Author Topic: Could someone tell me the whistle commands and hand signals pretty please?  (Read 8818 times)

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Offline Andy71

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Hi all,

Been a while since i been on here, Charlie is now 1 year old and Jazz is 7 months.

I really want to start training one or both some gun dog commands, i hunt bunnies with an air rifle and just to have one by my side to fetch the bunny would be amazing and also save on my getting old legs lol

I have almost got them coming to me with 3 pips on the whistle, sometimes they ignore me.
I got them sitting with one long blow of the whistle but i can only seem to do this when they are close to me.
I could really do with some tips and a list of commands,i come from a hunting village and have approached a couples of guys before about some advice but i seem to get a smug look and witty comments while they show off thier dogs skills, this made me determined to do it myself!!  >:D

Any help would really be appreciated, i'll admit i'm pretty clueless lol
Thx, Andy, Charlie and Jazz
Best wishes,

Jazz & Charlie


Offline black taz

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Have a look at Top Barks sticky about recall (in the training section) - i don't think them ignoring you is the actual command - from personal experience its just that you havent done enough training to get them to recall 100%

I don't think you have to stick to the "common" list of commands as long as you are consistent with the instructions.  Like you i do 3 pips for recall and just 1 short for sit, but again they will only do it when they are next to me - its a work in progress, but someone else may come along with advice on the stop command.

Alternatively I think the Gundog Club do some training manuals.

Offline Andy71

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Thx Taz

Top Bark is amazing!! my partner shown me some video clips of him training his dogs just after i posted, yeah i'll search out his posts ty  :D
Best wishes,

Jazz & Charlie


Offline riotous_uk

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I use 1 long pip for stop, 3 pips fro recall and 2 pips to tell the dog to turn when hunting.

Sounds like you've got a fairly reliable stop (sit) close to but now you need to work on distance. Two ways of doing this, one have the dog on a long line and some one else walks off with him, you blow the whistle and reward the dog when he sits. He can't come towards you as he is retrained. Other way is to tie him to a fence or post and then yougradually move away. Aways go to the dog to reward as it stops them creeping towards you. do in an area free of distractions first, then add distractions in.

With the recall, I condition it with food, particularly their brekkie. Pip the whistle 3 times, feed, repeat many times. Then increase the distance that they are going from, then add distractions. Set the dog up for success rather than 'testing' it to begin with.
Pauline
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Offline praia

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Everyone is going to have different ways of signaling with the whistle and hands.  Use whatever you feel most comfortable with.

I use 1 long pip or lots of little pips for recall depending on which whistle I have on hand.  Long whistle for the 210 and lots of little pips for the 210.5.  Personally, I find it more difficult to do many pips with the 210.  Maybe because of the pea?  I wave him in as a hand signal.

1 short pip for sit.  I put my hand up next to my head with my palm facing the dog.

2 pips is used more as a "look at me" cue so that I can use a hand signal or a voice command to send the dog to a specific direction.  Left and right are differentiated using sweeping hand motions to desired direction.

I proofed commands using a check cord and raising distraction levels as commands were mastered.  I taught long distance sits by first teaching the dog that sit means plant your butt down and stay there no matter how far I am.  This was first accomplished by having the leashed dog sit and walking away from him.  Then moved on to having the dog quarter in front of me and giving the sit command.  Then moved on to having the dog sit while throwing out a ball/dummy to build steadiness and eventually moved onto having the dog sit mid-retrieve or mid-recall.  Food and praise are what I used to reinforce recall.  Retrieving items or allowing to chase/flush prey were what I used to reinforce sit, ending the game was the punishment for ignoring a command.  Good luck with your own dogs.

Offline SueC

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the traditional commands ie used in field trials, working tests etc are are one long whistle to stop with hand raised & palm facing dog, 3 short peeps to recall & for a novice handler arms outstretched.  1 or 2 peeps to 'turn' or change direction of dog when hunting, usually using left hand to encourage dog to left & vice versa to right - good luck with your training!

Offline Nicola

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the traditional commands ie used in field trials, working tests etc are are one long whistle to stop with hand raised & palm facing dog, 3 short peeps to recall & for a novice handler arms outstretched.  1 or 2 peeps to 'turn' or change direction of dog when hunting, usually using left hand to encourage dog to left & vice versa to right - good luck with your training!

These are what I use with my dogs (2 short pips for turning rather than 1) and what Caoimhe's field trial trainer/handler uses too. They're pretty straightforward and easily differentiated by the dog.
Nicola, Tilly, Rodaidh and Caoimhe x



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Offline praia

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the traditional commands ie used in field trials, working tests etc are... 3 short peeps to recall

Interesting.  Perhaps it's different here in the US?  In the spaniel hunt test I attended the multiple whistle pips were the most popular command for recall and many at the test also competed in field trials.  My duck hunting neighbor has a field-bred Lab and the dog recalls to 3 peeps, but the dog is strictly used for water retrieves and not any actual hunting so he doesn't have any directional cues.  When I first started training my spaniel I thought the difference between 3 peeps for recall and 2 peeps for directional cues might be a little more difficult for a dog to differentiate, which is why I chose my specific recall whistle commands.  Obviously I was wrong.

Honestly, it doesn't matter what commands one decides to use as long as you are consistent with the dog over what those specific commands mean.

Offline Petepreston

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I have Posie on recall for any number of peeps, but mainly because I haven't worked on her training enough. She will almost always return when hearing the whistle. I tried to get her to know that two peeps was the retrieve, but if she drops the ball/stick part way then two peeps means come back without it - apparently.  >:(

If there isn't a need for standard signals for competition, or you're not entering competitions, then whatever works for you should be fine. I did think about training Posie for other people to work her (I don't hunt) so standards might be handy then, but that's not really panning out so isn't an issue. She does have a couple of hand signals that I'm sure aren't standard but I went with the most highly visible ones for her at distance so she could see the sillouette more easily.

Left and right? Goodness me that would be impressive. I can just about get her to go away or come back.

She's only just 1 year old (this weekend) so it's not too late.