Calling a dog is without any doubt one of the most important commands that the dog should reliably master at any situation. Most often, we call the dog using the command “come”, but we can also emphasise it with a whistle. It pays off mainly in situation when the dog gets so far away from you, that the voice itself is not enough, or in time of diseases when your vocal cords just give out.
Have you also lived through situations when your four-legged friend focused so much on something else, like when they caught a smell and followed a track, that they didn’t react on a classic calling command at all? Dog has a significantly better developed sense of hearing than human, so they hear the sound – of a classic or ultrasound whistle – for up to several kilometres depending on the ruggedness of the terrain. Not only for the cases when your dog is overcome by strong hunting instincts and they immediately follow a track, but also for unfledged puppies, which are still fighting with the calling training, the whistle can be a useful tool. The whistle is also very popular not only in hunting or scent hounds where the dog gets far from its handler for great distances, but you will use it even during usual walkies.
The dog has to react to a calling immediately without hesitation or thinking. Therefore, in the beginnings of training, use this command only if you’re sure that the dog will definitely run to you. In situations where you are certain, use the command and whistle excitedly. Then the whistle is going to hold a special position and the calling will work better with it. If your dog already masters the calling command, it isn’t difficult to teach him to react to a whistle. Just whistle after a routine command. The length and pitch of the whistling shouldn’t change. After the dog obeys immediately and comes to you, reward them. But at first, reward with a compliment such as “good boy” and with a stroke, even if the dog comes after several times for them to get motivated. It is a good idea to switch rewards – one time, use a favourite toy, other time, a treat or a stroke – so that the training is more exciting for the dog and doesn’t start to bore them. Gradually, we can move the training from a calm environment to busier locations.
There, we are going to reverse the process: first, we whistle, and only then comes the command. It may happen, that the dog reacts immediately and there won’t be any need for the command. Again, we switch between light terrain and stimuli up to the most difficult and strongest ones. In the same way, extend the distance between you and the dog before giving a command. As a result, you will achieve that whistling which didn’t have any meaning for the dog, is now an impulse for them to run to you the shortest way possible, without you giving them any voice command. As with a training of any command, be consistent, calm and don’t rush.
I began to use a whistle only with our youngest doggy, already since his first walks. Today, I am immensely grateful for it. He is a bit feistier than the rest of the pack and at that, he still has the craving of a young dog to explore the world around him. When the usual “come” due to many reasons doesn’t work even for the second time on the dog junior, I use a whistle. Since we have been training regularly since he was little, it won’t happen that he wouldn’t come. And it works even when I need to recall him from a game and he’s not reacting to my voice. If you would like to teach your adult dog to react at a whistle, the principles are going to bet he same, you only have to count with it taking a bit more time and treats :-).
And what is your experience with a whistle?
Did you know that the domestic cat which is now kept as a pet all over the world, is probably a domesticated form of the wild cat, specifically of its subspecies the African wildcat, European wildcat and Asiatic wildcat?
Apart from regular care for the fur and dog’s teeth we should include also the inspection and cleaning of the eyes and ear inspection in the list of everyday tasks. Even though the cats are rather known for cleanliness, it’s important also for a...
Cat is a perfect tool for hunting. It owes it to the dozens of years of evolution. While in dogs, their physical signs have been emphasised or suppressed, cats got to keep, apart from several exceptions, their main anatomical features unchanged. In...
According to various statistics, the number of cats in our country is increasing. Not only dogs, but also cats belong to increasingly more common pets. So, it can happen to us more often, that we'll meet an abandoned cat in the street and we're...
Some dogs take the arrival of a new family member in a hard way. Previously, we described how to prepare them for this situation already before the baby even arrives home and today, we will take a look at the introduction itself.
It's no longer a strange thing when a municipality sets up a dog park or a dog playground. Due to frequent regulation of off-leash movement of dogs, this should, however, often be obligatory. Do you know how to behave in such places so that you...
Another possible sport at which you can play with your dog and exercise with them at the same time, is the Dog Puller. You can practice it with all the dog breeds, no matter the size or age.
Nowadays, cats are increasingly more often becoming members of our households. Cat toilets producers are adapting to this trend as well. They can provide cats with a greater comfort in their daily need. From the perspective of the owners, the producers...
Vacation time is finally here and many of us are planning where they will be headed this year. If you decide to go for an adventure by car and to take your dog friend with you as well, a bit of advice might come in handy on how to provide safety for...
Of course that we won’t talk about how to teach a dog the swimming technique. We want to talk about how to teach the dog to get used to water and how to make swimming a positive experience for it. Since not every one of them trusts water and some are...
If you’re planning to bring a new addition home and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a kitten or an adult cat, it is necessary to prepare the flat for it as well. Do you know what will the animal need and what you shouldn’t forget about or how to choose...
No matter how thorough we are with the prevention, a situation might come up when a dog or a cat will get to a poisonous thing, whether it’s by our inattention or it's somebody else’s fault. That’s why it’s not off-topic to prepare yourself for the...
