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Begin whistle commands?


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I admit, I've been slow to teach my puppy the basics but Rao seems to be doing good with a clicker and hand commands. He's getting quicker to responding. Anyway, I'm wondering how to start training him with whistle commands for when we're outside (hiking, camping, etc.) when he's farther away from me and won't be able to see my hands. Any suggestions on how to begin? I'd like to get this down before I start on agility with him.

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I am confused. Are you going to use him for herding - hence the whistle commands? And why do you want to start him on whistles before agility? Or were you thinking of using whistles in agility? (I could never use whistles in agility since the run is so fast - Torque's fastest run was in Novice Hoopers at 13 seconds!! I don't even have time to breathe.)

 

Jovi

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Are you thinking of training a whistle recall, or are you thinking of using a whistle to cue directions in Agility?

 

I don't think you would be allowed to use a whistle in Agility if you go into competition.

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No competitions just yet. Whistles for more... general use. Like when we go hiking (stay near me, come back if he runs off). Nothing complicated. I have nothing to have him herd. He's more an exercise, companion dog.

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i have one whistle command i use for the dogs, daughter, husband, cat, etc. it means "i am here" or "come here". i trained it just like my recall. use your word (here, come that'll do) then your whistle. treat when they come. keep practicing till you can just use the whistle. i find it very helpful in large fields or woods where my voice can't always be heard.

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If all you want is to teach him to come at a whistle, start yesterday. :) A whistled recall along with your spoken, "Fluffy, come here!" should be as common as breathing. Practice and time will teach him to come from a greater distance.

 

Have fun!

 

~ Gloria

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Generally, the advice I have heard to associate a whistle with a command is to give the whistle (or new command) first, followed by the known command. That way, the dog anticipates the known command whenever he/she hears the whistle, and responds to the whistle as he/she would respond to the command.

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There is an excellent DVD called "Training the Whistle Recall" that you might be interested in checking out. It is a 5 step process which is very straightforward and enjoyable. If you google it, you will find more information.

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