# Whistle training



## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

For those who have done training with a whistle please could you share some tips?

I'm blowing the whistle (a 210.5) and treating Obi every time he comes to me. However sometimes he just seems to ignore it, then when I call out 'Come' (his usual recall command) he does. Do I blow it once and then wait or blow it again till he comes? 

Thanks Clare


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## flounder_1 (May 12, 2011)

Not sure about whistle training but our trainer recommends you only give a command once and then wait otherwise the dog learns that he can ignore the command. So with 'come' I've been told to shout it once and then use other sounds/arm waves/leg slaps etc to get Lolly's attention. I imagine that the 'learning to ignore the whistle' might be the same.


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## MillieDog (Jun 1, 2011)

Sometimes if they are deep in an activey they may not have heard the command or heard the whistle. Just like children and men 

Make sure when you give the command that Obi is not too distracted (easier said than done). You're almost looking out for a head lift or head turn.

Millie was doing really well with 'come' but recently has got a bit lax. So I took it back a step or two. I'd stopped using the clicker as she'd grasped the command, but I reintroduced it for a day. I also called her back at easy times when she wasn't too far away ro remind her that 'come' is a nice thing to do. I have to say though, sometimes if she is totally ingrossed in a game of play with another dog who has really taken her fancy, all commands are gone! I simply have to go and get her  but that doesn't happen to often. She is only a puppy and still learning.


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## embee (Dec 27, 2010)

I use a whistle with Flo but like Julie says sometimes she is so distracted she doesn't hear it so I make another unusual sound to get her attention then when I have her attention use the whistle.

When you are first whistle training only use it when you are pretty sure he'll come otherwise you are teaching him not to come when called and also whistle when he is on his way back so he knows whistle means come back - praise when he gets to you. It's only when they are well trained and more mature that you can rely on the whistle recall to work whatever the situation so don't expect too much too soon.

In this movie you can see her pretty much ignoring the whistle (by rights I wouldn't have used the whistle at this point as I know she won't respond) but once I have her attention with a silly noise she will happily return to the whistle.

http://s1217.photobucket.com/albums...losmovies/?action=view&current=Flowhistle.mp4

At 18 months she's pretty reliable at recall with the whistle and I usually use it to call her when she's disappeared off over the fields. I generally use COME ON for 'keep up or walk with me', HERE for 'come to me now' and the whistle when she is at a distance.


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## strof51 (Sep 26, 2009)

Using a whistle takes some time and practice, experiment to find out what works for you as if we all did it the same it would be fun as all the dogs came running to you.
I use a combination of whistles and verbal commands and at distance extend my arms at shoulder hight to form a cross for the dog to aim for. In the video Poppy is going to my nephew who get a bit sick of her and throws a ball over the gate so she thinks its a new game.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_profilepage&v=mvKOUiB86J0


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## Tarimoor (Jul 20, 2011)

Whether you use a whistle, verbal or signal command, there's one golden rule, which is simply make sure you know your dog will respond. If you think they won't, don't issue the command, otherwise the only thing they learn is that they can ignore you, and over a series of this repeated type of exercise, they learn how long they can ignore you for. 

A very good gundog saying, if you can't control your dog on lead and next to you, what hope have you got with your dog 50 yards away. 

Another very good gundog saying, Labradors are born half trained, spaniels die half trained - bearing in mind the cocker part of a cockapoo, and how they like to get their nose down, you can see what a challenging little dog they are likely to be.

The only thing I focus on with training up until six months of age, is the recall, for 90% and heelwork/stop whistle for 10%. Recall is paramount, if you can get them wanting to come to you and focussed on you, then you've won more than half the battle. 

If I get chance I'll dig out some videos of whistle training with my Labs, Tau's not bad, she'll stop and redirect from quite a distance, and hunt on command. Indie's a bit more of a giddy kipper, but she was working trials trained rather than gundog trained. So she could track you across a field, but not necessarily retrieve you, chuckle


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## Jedicrazy (Apr 26, 2011)

Tarimoor said:


> If I get chance I'll dig out some videos of whistle training with my Labs, Tau's not bad, she'll stop and redirect from quite a distance, and hunt on command. Indie's a bit more of a giddy kipper, but she was working trials trained rather than gundog trained. So she could track you across a field, but not necessarily retrieve you, chuckle


Obi does like to keep his nose to the ground. Thanks


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## Tarimoor (Jul 20, 2011)

Jedicrazy said:


> Obi does like to keep his nose to the ground. Thanks


It is part of the cocker trait, they are bred to be nose down and 'busy', like a weasel, the way they hunt up and flush game. 

Hopefully, these are video clips of me training my dogs, I hope they work. The classic is, if you recall with no signals or verbal commands do they respond, so mine are trained to recall, stop, recall, stop etc, to try and enforce or ingrain this  

Right, first video is both the girls, doing a sit, and recall....



And the classic handler/trainer error, how to set out a blind retrieve in the wrong place and have to redirect your dog on to it...



Hope that's worked right!

Any questions about the way cockers work, whistle training, please shout, I'm rubbish but I can ask the OH


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## Kez (May 1, 2011)

We Practiced over and over in the garden. Always rewardingher return on the whistle with a treat something great like cheese or sasuage. They say it can take 200 times before it becomes a learnt behaviour but it didn't take ruby much more than a day. Now when off lead she comes like a rocket when I whistle, once or twice I've had to whistle again when she's started to come back to me but then couldn't find me. I've got a spaniel whistle.


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