Do dogs come when you whistle?Dogs have spent thousands of years longer with humans than have cats, so they have evolved a greater ability to read our body language and signals. They know through early experience that a whistle is a signal to get their attention, or to come, or to execute some other particular behavior.
How do dogs react to dog whistles?You can use a whistle to “talk” with your dog and establish a behavioral routine, just as you do with verbal commands or clicker training for “sit” and “stay” or playing fetch. Dogs respond to even the quietest of whistles because they hear at a much higher frequency than humans.
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Training your furry friend is an important part of being a dog parent; plus, it has many benefits, including socialization and obedience. If youre looking to incorporate a training tool, a dog whistle may be a good option for you and your pup.
But as a pet parent, you may be wondering: How does a dog whistle work? Do dog whistles hurt dogs ears? What are the advantages of using a whistle? These are important questions to consider when looking into using a dog whistle.
Whistles have been used for dog training and communication for generations. Prior to that, humans communicated with their dogs by whistling the old-fashioned way, with their breath. You can use a whistle to “talk” with your dog and establish a behavioral routine, just as you do with verbal commands or clicker training for “sit” and “stay” or playing fetch.
Dogs respond to even the quietest of whistles because they hear at a much higher frequency than humans. “Dogs and people hear about the same at low frequencies of sound (around 20Hz). This changes at high frequencies of sound, where dogs hear up to 70-100kHz, much better than people at only 20kHz,” say scientists at the University of Adelaide in Australia, and dogs “hear sound frequencies at least three times as high compared to people.” It may seem as if dogs react to a noise thats not there when, in reality, theyre highly sensitive to something we cant hear.
You may have to try out a few different types of whistles to see which one offers you the range of sounds you (and your dog) prefer. Start by learning how to use the whistle properly (practice, practice, practice), and then play around with the sounds to figure out which tones will work for which commands.
There are two types of whistles to choose from: audible or silent — with “silent” in this case meaning silent for humans, not dogs. Some whistles are equipped with adjustable pitches, too.
Audible whistles are helpful when youre working out the sounds you want to use and ensure that youre being consistent. This style looks much like a whistle used at sporting events and, in fact, its used during herding dog events.
Many dog parents prefer silent whistles because theres less noise interference for people. This type of whistle, invented in 1876 by Sir Francis Galton, was used to test hearing levels in humans, cats and dogs. The term “ultrasonic whistle” is more accurate because, as noted above, the whistle isnt silent — it emits ultrasonic sounds to which dogs respond. According to researchers at Psychology Today, the advantage of this type of whistle is that these sound signals travel farther than the human voice and, therefore, can reach dogs at farther distances.
What a Dog Whistle Sounds Like To Dogs
Even though many of us pet parents have loved dogs for our whole lives, few of us have actually used a dog whistle before. What are dog whistles, exactly? What do people use them for? Do they whip dogs into a frenzy like in cartoons?
A dog whistle, known also as a silent or Galton’s whistle — after inventor Francis Galton — is a high-pitched whistle generally used for dog training. The sound it emits comes from what is known as the ultrasonic range, a pitch that is so high humans can’t hear it.
Dogs can hear these sounds, however, as can cats and other animals. Because of this, the dog whistle is a favored training tool, though it may not be for every dog parent. Here’s what you should know about dog whistles.
Dog whistles are most commonly used during dog training. You will often see them coupled with clickers and treats to signal to a dog that they have performed a task correctly.
The noise they make will likely grab a dog’s attention, but they will not usually make dogs go wild like you may see in cartoons or movies.
The type of dog whistle a person uses doesn’t matter that much. While the most commonly used are physical whistles, you can also use digital ones. I actually have a dog whistle app on my phone!
Training with a dog whistle, like all other forms of dog training, will take time. But it can be one of the most successful forms of communicating with your dog when you want them to perform a certain behavior or task.
While many pet parents enjoy the directness whistle training provides, this method also helps with other dog activities as well.
Many canine sporting events and competitions utilize silent whistles to communicate to dogs when to go and when to stop. You will see this a lot in sheepdog competitions where whistle commands instruct the dogs on what to do. These whistles are usually not “silent” whistles, but their purpose is more or less the same.
The silent whistle is employed with hunting dogs or gun dogs, as well, since the range of frequency that hunting dogs can hear at is higher than many animals.
This is the most important question. Unfortunately, like with all other training techniques, that answer can only be given as a “maybe.”
Every dog is different, and some simply don’t respond to a whistle command the same way another might to voice or treats.
It’s best to know your dog when you proceed with this method of training. Don’t dismiss training your dog completely if they don’t take to the whistle. Try another method until you find one that works for your individual pooch.