Borderco1 Posted December 1, 2004 Report Share Posted December 1, 2004 HI there, I have learned a lot about herding with BCs on this page and some very good books. My dog Jack and I will be started on sheep in the spring. Some things I have read say I should start learning the whistle well before I ever walk onto a field. I know it will take a long time before I will ever need to use anything other than voice commands, but it most likely will take me that long to learn them anyhow. Now for the help, I am buying a tape and whistle deal online, and was wondering, do I need to be able to whistle on my own to use it and how hard is it to learn how to make the same sounds twice? Any tips or advice would be wonderful! Thanks Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
juliepoudrier Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Hi Sarah, Standard advice is to get a whistle (unless you are one of those lucky folks who can whistle with your fingers) and practice while you drive (or do anything where you can whistle and do whatever else it is at the same time). It will take a while to become proficient and consistent with your whistles. Just don't despair if it takes a while to get any sound at all, though usually you should be making noise within a day or two of starting. After you are making noise with the whistle, keep practicing. Try whistling tunes with it--that will get you making different tones and of course if you're practicing a song, it's very easy to tell if you're hitting the right notes. The only other advice I have is to choose whistle tones that are easy for you to replicate. When I started, one of my dogs had a low-tone come bye whistle that I could not consistently blow. I ended up changing my whistles to ones I could easily blow. The main thing is to make sure that the beginning part of each whistle is sufficiently different from the beginning parts of your other whistles not to confuse the dog (your whistle tape should explain this). You can tape yourself blowing your whistles and listen to it to make sure they are sufficiently different and to record your progress. This is important because your dog will react to the first tone of your whistle command, so you will want the first tone to be obviously one command or another to not confuse the dog. (That is, if your right flank starts with a high tone, make your left flank start with a low tone, so the second you start to blow one flank or the other the dog will know which flank is coming.) Hope that makes sense. J. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Also, don't get too worked up about the whistles unless you have a fully trained dog that you will be running at the Open level immediately. Practicing whistles IS helpful in getting flanks straight in your mind as you picture working your dog and while you whistle. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Just to add to the general consensus... While it's fun to start practicing your whistles now, if your instructor* is worth a damn you will quickly find that whistles (and verbal commands, for that matter) are going to be the least of your worries for a while. * You are going to get expert help, aren't you? charlie torre Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 This is just a test of the server, folks. Sorry for the interruption! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted December 2, 2004 Report Share Posted December 2, 2004 Like everything else about herding, I took longer to learn to use the whistle than anyone else in the world. I won't tell you how long, it would only discourage you. But I eventually learned it well enough to manage, and I can't whistle at all without a whistle. Never could. You might as well get started now. As Julie said, most people learn it by practicing while they're driving. Alone. Try Kent Kuykendall's whistle CD. It's the best one, IMO, and I think I've listened to all the whistle tapes/CDs. You can get it at http://www.kuykendall-bc.com/marketplace.htm . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Borderco1 Posted December 3, 2004 Author Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Thanks so much! Yes I am going to go to lessons and not attempting it myself! It is going to be a lot of driving for the next couple years as I am living in the UK with no sheep dog trainers near me, but I really really want to learn, as does Jack. I suspect it will take me longer to learn than it will Jack though! Eileen I may just break you record for how long it takes to learn the whistle, which is why I need to start now. I'll try the Kent Kuykendall's cd. Thanks again, Sarah Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cgt Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Let us know how it turns out! charlie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jordi44 Posted December 3, 2004 Report Share Posted December 3, 2004 Just a comment on the whistles - as said already, don't give up or get discouraged - it took me a long time to get anything, and once I did, it was, "HOW'D I DO THAT?!" From then on, it's come pretty easy - not that I do whistle commands, but I can get similar sounds repeatedly. It's also handy for calling dogs, hubbies, kids, about anything from a distance. Watch how your dog reacts the first few times you whistle. Mine go nuts - even our mix pup seems to just naturally respond to it - almost like it's an instinct in BCs. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SoloRiver Posted December 4, 2004 Report Share Posted December 4, 2004 My experience with whistles was that for a long time nothing but a strangled whir would come out of it, and then all of a sudden one day I could whistle literally anything. Can't say why. I would recommend starting with a horn whistle or a Corian whistle instead of one of the cheapie plastic ones or a thin metal one. Some people like the latter, but I find them harder to produce consistent sounds with. I prefer the half-moon shape to the kind with little feet on it, but some people think the half-moon type is too big. I practiced in the car and learned by whistling along with songs on the radio. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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