How to Teach Your Hunting Dog to Respond to a Whistle

A whistle is a valuable tool for dog owners who want to control their hunting dog from a distance, which is important before you take the dog into the field. Dogs can hear whistles at a greater distance than most owners can shout.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Pealess whistle
• Short lead
• Dog treats

1. Ensure that the hunting dog responds to the "sit" and "heel" commands consistently before you begin whistle training. You want the dog to be under your full control before you add the whistle component to your training.

2. Choose a whistle that sounds without the use of an internal pea. Whistles that operate from a pea may freeze in winter field conditions, which can render your training tool inoperable.

3. Walk with the dog at your side, using the "heel" command. Keep the dog on a short lead and make sure the dog is paying attention to you rather than sniffing the ground or pulling to get ahead.

4. Blow your whistle and immediately issue the command to sit. Stop when you blow the whistle and gently jerk up on the lead to encourage the dog to sit.

5. Reward your hunting dog with a treat when he sits after you've blown the whistle. Eventually, you can stop saying the word "sit" before you blow the whistle, as the dog should associate the whistle with the "sit" command.

Tips & Warnings

• Stop the training session if the dog seems confused by the whistle and doesn't respond to your command to sit. You may have to backtrack and reinforce the "sit" command before you continue your whistle training.