dog handling
- Thread starter bugman
- Start date
Natty Bumpo
Member
Seriously the dogs would probably know the difference in whistles.[/QUOTE said:
blackthorn
New member
All of the guys I hunt with have their dogs whistle trained to turn and come as do I. We never have a problem directing our own dogs even if we use the same whistle.I guess everyone blows it a little different and the dogs know by the sound.
Ranger Rick
Member
I'm so glad to see guys talking about whistle training their dogs. I've seen too many posts that argue you can't use a whistle or beeper collar around birds. I train my setters to quarter back at one whistle and to come at another. I'm not on it all the time, but it is nice to have a dog that you can command with a toot, versus some of those I've hunted with who yell and holler all day long.
Wait, your dogs come when you whistle? Buck, Daisy!? Get over here. You got some `splainin to do!
Oddly, I choose to remove the cork from my whistles so there is no trilling sound, just a steady tone. Not sure it makes a difference, but my dogs come to both.
ANd once again, as a public service announcement: DO NOT USE BRASS WHISTLES WHEN IT IS BELOW ZERO. Not as bad as getting stuck in your own fly, but dang, that smarts!
Oddly, I choose to remove the cork from my whistles so there is no trilling sound, just a steady tone. Not sure it makes a difference, but my dogs come to both.
ANd once again, as a public service announcement: DO NOT USE BRASS WHISTLES WHEN IT IS BELOW ZERO. Not as bad as getting stuck in your own fly, but dang, that smarts!
Thanks for the replies. I am a mississippi boy that has been hunting in SD for 8 years( 2 times a year). I have had the only whistle trained dog in our party but not the only dog. You can imagine all the yelling going on. My friend and I are training a second lab that is coming along nicely. We brought this up in conversation and decided we would probably have to alternate hunts with our dogs but wanted to ask some experienced folks about this. Thanks y'all
carptom1
Well-known member
I think most people on here that have a whistle aversion, have been exposed to someone who is laying on it constantly. Much like someone who yells and hollers their dogs name constantly, it kind of ruins the hunting experience for me if it is used constantly, or the dog is not responding. I do feel you will bag more birds not slamming truck doors or gun actions, or blowing a whistle incessantly. Especially late season. The birds start relating those things to getting shot at. I do own a few but try to use them with restraint.
Best use of the whistle in your pocket, if you wish harvest your share of pheasants, Dido to screamers. Dogs who are by nature are encourged to be free thinkers, and find game where the game can be found, are a lot more enjoyable to hunt over if you relax, and trust the dog to do it's job. Labs don't generally range that far with out checking back. Cover dogs for grouse and woodcock are different. Whistle to get them back to the car, or redirect a course change, teach the dog hand signals, that what I am doing with new Lab. Out on the great plains, it's takes a good lick to be to far off, or a runoff dog. In which case a whistle useless. As said above, moderation, makes fido and the hunter more welcome! The only disturbance I recall fondly, is the wing rush of a newly flushed bird, or the report of a shotgun.
Sometimes my dog gets birdy and starts to trail a bird in a gallop. When this occurs late season with fewer hunters and no blockers it does no good to jump a bird at 70 yds. I agree that moderation is best. The only times the whistle is blown is when the dog gets birdy and starts to range too far on runners (greater than 30 yds). One short blast to let us catch up. Or 2 to come back some. I am not a pheasant hunting guru. In my opinion a well trained obedient dog that is whistle trained and only has to be used sparingly is a pleasure to hunt with and an honor and joy to own.
I have considered trying the tone on the e collar, but just can't make myself pull the trigger. I guess because there is not enough proven info concerning this. I'll use that as an excuse. You use the tone as an exact replacement for the whistle? 1 sit, 2 or 3 here? You are the first person I have come across in 15 years that does this. Are training procedures the same?
