For you whistle blowers

sigav8r

sigav8r

New member
Anyone use a whistle for their gsp? I'm looking for tips or pointers on how to train to a whistle. Do you give the command first or the pip? What's your typical commands (I.e. One for here and two for whoa)?
 
My first recommendation would be to use it to train, swallow it while hunting pheasants, after opening day your going to watch a lot of them run out of the field or flush wild. I don't know if the dog will respond, but the birds will!
 
Sig, I actually use 3 whistle commands 1 is "look at me" 2 is Come/here, 1 long blast is "Whoa". Now the meanings. The "look at me" pip is I have him trained to hand signals. So when he "looks at me". I tell him where I am going by pointing in that direction. Tony my Brit, now just stops at 1 pip to see what is happening. That is something he taught himself. When training like I'm doing now with Gunne. I have the whistle in my mouth. I Say the command a blow instantly. He knows the first 2, but is being stubborn about learning "whoa" he just don't want to do it. I hate whoa posts so don't even go there.......Bob
 
oldandnew said:
My first recommendation would be to use it to train, swallow it while hunting pheasants, after opening day your going to watch a lot of them run out of the field or flush wild. I don't know if the dog will respond, but the birds will!
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exactly. I even tape up my dogs tags so they don't jingle. If you've trained your dog to a whistle a collar with tone is an easy addition to your hunting tools. They will get it right away and it very quiet in the field.

It matters not which commands you use as long as your consistent.
 
Thanks guys! I appreciate the input! That was exactly the kind of info I was looking for. Any extra training tips you might have are all welcome in my book. :cheers:
 
Just my suggestions... If your dog does not really know what the whistle commands are please don't be out in the field just blowing the hell out of it and think he supposed to know what to do... I see this problem all the time and it is def a super big pet peev of mine.... Have hunted with a few guys and I could swear we were hunting in the middle of an NBA game... Always to much corretction... Let your dogs hunt
 
Kwick is right. You need to instill whistle comands at an early age for best results. I use 1 quick toot for hup or woah, 2 quick toots to turn them, and a steady whistle to bring em home if I want to. All this is only if needed. It is nice to hunt with no whistle. But it is nice to have it instilled. Most every time out There is a reason or two to use it.
 
I even tape up my dogs tags so they don't jingle.
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For years now, I've been riveting the tags to the collar . . . no more jingle, no more lost tags, no more metal stain on the chest of light-colored dogs, no more beat-up tags. Works for me. Now, if I could rivet some hair on my head, I'd be stylin' . . .
 
when my dad did guide service, he used whistle. a 1 2 and 3 type such as bobeyerite said.. i dont remember what pattern whistle it was bc i was 14 at the time. my dad did it with a black lab. took time to teach, but learned it. when he made a mistake. he didnt punished the dog... however when Abe (the black lab) didnt listen and takes off and totally disobeyed command, he got the shock collar. believe me, one hour of shock collar, Abe was soo willing to obey the whistle again.
 
I use the whistle for training. 2 quick=here, 1 long=whoa. Seems to work well. I don't use it much in the field but I do bring it. I am now trying to train with the tone on the collar so we are quieter. The whistle is nice if you are going to do any trials or hunt test where a colar is not allowed but a whistle is.

Hey Bobeyerite have you tried the collar around the waist trick for that whoa?
 
Yes, I have and I don't really care for it. I know a lot of dog owners that do like it. I think it is just a personal preference type of thing. I actually don't use a e-collar for training, I do it the old fashioned way by repetition.......Bob
 
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I'd train your pup to come to a whistle. The only time I have used one is when my dog is lost in some heavy cover. It's much easier to blow a whistle than to yell and it's much easier for a dog to hear as well. I know it's saved my rear a time or two.
 
Had one guy in our last group "tweeting" that damn thing for two days. The third day, it mysteriously disappeared ;)......:cheers:
Late season birds are well 'educated'. You ain't hunting dumb ones now. As someone else said, "the birds will respond" :thumbsup:
 
bobeyerite said:
Sig, I actually use 3 whistle commands 1 is "look at me" 2 is Come/here, 1 long blast is "Whoa". Now the meanings. The "look at me" pip is I have him trained to hand signals. So when he "looks at me". I tell him where I am going by pointing in that direction. Tony my Brit, now just stops at 1 pip to see what is happening. That is something he taught himself. When training like I'm doing now with Gunne. I have the whistle in my mouth. I Say the command a blow instantly. He knows the first 2, but is being stubborn about learning "whoa" he just don't want to do it. I hate whoa posts so don't even go there.......Bob
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I would enjoy hunting upland birds with you
sure hope you aren't whistle crazy though-
you'd have too many Britt's arround you;)

I never used a whistle for my 1st three pointing dogs- my first field trial bred female Britt learned to hunt with my male Britt and English Setter- when she turned 16 months old she wanted to be in front of the other two- needed some way of turning her at 1/4 mile- breeder said teach her to turn on the whistle- we hunted together- he said he'd take her and give me choice of two pups from his next litter

was pretty easy for me to teach her- did it with the other two along and in wide open birdless field- 1/2 mile by 1/2 mile short grass- she caught on I liked her to range but not more than 200 yards outside the other two- two sharp blast and she'd turn at 1/4 mile- thats all I used it for- did run her with a Lovett's 6in1 beeper- still have it

She became a 1/4 mile bird finding machine- would hold till the others got there- Shadow- once again- another that wanted to be out front- whistle time early- pups again wanted to be out in front- whistle time- now 3 that turn on the whistle- different whistles- sometimes they all turn on the whistle- not a real big issue- I very seldom use it- but it's there and they understand- more or less

it's not to hard to teach a young dog how to handle by a whistle- just depends how much control you want

I talk to mine- use hand signals- whistle is for when they are quite a ways out- I also agree a lot of whistle isn't good in pheasants- haven't seen where two short blasts flushes pheasants-
 
Calisdad said:
exactly. I even tape up my dogs tags so they don't jingle. If you've trained your dog to a whistle a collar with tone is an easy addition to your hunting tools. They will get it right away and it very quiet in the field.

It matters not which commands you use as long as your consistent.
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Very good advice here. My dogs are whistle trained as well, but I sometimes will hunt 4 or 5 hours and never use my whistle. I use it more for safety reasons than anything else, but for me it depends on which dog on hunting on how much I use it.
I use...
One whistle= WHOA right now
Two whistles= TURN AROUND ( your're going too far right, left, or forward)
Three Whistles (1 hard, 2 short ones)= COME TO HEEL NOW
Just my opinion
 
Calisdad, I have had some very bad experiences with tags and leash rings in the field. I have taken all of tags off and carry them in the dogs 1st aid kit. I have gone to the style of collar that the leash ring lays flat on the neck. I did this several years ago and to date have had no more hang-ups and such.............Bob
 
i think no matter how quiet u r the birds know whats up as soon as there is movement they r on to it blowing away or yelling is a pain in the a$$ but dont mean chit
 
Collar around the waist???

I too have a blue weim and notice always in the beginning she has a bit to much excitement getting into the field to listen at first. I have heard some people let the dogs run behind the truck as they are pulling up to their site is this a common tool for hyper dogs to calm them down?
Plus I haven't heard of a tone collar I'm gonna have to look it up since I'm not a fan of a shock collar. Mainly since I haven't been around anyone that had used them before for hunting.
 
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