# Whistle Training



## Reian Felipe (Jul 27, 2009)

Looking for other methods to do this...

I have older dogs and I want to use a whistle for recall and sit/at a distance. For recall I just want my dog to get in touching distance and for sit, I want my dog to sit facing me, be it at a distance or for the dog to be sitting already, if I were to move behind him and whistle, he would remain in that spot but turn and sit.

I've been doing the single toot as sit and three toots for recall.

For recall, I've got a few ways that I've been training it.
1. Long line, blow whistle, say my recall command, mark and reward.
2. Do a sit/stay, jog back a bit, blow whistle, squat down or pat my leg, just encouraging body language, mark and reward
3. I'm working in closer distance and working it farther when I can

What's a better way to do this? I was using an e-collar, whistle, then stim, recall command, mark and reward but I was thinking that the whistle might mean stim is coming which I don't want, I want whistle to mean come.

And for sit at a distance while facing me, I have no idea how to go about it.

Thanks.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

If your dog knows sit, then there should be no problem. If your dog doesn't know sit, then you have to go back and teach the sit correctly.

Dogs learn situations and patterns first. Does this describe your dog ?? When I proof the dog to see if the dog knows the command or not, sitting at a distance is one of the things I do first. If the dog can do this, then I will start corrections for not obeying the command.

If the dog knows the command, then he will perform it wherever.


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## Sue Miller (Jul 21, 2009)

Try this:

For example when single toot on the whistle means sit:<ol>
<li>Wait until your dog isn't too distracted & isn't too far away.
<li>Single whistle toot immediately followed by the command you use for sit.
<li>If he sits, mark & reward him with a very good treat or new toy--if he doesn't sit mark with "no" & try again.
<li>Work on one behavior at a time--don't try training the other stuff until he's solid on the sit.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

try this:

every time you feed use the recall sounds get that solid first then work on sit.


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## Timothy Saunders (Mar 12, 2009)

unless you are using different whistles this method is flawed. the dog will have to wait to see if you blow once or multiple times. this makes his recall slow. I would also like to ask what are you training this for or trying to do? this would make it easier to give advice


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## Reian Felipe (Jul 27, 2009)

I'm not a person that's aiming for titles or anything, just a pet owner looking to have some dog training skills. I've done some self taught things and I got to the point to where my dogs don't run off when I leave the front door open, they sit at doors or when I remove/put on their leash. They sit at Petco when in line, they loose leash walk, sort of come when called, the basic stuff where every non competing, dog is a family member, dog owner just basically needs to be worry free. I do need to work on dog to dog manners.

I use an e-collar when offleash so that helps a bit to yeah...but I go to trails and dog parks and the beach and when my dogs are 50 feet away, I'd rather blow a whistle than yell for a recall. Of course when they are within 30 feet, I'd use my voice. I have a feeling that I should just do everything with a long line till it's reliable.

As for whistles, I've seen one of the SMS guy using 1 toot for a sit and 3 quick toots for recall, not a slow recall so that suggestion isn't valid. The length of the sound is about 1 second, very distinct, hard to be confused if it's 1 or 3.

For the most part, I'm doing the recall first. A sit at a distance isn't that much important than the recall to me. 

I've been doing it baby steps. I would do a sit/stay, walk a couple feet away, blow whistle, give a slight pull so my dog goes in the direction of the pull, when he gets into touching distance, I verbal mark, "yes" and give a treat. If he doesn't come after the slight pull, I would say, "Come" since he sort of knows it, then mark and reward. Then I would work with different distances while he's in sit/stay.

And since I know my dog won't be in sit/stay all the time, I do it on a long leash and when his back is turned. Sometimes I have to jog backwards a little to entices him.

I'm real world use, his back would be turned and he'll be on an e-collar so I guess my question is how do I teach whistle recall while using an e-collar and to the point where I can phase out the e-collar. I use the e-collar too and he repsonds to it with the recall also. I just don't want the whistle to mean a stim is coming, run to me to turn it off or do it quick enough so you beat it, I guess more reward base than escape/avoidance.

Thanks for all the advice by the way.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Can I make a suggestion?

I'd probably want the verbal recall to be very very good first.

That is, when you say "he sorta knows come", I'd want him to be zipping back to me eagerly when called, before trying to train a second command for it (which I would think of the whistle as). 

How is the recall in your own yard, say, with no distraction? Does the dog comply every time?