FCSpringer
Moderator
A whistle is fine. Don't listen to someone tell you you won't get birds or they will all fly off. Rubbish. A whistle is a fantastic tool. And as said yes they will know you in time. An Acme 210 1/2 and a British buffalo horn whistle are fine choices. We run Braces in trials and it does not affect the others dogs at all. Unless a dog is out of control and they hack the hell out of it. That is a training issue, not a whistle issue. I don't use it much when hunting, but when I want it it is nice to have a quick decisive responsive result from a dog. I won't be in the field with out a dog that responds to a whistle, verbal, or hand command. I seem to have no problem filling my freezer when I want to. Good luck
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I was buying some Pheasants form a game bird place and was helping push the birds to the end so he could net them, i had my whistle and wanted to see what the birds did when i blew it, i stopped and did a tweet, tweet, and watched as most of birds sat down to see what that was, and just a few kept moving. I use a Whistle all the time and do very well, and if you dont like it dont hunt with me.....
A pocket is a poor spot for a whistle for the chaff reason alone. But, I have found that a whistle for me in the early days with a pointing dog was too often a crutch, a stab at staying connected rather than trusting the dog and it kept me more worried than calm.
One learns, or should.
There is little doubt tho that a whistle, wisely or poorly blown, will alert birds and will also occassion some to depart....any wild bird.
But there are so many factors that will do the same, let alone one being unlikley to sneak up on a healthy bird, that the whistle of any shape is only an issue, like a voice, raised in some extreme.
Pen-raised birds are odds-on less effected by any outside stimulus and a poor comparison to wild bird reactions.
Basically, when the whistle is blown for a purpose then that purpose most often trumps any negative effect to a few birds....sometimes, by a great measure.
Much has changed from older day birdhunting, here's hoping that electronic connections twixt man and dog never totally supplant the good old whistle.
As an aside...want a good lanyard, look Knotsmith.
One learns, or should.
There is little doubt tho that a whistle, wisely or poorly blown, will alert birds and will also occassion some to depart....any wild bird.
But there are so many factors that will do the same, let alone one being unlikley to sneak up on a healthy bird, that the whistle of any shape is only an issue, like a voice, raised in some extreme.
Pen-raised birds are odds-on less effected by any outside stimulus and a poor comparison to wild bird reactions.
Basically, when the whistle is blown for a purpose then that purpose most often trumps any negative effect to a few birds....sometimes, by a great measure.
Much has changed from older day birdhunting, here's hoping that electronic connections twixt man and dog never totally supplant the good old whistle.
As an aside...want a good lanyard, look Knotsmith.
Gove County Britts
New member
I agree with the yelling at the dogs bit theres nothing more frustrating than listening to fido's name all day at the top of someones lungs and makes for a poor attitude when your done for the day. the whistle is like the shock collar its simply just an extension of your hand to the dog or dogs to let them know hey he is still in control again some choose to savatage the day by constant blowing i use the whistle for small things such as asking to come back or to quarter the other direction if they have went to far and on the rare case when there is a disaster about to happen such ass a passing car at the end of the field before you get cought up to the dog i use it to stop them with one blast as for huntin multiple dogs to the whistle try to change something in the blasts give use differnt tones or cadences for each dog its actually pretty easy to get them all out when done properly
when I started this thread on handling, I was hunting with groups that were not always of my choosing. Early season there might be 4 to 5 dogs(1 OR 2 TRAINED). There was a lot of yelling and hollering. Very frustrating. My lab of 8 years died of cancer and I was starting training of a new pup now 7 months. My hunting partner also wanted to train his 1 yr old lab. During our training we have found that the whistle thing is fast becoming a nonissue. We use the same type whistle but apparently blow it (sit come) with enough differences that the dogs can tell us apart most of the time. Thanks to all for your responses.
Bugman, i use the tone on my tri-tronics flyway. I have big-running setters that i mostly quail hunt with. I also pheasant hunt South Dakota and Kansas. My nuttso, crazy, hard to handle, big runners stay close when i use the tone. I use it as a recall or if i want them close. I stumbled onto this tool by accident. Easiest thing i ever taught a dog. I do feel like i have a remote control dog sometimes but it beats the crap out of yelling or whistling all day. I can honestly hunt all day silently for pheasant in South Dakota right next to guys with excellent labs that yell more than i have to. In combination with the Astro it seems like cheating. Just my opinion, wich isnt worth much.