Whenever I mention blind work on the blog, I am frequently asked how to train a dog to stop and sit on a whistle. (I call this whistle sit.)
As part of our field training, we use a whistle to stop the dog as they are moving away in order to signal it to move in a different direction. Some people may train a dog to do this for another purpose, but all of our training is geared toward our field work.
Freighter is still learning, but here is an example of him running a blind and stopping on a whistle from September of last year.
If the video doesn’t play try here.
Once the dog has a little more training under their belt then you can even stop them on a whistle as they are swimming.
This is Storm from June of last year working on more advanced blinds including a blind which requires her to swim across a pond and stop on a whistle in the pond.
If the video doesn’t play try here.
So how do you train a dog to stop and sit on a whistle?
Storm and Freighter both went to a professional trainer to learn the “basics”. One of the things the trainer taught them was to sit on a whistle. Thunder started his hunt test training as an older dog, so hubby did all of his training, but with guidance from a professional trainer.
When a dog is trained for more advanced field work, it is a progression with each new skill added to one the dog already knows. We also train using an ecollar. Our dogs understand “sit”, so we introduce the whistle to go with the “sit”, and then we added distance. Once the dog understands what is expected, should the dog disobey, we may give a collar correction. We are training toward running higher level tests so may be more demanding about what we expect as our dogs advance in their training.
There are books and dvds and any number of training manuals from famous dog trainers explaining how to teach a dog to sit on a whistle. Here is a one written explanation from Pat Nolan who is a trainer on the east coast. If you google, you can find a ton of information on teaching whistle sit. If you work with a trainer, they may use a slightly different approach. Most of the time trainers have different ways to end with the same result.
Our pal Hawk learned how to sit to a whistle and shared how he learned this. Hawk does not use an ecollar so if you just want to train this skill using a lead and a whistle, you should check out those posts. Part 1 is here. Part 2 is here. Thanks to Hawk for sharing this.
Of course for us, once the dog has learned to sit on a whistle, the hard part is knowing when to blow the whistle. Believe it or not, when you are doing hunt test training there are times that you should blow the whistle and stop the dog, other times when you wait to blow it, and still other times when you should not blow it at all. Learning all of the nuances takes some time. There is a learning curve for both dog and handler. Working with a professional trainer is something that has really helped us and we will definitely seek more help this season.
Unfortunately, we are back in the deep freeze and supposed to get more snow. Training is on hold once again. But tomorrow is March 1 and one day closer to warmer weather (hopefully).
Have a nice weekend!
I always said I wanted to teach this to Delilah, but never did anything about it. LOL
We are freezing cold here too with a lot of snow expected this weekend (last I checked) I say March comes in like a Lion, so I’m hoping she marches out like a lamb. 😉
Have a great weekend!
We are due for a warm up…aren’t we?
Cool. We tried but never got anywhere with a whistle. Lordy not more snow? We bet you are all fed up with it. Have a fabulous Friday.
Best wishes Molly
Okay, now I want to train Phoebe to sit on a whistle. Actually, she’d probably just sit on it. And then eat it. But it’s worth trying!
LOL I know it is sit “to” a whistle, but field training has its own lingo. Actually it is an entire language onto its own. 🙂
Pretty cool with the swimming and the whistle. If dogs respond to clickers, why not a whistle? It all makes good sense, you just need to train us to do it.
Exactly Emma!
Wow, look how good they are! It sounds like a useful command even if you’re training field work. I used to use a whistle to teach come, but I wasn’t very good at being consistent. And since I live in the suburbs, the whistle can be very annoying to neighbors.
G’mornin, Dawn! Have you tried using one of the dog whistles? Even at their loudest, they aren’t loud enough to disturb the neighbors. I’ve used it when training Callie and Shadow’s recall. I haven’t been consistent, either…now I have to start working with Ducky. But first I have to start her on a long lead, at least out in the yard.
We do some work in our yard too. it is a great place to start!
This is really weird — my reply was supposed to have been to Dawn’s comment. Sometimes computers can be so “retarded”! LOL
I think it depends on how far away the dogs are. I just use voice recall in my yard. 🙂
Great post with videos. I start mine out on whistle sits by walking around the yard with the dog at a heel and when I stop they are suppose to sit and as they are I blow the whistle to correlate one toot to sit. I then let them range a little bit and toot the whistle so on and getting more distance. It is calling for snow here too, I really need this to all go away so we can start training again also. Have a great weekend.
That is very similar to how we teach it. 🙂
So interesting! There really is so much to all of it, for both the dog and the handler, isn’t there? With February almost over, that has to be a good sign. Someone just needs to let Mother Nature in on it!
This kind of training is all in steps with one building on the next. I suppose that is true with most dog training. 🙂
Sorry about more snow and you having to put training on hold again. Spring will surely arrive for us all soon, we are supposed to have freezing rain Sunday and Monday…I am ready for sunshine I you and the dogs would enjoy some too. Hugs and nose kisses
We have been having some sun lately, but with it some very cold temperatures. Crazy winter this year!
Don’t have a whistle here, the last I said Sit from a distance, it didn’t work very well 😛 Hee hee.
That’s the problem, how do you reinforce if they blow you off? lol
Great post and videos! I always learn so much from your hunt-training posts! It is so “cool”! I have absolutely no place local where I could have trained Callie and Shadow to hunt, but that’s okay. We have our fun in other ways.
Our weather reports here call for either snow flurries, rain, or sunshine, depending on which channel you watch. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see! Right now it feels more like rain — too warm for snow — and the sun is sure taking its time breaking through the clouds! The stars were shining brightly last night, too. Oh well.
Glad you liked the videos. We are supposed to finally warm up a bit this weekend! Just a bit though.
wow! Those are great tips! Thanks so much for sharing!!!!
It is obvious you guys have spent a ton of time training, I applaud you for that!
|Loved watching these videos!
Happy saturday!
((husky hugz))
frum our pack at love is being owned by a husky
Yes it takes a lot of hours to work on field training. Thanks for stopping by.
Those videos are soooo impressive! If I tried to teach Bentley how to do that, he would fall over laughing then insist on a belly rub! BOL!
LOL that would not be a bad thing either. 🙂
I began whistle training my dogs but quit because they were confused when handlers of dogs we were braced with in hunt tests, used them. Since I’m going to work with them this year on casting, I need to find a method other than a whistle.
I could see how multiple whistles might throw them off. I remember when Thunder ran his WDX which were double marks and there was a dog running on the nearby water using a ton of whistles. Luckily he stayed focused. I will be interested to hear what you figure out.
Let me just say, that I always love your photos but the videos of the Brown Dawgs running blinds are AWESOME! Not having ever done any kind of hunt test stuff, to see a video of the dogs running blinds makes it so much easier to understand what you are talking about! I sure hope you use more video in future posts because I LOVE it.
high paw
Oz
I will try to get some video but it won’t be as easy because of the loss of our training grounds. Hopefully I can try.
Great post and the videos are terrific. As I type this the snow is flying outside my window and it’s 6 degrees. All three dogs are depressed because it’s too cold to really enjoy the white stuff.
Winter needs to be over already!
You guys are just SO advanced with your training! My Mum thinks I’m probably smart enough to learn this (with the right trainer), but I’m too smart to obey if Mum tried to use it, I like to obey when I feel like it – us Beardies like to be known as ‘independent thinkers’! Mum thinks she can trick me by making me think things are my idea, hmmmm?
Have fun guys and I hope you get some warm weather again soon!
Your pal Snoopy 🙂
You sound like you could be a Chessie…lol. Sometimes they are very independent. 🙂