so much whistling from others. That and practice working with another dog who is handled by another person.

[birddogger]

I don't trial but I do use two whistle commands, one for recall and one for turning. But what I have been curious about is why trialers use a whistle command for the break away. It seems to me that it would be hard to hold a dog back vs. needing a command to go. I am sure there is a reason for it. Just curious.

Charlie

Those are the same two whistles I have always used also. I never bothered with breakaway because the dog is close enough to hear me say "huntup." However, I do believe that the breakaway whistle is simply helping instill the push out. "Real" trialers can correct me. After reading the above info, I think a lack of this breakaway might be what is cause mys dog to always work in on hearing so much whistling from others. That and practice working with another dog who is handled by another person.

If it is to help to insill the push out, that makes sense to me.

Thanks,
Charlie

[jimbo&rooster]

I use a single whistle blast to break them away and a series of tweets to bring them around to the front if they get wayward, other than that Ill "sing" to them to let them know where I am. I do my best to just sit tight and let them roll.

As far as other dogs and handlers go, you might have some issues the first time or 2 out, but most dogs seem to adjust fairly well to the noise and will get pretty good at ignoring other handlers. It is deffinately a learning curve.

Jim

[Grange]

When I first started trialing with my setter I used the similar whistle commands as I did when training my lab. Problem was when a brace mate used whistle commands that were different than mine. For example on trialer used two toots to send his dog out, but two toot was my recall command. Didn't take long to abandon the while and just use my voice.

[Trekmoor]

Listen around 35 seconds in
http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=r9FukGHrhm0

So that is "singing !" I've often wondered what was meant by that term. I watched the film and liked the dog work but didn't like the singing. Whatever happened to the idea that the human voice scares game ? Maybe it doesn't scare game ?? I don't know for I've never tried it , any handler using voice like that here in a trial would be eliminated for noisy handling.
Whistles are another story ! I do like a dog to respond well to whistle but it cannot be denied that many British handlers are a bit "whistle happy." We get marks deducted for too much use of the whistle but every judge has his/her own idea of what is "too much use !"

Bill T.

[shags]

Bill,
Each handler has his own 'song' some being more melodious than others The handler's in that clip was kind of plain. Our all age and shooting dogs range quite big, and with the lay of the land and the cover, singing is the best - sometimes only - way to maintain contact with the dog.
You need to experience it in real life to appreciate it...the morning mist rising, hiding then revealing the grasses and brush, a dog a ghost in white skimming along a line a half mile to the front, and the handler following on horseback with his encouraging "whuuuuup, ho-ooooo" echoing against the woods and floating in the air. To me, it's the song of heaven.

Of course then there are the ones that shriek and bellow and turn the experience to an hour in he-l-l

[Trekmoor]

Thanks for the "deeper" explanation. I confess I did sometimes sing when up on the grousemoors doing counts just prior to the start of the shooting season. I used to love the sensation of being all on my own in beautiful surroundings and not a building or road or a person to be seen ....it was like I owned the world. :roll: Very Julie Andrewish !!!

The other times I sometimes sang just for the heck of it was when sea fishing on wild winter nights from the rocks. I liked the sound of the big waves crashing against the rocks below as background music..... to think that over here we sometimes say the Americans are nuts ! :roll: I'm twice as bad !

Bill T.