Are they suitable for training a dog? Why or why not?
A dog whistle can be a great training tool for a dog, if used properly. It is extremely distinct, silent to others, and the high frequency cannot be easily replicated. As a result, hunting, herding, and police dogs are commonly trained using a whistle. The reasoning behind it is that this high frequency it emits can travel far greater distances than a voice, and is less likely to scare wildlife or alert humans.
Although the whistle is suitable for training a dog, it is useless without association. If you blow the whistle and expect your dog to stop barking or to come, you will be extremely disappointed!
Signs Your Dog Hears the Whistle
When you bring a dog whistle into your home, it is usually because you intend to use it to train your dog for certain things. When you are using it, you will be able to tell if your dog is reacting to it by looking out for a few different signs.
One of the top signs to keep an eye open for is if they start tilting their head. When they tilt their head, that is usually a good indicator that they are interested in either something they are seeing or in this case, hearing. They have heard the whistle and this is them acknowledging that they can hear it.
To add on to this sign, they will usually raise their ears, which seems pretty obvious considering they are trying to hear the noise much more clearly. Your dog will become more alert when they hear this whistle. Humans are unable to hear the dog whistle, except for the soft blowing noise when you use it. So, we must rely on our other senses so that we are able to notice when our dogs are reacting to it. Dogs are able to hear normal whistles, just like us and will react similarly.
Some signs that your dog can hear the whistle include:
Other signs to watch for are:
Dog whistles arent necessarily harmful, but if used improperly, they can be a big problem for your dog. While you cant hear the high-pitched squeal of the whistle, your dog has much more sensitive and powerful hearing. This means that sounds that dont bother you can be annoying or even painful for your pooch, and if you make those sounds indiscriminately, you can cause him unnecessary discomfort.
Because dogs have much more powerful senses of hearing than humans, dog whistles that people dont even notice may be painful for dogs when abused. A loud noise blaring in your ears would cause you pain, and blowing the whistle too close to your dog or with too much force may similarly hurt him. If you arent sure of how to properly use a dog whistle, consult a professional trainer or veterinarian who can advise you on responsible use.
Designed to be impossible for humans to hear, dog whistles arent inherently harmful for your animal — to an extent. Dogs are able to hear sounds of a much higher frequency than humans are, and the dog whistle creates one such sound. While a human can hear sounds around 23 kHz, dogs can hear sounds up to 45 kHz — a significantly higher frequency.
Tom Ryan is a freelance writer, editor and English tutor. He graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English writing, and has also worked as an arts and entertainment reporter with “The Pitt News” and a public relations and advertising copywriter with the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh.
What a Dog Whistle Sounds Like To Dogs
Dog whistles have long been used for dog training. Working retrievers and herding dogs are often trained to respond to whistle cues because the sound of a whistle carries farther than the human voice and can be easier to hear in inclement weather – even the sound of a so-called “silent whistle.” How can that be?
The sound carries so far because the silent whistle, also known as a dog whistle or “Galton’s Whistle,” isn’t silent at all; it’s just that humans can’t hear it. Invented in 1876 by Sir Francis Galton as a tool to help test the upper limits of audible sound on humans, the dog whistle emits a sound measuring about 35,000 Hz, well beyond the average range of 20 to 20,000 Hz that is detectable by the human ear.
Do dog whistles hurt dogs’ ears? For most dogs, a 35,000 Hz dog whistle will be perfectly audible; dogs can hear high-pitched sounds up to 65,000 Hz. Researchers suggest the ability to hear higher frequencies stems from the modern dog’s ancestors’ need to hear the high-pitched squeaks of their prey, including mice and other rodents. Plus, a dog’s ear has 18 muscles (compared to six in a human ear) and a longer ear canal, giving them the ability to tilt and twitch their way to fine-tuning the sounds that interest them.
Keep in mind that, initially, the sound of any whistle is just noise. While the first few blasts may cause your dog to come to you, that’s just curiosity, not a magical magnetic pull. It’s up to you to make the sound meaningful to your dog.
The high-pitched sound of a dog whistle can be distressing to some dogs. Research suggests using a high-pitched whistle won’t hurt your dog – unless you blow it too close to her ear – but something can be distressing without causing physical pain. If your dog looks uncomfortable when you blow the whistle, try another one. Acme Whistles makes a wide variety of dog-training whistles.
Many “silent” dog whistles are adjustable, so be sure to read the instructions and adjust the whistle to the pitch that quickly orients your dog to you. You can also purchase a fixed-pitch whistle, such as the Acme 211.5 whistle commonly used by retriever trainers. Pay attention to your dog’s body language. You want to see eager curiosity, not concern.