That’s OK some folks still do.
Reducing all the noise that comes with it…
From Whistle blasts to Tone conditioning and how we transition overtime.
We still train pups to recall to a whistle blast, just in case the collar looses power or is out of range, a whistle can be a great back up.
A Handler should always carry a whistle i.e. for emergency notification, direction and location, A whistle never runs out of battery!
Using Tone for recall or directional change is an easy transition but you need to start small, be consistent and patient. Once the Tone transition happens you will also reduce all the noise that comes with whistle blasting and your hunting tactics will improve. Our teaching is; 2 tones for recall and one tone for directional change.
Proper tone use to command your bird dog to change directions will greatly improve bird contact.
Using a puppy whistle helps with limiting some of the blast noise. We typically carry two whistles, a low blast and the other is louder.
Yodeling -vs- Whistle when providing direction and location after an initial recall is a great way to bring your dog back. Sounds strange but it’s very effective and you control the sound of the yodel.
AZPointingDog LLC