Hunt whistle

[DazAllison]

My young bitch is coming on well and at the moment I am beginning to add some polish to her with aim of running a few novices with her this season, but 1 thing I would like to have up our sleeve is a decent hunt whistle I.e. when out on a blind to hunt an area. I have always used a ‘there’ command and she knows the command but I’m wary this could possibly count as noisy handling and could be the difference between winning and coming 2nd so i thought using a hunt whistle would be a lot tidier to a judge. Im just looking for some advice on how you initially teach the hunt whistle, I have tried 1 or 2 times but she is getting a bit confused and thinking it’s a stop whistle. Cheers

[Naj]

Isn’t a hunt whistle noisy handling!? Just saying.

[DazAllison]

Isn’t a hunt whistle noisy handling!? Just saying.

Let’s call it “less noisy” then as opposed to shouting “there” or “hi lost” but I think it’s definitely a good tool to have in the box

[Springcopse spaniels]

Dog already has it engineerd, called its nose.

[DazAllison]

Dog already has it engineerd, called its nose.

So when dog is sent on a blind and you stop it in the area how dose the dog know to start hunting the area?? Surely if it was given a stop whistle it shouldn’t move until given an other command??

[Springcopse spaniels]

No idea, never needed it in novices or open stake spaniel trials.
The dog knows through conditioning what is required when it get to the area as it winds the game/ shot scent/ blood scent.
Unfortunately in lab trials natural abilities are trained out.

[DazAllison]

No idea, never needed it in novices or open stake spaniel trials.
The dog knows through conditioning what is required when it get to the area as it winds the game/ shot scent/ blood scent.
Unfortunately in lab trials natural abilities are trained out.

It’s spaniels I’m talking about mate, for me I think it’s a very handy tool to have in the box

[Cambusvale]

I have won tests and trials using it

[Springcopse spaniels]

I've never had that tool in the box as I've found I've never needed.
If the dog is focused on the job at hand, and in the area it will work it out for sure. If the dogs conditioning to blinds is as it should be and is picking every blind you set and has 100% trust in you it wont be needed.

Personally I hate the sound of it, and as naj said may be considered as noisy handling depending on the judge especially as you would of been told where the dummy or bird is. If your handling is precise and on the right side of the wind then it will wind it period. If you are blowing the whistle to "hunt" then the dog must surely be in the area....
This seems.to be an over necessary drill from labradors in my mind, train it because we can.
We've had four open stake dogs here, none had that training and my current pups wont be getting it either.

[Cambusvale]

I see it different different on blinds or fall of game out of sight of the dog you may have no scent or wind in wrong direction, I am not going to wait till the dog falls over it, what about out and back as fast as you can for welfare of quarry, it may need dispatched.

A hunt command should be required once to work the dog in partnership and supply interaction when required to make the blind as quick as possible and work the area it was told. Watching a dog leave the area or miss or pass the area and to wait for it to find it is not what I train for, in competition you should be pulled rightly to get your dog in the area, repeated failure get your lead on. All for whistle command, means still in to being oot.

A whistle is less obtrusive than verbal if you are hunting the area the dog is being sent later. Repeated verbal or shouting commands at a dog is noisy in my book, all game on that beat is gone for you or the next dog in line as a result. Use of whistle and visual has its advantages like all tools and should not be dismissed so readily. I like to have such tools in my armoury and as I say can get you out of some situations.