my weim has got a bit useless with her recall! she is 19 months and is fine unless there is something better than me! we used to go to training classes but stopped and i am planning to take her back to a different one when her season is over. Basically we have had a few problems with her running at joggers and also dogs, and usually she has come off worse!! i basically think a lot of this is down to her poor recall. ( my fault, not hers!) i think she is so used to hearing her name that it doesnt work too well anymore! i was wondering whether it would pe possible to train her to recall with a whistle, or if i would be better off just working on the recall that we have! i dont want to confuse her, i want to make it as simple as possible! sher is very intelligent and picks most things up very quickly. we have never used a whistle before.

I use a whistle as Marley all of a sudden goes deaf with spoken commands with recall. I recommend a silent whistle, basically looks like a thin small tube, when blown lets off a higher pitched sound that isn't audible to humans. Pitch can also be varied. I use two pips for recall.

Once you have purchased it go into another room in the house to test it on him (dog being in another room and cannot see you. Try blowing twice, if he comes to you praise and be very excited. If it doesn't work turn the bottom of the whistle barrel to vary the pitch and try again. You will find the right pitch for your dog.

Spitzed x

I'm training my dogs to recall to a whistle at the moment.  I use an audible whistle - an Acme 211 1/2 tone - I like to know that it is actually working, and the odd dog will ignore a silent whistle.  I'm following Pamela Dennison's method (in the Complete Idiot's Guide to Positive Dog Training).  Incidentally, if you're using a particular recall command now that's she's had opportunity to ignore (and it sounds like she has), stop using it - use the whistle or pick another command.  She's learned to ignore the one you use now, and being a smart dog, she probably won't forget that she can ignore it.

First step is to prime the whistle, much like you would a clicker - whistle and give the dog a tasty treat.  Repeat many, many times - Dennison recommends 20 times a day for a week, than a few times a week for the rest of the dog's life, to keep that connection fresh.  I also make my dogs wait for their meals, and just after I say "okay" I whistle - a whole meal really ups the strength of the whistle-reward link.  I know a young GSD with no recall once become very good at recall in training class in a couple of weeks solely from whistling at mealtimes - but to be good in every situation there is more work involved.

Second step; when the dog is in another part of the house, whistle and go nuts when she gets to you - loads of treats, manic praise, stupid high happy voice.  Key thing to remember (goes for any praise with dogs): the more you look/sound like a lunatic, the better a job you're doing!

After that you start work outside; recalls on a long leash - maybe 6 or 8 feet - with LOTS of praise and rewards.  Vary the rewards - even the tastiest treat gets boring if it's the only one she gets.  Save the best for really good, fast recalls, and use other things, not just food - games of tug, sniffing an interesting (??) lamp-post, that sort of thing.  Then you move on to a longline and start upping the distractions - as she likes to chase, try throwing a low-value toy (toilet roll tube, for ex.), just something to get her chasing, and try calling her away from it; when she's good with that toy, use a more interesting one.  The more distractions, the better the reward.  Oh, and only call her if you're confident she'll come back - otherwise she'll learn to ignore you all over again, and you'll have to start at the beginning with a different command/signal.

For now, don't let her off lead when you're out walking her - every chance she gets to ignore you and go and do her own thing, the harder she'll be to train.  Chasing joggers and playing with other dogs are extremely self-rewarding, and if she knows she can do it and you can't stop her - which you can't, if she's off-leash - she'll do it.  Keep her on a long line while you work on training the basics indoors.

One last thing (though I'm sure you know it): NEVER punish her for coming back to you, regardless of what she was doing that annoyed you!

Would just like to point out that the silent whistle does make a squeek type noise when you blow it so that you know it is working. Also the majority of dogs seems to react more to the silent type than the audible type, the silent type is more powerful in terms of pitch.

Anyhoo both work and it is all matter of preference.

Spitzed x

Hi Weezie

The device which you are using (whistle or voice) is far less important than how you train a reaction to either.

Remember that, with a whistle, you have to get it from round your neck, put the right end of it in your mouth and blow correctly.  That might sound a bit simple, but in an emergency you might not have that time.

In my opinion, a whistle recall should NOT replace a verbal recall.  A whistle recall is fine, but you need a verbal one too - even more importantly than a whistle one.  Because, apart from the above, you won't always have a whistle with you.

And seeing as you have neither at the moment, you should focus on the verbal one for now.

