kelpiegirl Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hi I am at the point where a whistle is needed. I've no clue where to get a whistle, or which ones are better than others. Can anyone help? I did do a search, but did not find any sources... Thanks in advance Julie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hi Julie, Whistles are made out of a variety of materials, including plastic, metal, and bone. For the traditionalists, "fingers" are usually available, as well. There is a good selection of whistles on the Border Collies in Action website (http://www.bordercollies.com/)...check them out! I use the cheap (rhymes with sheep, so they must be good) plastic whistles, and I keep one in the pocket of all of my farm clothes (coveralls, jeans. jackets, etc.). I have used a couple of the metal whistles, and I do like the sweeter "tone" that most metal whistles have. But, I keep coming back to the plastic ones for everyday use, so that is also what I use for trialing. Regards, nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stockdogranch Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Hi. Nancy's right--Border Collies in Action is the place to find a nice variety. I think the plastic one is a great starter model (and it usually comes in two colors!), and the price is right! After you get the hang of it, then you might try different ones. Most people try a number of different materials and settle on one they prefer for various reasons--tone, how it feels in their mouth, etc. It's really a personal thing. Be forewarned--it may take a while to get some sound consistenly out of it, though. It takes practice! Anna Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
r b m Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Also on that site you can find whistle CDs. If you're with a trainer, you may want to ask them for a recommendation. Once I get to whistles, I plan to get one and practice in my car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pippin's person Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 I got the Kensmuir "A" whistle (I think that's what it's called). I can now almost whistle "three blind mice" and "happy birthday", but I'm definitely not ready for prime-time yet. It took me about two hour-long car trips to be able to get a sound out of it more or less consistently--but I still have instances where I just get whooshing air. I also don't have an entirely good sense yet about what I'm doing to control it. Which is all to second others' reminder that it takes practice to be able to use it. I got mine from Border Collies in Action. I haven't tried a plastic one yet, but was thinking about getting one just to compare. robin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maizy Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Robin - I think that is the whistle I got as well. It took a couple tries to get a noise out of it but I still can't get different pitches. Julie - my hubby did the search for me and found that the one that Robin and I have got good reviews as easy to make a sound for a newbie to whistling. Don't forget your lanyard as well. I think I got the lanyard, whistle and CD for something like $65 and it took about 5 days max to arrive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maizy Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 Guess I should have said that I ordered from Border Collies in Action as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KathyF Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 The whistle that I have been very happy with is the A-1 Aluminum whistle from Francis Raley's Dog house. http://www.francisraley.com/crooks.html As far as a whistle CD or tape I would recommend Kent Kuykendall's as it is easier for a beginner to understand than Alasdair MacRae's. Kathy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eileen Stein Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 I second the recommendation of the Kent Kuykendall whistle CD. The whistle set he uses for illustration is a very good choice, and he really explains well how to get the most out of it. I also think the A-1 Aluminum whistle is tops, and I would use it if only I could get over the feeling that I'm going to swallow it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NCStarkey Posted February 26, 2007 Report Share Posted February 26, 2007 I also think the A-1 Aluminum whistle is tops, and I would use it if only I could get over the feeling that I'm going to swallow it. Hey, Eileen....isn't that what the lanyard is for...to fish the whistle back out should you swallow it? nancy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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