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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.
Why does my dog hate it when I whistle?
Your dog always comes over when you whistle. This is as the puppy is trained to do that. The dog is habituated to run towards you when you make that sound. Since a dog’s hearing range is much more than the human hearing range, a “silent” whistle can also be sounded to make your canine come running to you.
Why do dogs cry when you whistle?
In general, the high-pitched cries represent either excitement or distress. The excitement could be a positive nervousness or anxiousness to get going. … Other reasons that your dog might adopt whining include separation anxiety or cognitive decline.