acme 210.5 whistle

[Petepreston]

Even when we've just started the walk and she's getting a treat every time she still occasionally decides against it if there is a scent that has brought down the red mist.

Those are the only times she doesn't respond so I'm not too worried. It's probably much higher than 80% to be honest.

Last night we had her responding in turns (we both have a whistle) over a distance of abut 200m without any diversions along the way despite the many scents and the number of dogs in all directions.

When she doesn't get a treat she gets a huge fuss made of her instead, and I have a special noise I only make for her when I'm really heaping on the praise. It works even when she's slipped out of the room with a slipper, a shoe, the TV remote control or a sweetie wrapper that she's pinched and knows she shouldn't have. It's actually quite funny to watch her uncontrollable desire for the attention override the mischievous nature to keep the "naughty" toy.

Wherever we go we are always complimented on how quickly she responds and well behaved and obedient she is. We think she's not coming along very quickly but then we meet people with well behaved dogs who can't believe what she can do at 7 months old. We're really somewhere between advanced and adequate. Given the time we've been able to dedicate to her training, she's doing very well and learns little tricks very quickly. We have a very good bond so once I'm more mobile we should be able to forge ahead with few problems.

Of course, she's heading towards the potential phase of forgetting everything...

[Joules]

Petepreston,

Glad things are going well!

We give her the same treat a few times when we first get into the park or wherever we're walking, then give her a good run about, a few more recalls with treat and then no treat every couple of blows.

I'd suggest giving her a high-value treat every time, and also a lower-value treat every time she just "checks in" with you of her own volition - it might just increase that 80% to closer to 100%!

I agree - I don't give Coco a treat every time she comes back to me but I do give her one every time she recalls to the whistle - consequently her recall is much more reliable with the whistle 

[mooching]

Even when we've just started the walk and she's getting a treat every time she still occasionally decides against it if there is a scent that has brought down the red mist.

Could I ask what you're using for treats?

[tigs71]

I have two 210.5's - orange and lime green.  So far Mason has had 100% recall with the whistle    For treats I used chopped up hotdog sausages or seafood sticks.

[Scarlett]

I have two 210.5's - orange and lime green.  So far Mason has had 100% recall with the whistle    For treats I used chopped up hotdog sausages or seafood sticks.

Just received mine in pink from black gundog!!!
Delayed due to heavy snow...I hope it's soon over...

I will begin training lessons today!! 
I will also hotdog sausages too!

[hanandhen]

Henry has recently been working his little socks off for some rind off the Christmas bacon. I find the best thing with him is to change treats on a fairly regular basis or he gets bored and they lose their attraction.

I've got a pink whistle as well! All the best trainers do, you know

[Petepreston]

Sorry I disappeared without answering. At the time we were using chewy meaty treats that we halved into small nibbles. Posie was doing really well other than when she was totally overcome by scents, but then we realised that she was getting the same treats for other good behaviour.

We've switched to Baker's Swirls (cheese & bacon flavour) which she goes nuts for. I wouldn't ordinarilly give Baker's (or their affiliates) any of my money but Posie loves these treats and because they are only given when whistle training she's not getting too many as part of her overall intake. She is definitely not getting fat no matter what we give her - weighed today at 11.75kg of lean muscle.

Even though she was returning on the whistle so very well, the bacon treats have upped her response time to "immediate recall" and she is rarely distracted anough to ignore the whistle completely. The worst she does is stop what she's sniffing, look at me, sniff again then come back. She also gets a short toot on the whistle as she is given the treat - something we had forgotten to do before.

My wife has accused me of showing off when there are other dogs and owners around because I deliberately wait until Posie is in amongst the other dogs or they are misbehaving and then I give a sharp toot and she comes running back to me and sits at my side. Proud? Too right. Show off? Possibly.

I hope everybody else is getting on well with their whistles.

[Cockertime Blues]

The amount of colour co-ordination on this forum never ceases to amaze me.    Personally I must not give a HOOT ( ) because our 210.5 is black and a bit chewed at the business end and was given to me about 3 dogs ago.  It goes missing periodically (most notably on a narrow boat in Wales last summer when Alfie was whistle-less for 3 whole days) but it always seems to turn up.  I really must get another. 

[Scarlett]

Pete as long as the recall works, please show off!!!
I would do exactly the same!
Who is not proud for a clever dog?
 

[MegandMolly]

The amount of colour co-ordination on this forum never ceases to amaze me.    Personally I must not give a HOOT ( ) because our 210.5 is black and a bit chewed at the business end and was given to me about 3 dogs ago.  It goes missing periodically (most notably on a narrow boat in Wales last summer when Alfie was whistle-less for 3 whole days) but it always seems to turn up.  I really must get another. 

That's why I went for Fluorescent orange and yellow  (was hoping not to lose them )

[mooching]

The amount of colour co-ordination on this forum never ceases to amaze me.    Personally I must not give a HOOT ( ) because our 210.5 is black and a bit chewed at the business end and was given to me about 3 dogs ago. 

Ah, but then you see black does go with most things, so you're not exactly clashing! 

[hanandhen]

I have a black one and an orange one too... I get whistle-loss anxiety

[Sara750S]

I have read this thread with interest as hubby and I were chatting about whistle today.

My questions to you are:-

1) if you and your partner have a whistle, does it still "sound" the same to the dog as I wonder if we would both blow it differently?

2) if someone else in the park has a acme whistle does your dog hear that?

S

[MegandMolly]

I'm sure someone posted that someone elses dog came to them when they whistled as they knew there were treats on offer 

Not sure about whether the dogs can tell the difference about who is blowing it thou 

[hanandhen]

Henry did wander towards a couple of people using whistles to begin with, as I think he thought all whistles meant food for him Now he tends to look in the direction, but he has learned that I am the only person likely to produce a tripe stick

Everyone blows a whistle slightly differently, or so I have been told