Multiple Dogs and Multiple Whistles??

[canderso]

I am preparing to pick up my second pup. I have had multiple dogs in the past, but never multiple hunting dogs. I have been training and hunting pointy dogs for the past 12 years. I have decided on a dedicated retriever for waterfowl hunting this go around and will be picking up my new little female Chesapeake in a couple of weeks.

Now that I will be training a retriever and a pointy dog, I have a question about whistles. Those of you that run multiple dogs, do you use different whistles for each dog?

Thanks

[John Robinson]

No, but I have a spare whistle on my lanyard just in case the dog isn't hearing my main whistle on a blind into the wind or something.

[polmaise]

Good question ,and as it is not related to Test or Trial,where you would be handling only 'One dog at a time'.
I use only the one whistle no matter the breed, Retriever/Spaniel or HPR. As I see it as a 'Tool' in training , much like you would use the e-collar in training!?..But not in the 'real Test'?. As the dog would have already been trained using the tool.
I carry it with me , because that's the 'Back up'!..When a situation in the field is new ,or indifferent to what has been experienced,or trained for.
I have found that when a 'Trained dog on the whistle', is worked on it's own,It will stop to any whistle (as an interrupter),including Casey Jones!..Now if you are working two at a time? That's a whole new ball game,and try shooting over them 'Too'

[BonMallari]

No, but I have a spare whistle on my lanyard just in case the dog isn't hearing my main whistle on a blind into the wind or something.

reminds me of a time a few years ago when I had two whistles on a lanyard and an old timer asked me " young man, why do you have two whistles around your neck"...of course my snappy answer was " just in case, he isn't hearing my main whistle"

to which he replied " son, if the dog isnt hearing your main whistle,that second whistle wont save your butt"...we had a good laugh over that one

[canderso]

Good question, and as it is not related to Test or Trial, where you would be handling only 'One dog at a time'. . . .Now if you are working two at a time? That's a whole new ball game,and try shooting over them 'Too'

My "vision" or plan would be as follows: Both dogs will be hunted together and trained together. I hunt a mix of upland game and waterfowl. I would look to my English Setter to be the lead on the upland game while utilizing the Chessie to flush and do some of the retrieving. My Setter has no problem retrieving, so the dogs would share the duty. When hunting waterfowl, I would still have both dogs along in the early season while ambient temps and water temps aren't too cold. As the weather gets colder, I would rely more on the Chessie for the water retrieves. If we did a walk in hunt on land or a field hunt, I would still have both dogs along.

Now, I regularly hunt over two dogs and sometimes three. However, each has their own handler. In this case, I would be handling two dogs of my own. Part of me I guess is wondering if I had two whistles, each with their own tone, could the dogs be trained to know which whistle tone was meant for them?

Again, thanks for your thoughts.

[polmaise]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=moBXEEJcChs