However, you are right that perhaps your dog has learnt to ignore whatever word you're using as a recall at the moment.  If you think that's the case, then pick another word - Here, This way or Come for example.  Use the dog's name, then the command.

I would suggest that you do as follows: For several days give all members of the family a little bag of delicious treats - smelly fish, hot dog sausages, garlic sausage, maybe a tomato, a chunk of apple, bit of carrot - lots of different things.  Then the family split up and go to different rooms and practice calling the dog from one person to another.  Only one person calls the dog at a time, and they take the dog's collar and give a treat when she gets to them.  You only call once - never call more than once - the dog has only one chance to win that treat.  If the dog doesn't come when you call, whoever was calling goes and gets the dog and takes her back to wherever they were calling from.  Then someone else calls and you let the dog go and carry on.

When you can do this 100% around the house in different rooms, and also in the garden, then try it on walks.  I would practise it in the house for at least a week, 6 times every day.  You want her to become conditioned to the recall, so that she hardly thinks about coming to you.  When you get out on walks, call her at least 6 times every day, reward her with the tasty treat, make a big fuss, and then tell her "Go play" again, or whatever your release word is.  Try to make her succeed at first - so don't make it hard - watch her and call her when she looks at you, or when she's not far away at first.  When you have total success at that level, then try to call her when she's a bit more distracted.  Remember - you want her to succeed so only call her when you are sure she will come. 

Ive never trained a dog to recall on whistle, however I was thinking about doing it.  How far do you think the sound of the whistle carries outside?  Does it travel through trees ect?

A whistle travels far further and far better than a voice.

I whistle when we're out and she's off lead.  In open spaces when it's windy a whistle is likely to carry better than calling.  Problem I have had is young smart a*rses copying my whistle.  When out with OH he whistled and he sounded pathetic and I told him so.  We bought couple of whistles from a gun shop and OH always uses that now.  When I go out I always forget to take it so dog recalls to both types of whistles and calling.  She doesn't recall brilliantly to any though, takes her time if found something interesting so will definitely do the room by room exercise.  That's sound like it would work for us.

I thought it might be better than me bellowing like fog horn, we've got one somewhere but never used it lying around for ages but do you think I can find it now I want it naughty house fairies hiding everything :)

Can't be as bad as my house.  You put something down and it's immediately lost! Been trying to find tax return thingy to fill in and return.  Found that in hte end but can I find P60? No! :rolleyes:

Oh no, don't talk about the tax return thingies, they are not flavour of the month here :( :(  ARG

If your dog thinks there is something more attractive than you the presence of a whistle will not act as some sort of magic wand...........

A whistle is a cue, as is a verbal cue or a hand signal cue, I train my dogs to respond to all three as not all are appropriate in all situations eg it is not appropriate to get out a whistle whilst in the village hall etc training............... :)

The beauty of a whistle is a) that it carries much further than the human voice (hence why shepherds use them), b) it is always consistent it does not sound different if you are worried, angry, have a sore throat as does your voice and c) it is so much "cooler" than using your voice; d) do not overlook another advantage, if you say "come" and your dog ignores you, you have just advertised to the universe that your dog is disobedient, with a whistle no one knows WHAT you are saying! :D :D

Most people talk FAR too much to their dogs and use their names inappropriately, so they teach their dogs to ignore them as it is just "background noise"; a bit like we switch out lift music etc.  Verbal diarrhoea is a terrible thing! :D

As it appears your dog is not responsive to your voice, training the recall will not be a problem with a whistle! :D  Unless of course you make the same mistakes.

If the dog DOES respond to the voice you just precede the verbal cue with a whistle, after a few occasions the dog will figure out that the whistle is always followed by the "come" and will return on the whistle, so you can "fade" the voice.

I wish more breeders would condition their puppies prior to leaving the nest to a whistle by blowing a whistle just prior to putting the food out, the puppies would then go out classically conditioned! :)

I use a shepherds or penny/lip whistle, but it takes time to master for a lot of folk, otherwise a gundog whistle is fine if you just need a stop and/or recall command.

HTH

Thanks for your advice, she does respond 99% of the time to our voice,but the other 1% she ignores us!! the problem is we always used her name as a recall, which i now realise wasnt the best idea!!! we are going to try another command. do you suggest 'cleo come' or just come?

CherylS, why not keep your whistle on your keyring?  I wear one on a lanyard when walking but I also keep a spare on my keyring.  That way I am rarely without one as I usually have keys with me.

It comes in handy if I loose the children when shopping, I have been known to whistle them back as they know my whistle style!!!