Dog Whistle recall training
For the safety of your dog, other dogs, and people, recall is one of the most important exercises that you can teach your puppy or dog. At no point should you let your dog off the lead until you have mastered this exercise. Teaching your dog to respond to the whistle has several advantages. A whistle lacks emotion, and it is consistent, unlike a person’s voice. Some owners will panic or become angry when attempting to recall their dog. Your dog will likely pick up on your emotions and may not want to return to you. The sound of the whistle carries further than your voice, especially when it is raining or windy. A whistle is transferable between handlers, ensuring that your dog returns to the person who is walking them. Dogs relate to the sound of the whistle when trained properly. The sound of the whistle can be exciting as they know that something good is coming. The earlier the whistle recall is implemented, the better; however, it can be introduced at any age. Dogs hear higher frequency pitches far better than the voice of a human, so they are more likely to respond to the whistle when out walking. It is essential to be fully equipped when undertaking any recall exercise. You will need a whistle and a training pouch filled with high-value treats, such as chicken, liver, or sausages. I would not recommend using a silent whistle because if your dog ignores you, you won’t know if they have heard you or not. With a whistle, you can determine how loud you blow it and if it was loud enough. The Acme 2.10 & 1/2 whistles are ideal.
How to get started with whistle training.
You should not expect your dog to understand what the whistle means when you use it for the first time. They need to learn that the whistle is associated with a tasty treat. Begin in your home environment with no distractions. Have the whistle around your neck and your treat pouch, containing tasty rewards, clipped onto your trousers for easy access to reward your dog. Please do not feed your dog before starting recall exercises, as you want them to be slightly hungry for their tasty treat rewards. With your dog facing you, blow the whistle and then reward your dog with a tasty treat, so that they associate the whistle with a reward. Place the treat between your feet on the ground so that you are teaching your dog to come in close to you.
Practise this exercise for at least 10 repetitions, as the aim is for your dog to learn that the whistle means that a reward is coming. Start walking around an area of your house, such as the kitchen. Blow the whistle when your dog starts to come to you, and place the treat between your feet. When your dog is eating their treat, walk to the other side of the room and repeat this exercise. Your dog will begin to associate this with fun or a game. Repeat the exercise at least five times. Once your dog has learnt this first step blow the whistle when your dog is in a different room, if your dog returns to you reward them with a tasty treat. This step demonstrates that your dog is starting to understand what the whistle means and that good things happen as a result of this exercise. You can also blow the whistle when it is feeding time. The next step is to take your training outside into your garden. Have your dog at the opposite end of your garden, blow your whistle, and when your dog returns to you, reward them with a tasty treat placed between your feet. If your dog is following you around your garden, have another person hold them at the opposite end of your garden. When you blow the whistle, they can release your dog. You can begin to use an open-handed signal, but there is no need to say anything to your dog, such as “Charlie, come.”
The aim is to teach your dog to return to you solely by way of the whistle.
If your dog is stimulated more by toys than food, you can use a toy as a reward and play a game with your dog when they return to you. If your dog or puppy doesn’t come to you straight away, try running backwards away from them, as this should encourage them to come to you. Never scold your dog or puppy for not coming back, as this can make them less inclined to return to you and be very damaging to your bonding. Just stay calm and try your recall exercise again. When your dog consistently responds to the whistle exercise in the garden, it is time to begin whistle training during walks. Start in a place with few distractions, such as a quiet area in the park. Have a long training line attached to your dog's harness, rather than a collar, so that you do not jerk their neck. Wait until your dog is relaxed and has been to the toilet before starting the recall training. Please wait for your dog to walk a short distance away from you, then blow your whistle. When they come back to you, reward them. If your dog does not return to you immediately, try running backwards away from them because this should encourage them to come towards you. If your dog does not come back to you for any reason, stop whistling. You should not stand there whistling when your dog is ignoring you. Stay calm and retry the recall exercise later in a quieter area of the park. Never reprimand your dog for not returning to you, as this could damage the bond and trust that you have already created. Gradually build up the distance between you and your dog when you are carrying out the recall exercise, and remember always to reward your dog.
Clients often ask me how long it will take before they can use the whistle without the reward. I tell them that your recall will begin to fail if you keep whistling without offering a reward. Over time, practice recall training in areas with fewer distractions. Keep your long training line attached to your dog to reinforce the recall training. If you allow your dog off the training line prematurely and if they continue to play with other dogs in the park, this is self-rewarding to your dog, and your recall will deteriorate.
TIPS
Do not rush your recall training.
Do not overexert yourself with your dog.
Break your training exercises down to a few minutes at a time.
Always stop when your dog is excelling, because you don't want them to become bored.
Please do not feed your dog before beginning recall training, as you want them to be slightly hungry so they will be motivated by their tasty treats.
Only take the training line off your dog when you are confident that they are returning to you.
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