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## Reian Felipe (Jul 27, 2009)

Connie, when I say sort of, it's with distance and distraction. If I was in an empty field, at home, no other dogs or animals, just chill, my recall is good. 

For off leash, I only go to a trail, dog park/regular park, beach. I always use an e-collar. 

I understand that the dog has to be totally into and focused on me or the training session will be weird. They are also low driven for toys or fetch or bite. They like to run in circles, sniff bushes and treats, so I usually use food as my main reward and for the dogs to break and run in circles. If I was in a field with no food, their interest on me wouldn't be great. 

Lets just say that if my dogs and I don't have a bond/relationship, and they were off leash, I would need a piece of food to be more rewarding when competing with sniffing bushes and running. But since I do have a bond, food is great for rewarding and obtaining focus and interest.

I'm not to sure if this is hippie talk but I can read my dogs energy where we share this bubble of enjoyment or whatever and my dogs reply real quick to my commands, I don't need any guidance with a leash or e-collar. They look at me with a ,"What's the next fun thing you have to offer me" But there are times where the environment is more fun and rewarding and it's those moments where I need a little bit more influence with treats and a little bit more leash guidance and corrections.

I got off tracked but short story, in less distraction less distance, the recall is great. I'm comfortable to say if I was in a huge field with no distractions of animals or people, I can take my dog off leash, walk in a big square and if my dog goes off, I can recall him back.

Now at a dog park when he's playing with another dog, I usually recall/stim with e-collar, mark, reward, do a 1 minute session of sits, downs and heel, then I mark, reward, then "okay" for a release and to play. That's how I normally practice my recall with distractions. The whistle will be used for when I go to trails or when my dog goes out far.

Thanks again.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

OK, then I would start the whistle command for the recall at home, just like you started the verbal recall. I would teach it, proof it for venue and distractions, etc., all before I used it at a dog beach or a park.

If it sounds like a step backwards -- it's not. This is from someone whose favorite command to train is the recall. 

You're just teaching a second command/cue and demonstrating that they are indeed the same (switching back and forth after he knows it) before taking it on the road.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Also, I have a dog who is going deaf and who I'm teaching to respond to the pager on an e-collar.

I am just teaching him that the pager means "look at me." Then I give a hand signal for the recall. So far, so good, after just a couple of sessions.

I am thinking that this would also be the way I would go about the whistle. That is, the whistle need not be anything but one straight sound, always the same, that means "Look at me." Then any hand signal can be given.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

I like the use of a whistle for an informal recall. I don't use an electronic one but I can produce a very loud whistle with my mouth. Everyone of my dogs responds to this. Like I mentioned before, I just whistle when it's time to eat and other than that, I never had to teach it and over the course of 14 year and 9 different dogs it has never failed me. It's great for when you're out in the woods, or desert and the dogs are out of sight. I whistle they come running. 

I could be in a room by myself and hear something going on and a whistle makes them stop in their tracks and they come running. Personally I think every pet owner (except Jeff O because he'll think it's stupid) should have a whistle recall command in their arsenal.


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## Reian Felipe (Jul 27, 2009)

Cool thanks for the reply. I think I got it.


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## Connie Sutherland (Mar 27, 2006)

Chris Michalek said:


> .... Personally I think every pet owner (except Jeff O because he'll think it's stupid) should have a whistle recall command in their arsenal.


Maybe so. But I can't whistle. 

I don't care what Humphrey Bogart said; there's something else to it besides "Just pucker up and blow." And at my level of maturity I suspect that I'm not gonna be learning it in this life. :lol:

So the vibrating "pager" on an e-collar that was never being used otherwise was perfect for me. It was either bust out the unused e-collar I already owned or buy a coach's whistle, and "free" won.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Connie Sutherland said:


> "Just pucker up and blow."


Who says you have to use your mouth to produce noise?


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## Sue Miller (Jul 21, 2009)

This is just a short video I made this morning of a whistle recall. The dog is trained to stop whatever he's doing & return to me to heel.

I trained this in 2 sessions. First whistle, then heel command, mark correct behavior, then reward & release. The dog must know exactly what the command means when you pair the whistle with the command or else you'll have a very confused dog. When the dog responds immediately to the whistle before you give the vocal command, then you fade the heel commnand.

Whistle training is one of the easiest things to train. Almost any dog will orient to a whistle sound so you have their attention immediately. Click the link to see the video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcvLvMDHxN0

Don't mind the angry Doberman b!tch barking in the background--she is really very sweet. She wants out NOW for her training.


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