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Sit on the Whistle Teaching the sit
on the whistle (one short whistle blast) can start at a very early age. You can have your
puppy “sit” before opening a gate, a door, or before he is fed.
Once he knows the “sit” verbal command, you can start to chain the
whistle in with the command so that he learns what the single, short whistle
blast means. So, you would say
“sit”, “tweet”, “sit”! Do
this while heeling as well with the automatic “sits”. After your dog is
doing three handed casting well, which we talked about in the previous month,
you can now teach him to “sit” on
the whistle. It is better to teach
this on the return, rather than on the send so that your dog doesn’t begin to
anticipate the sit whistle and lose
momentum driving to the back pile. With your dog on a long
line on the ground so that you can step on it if you need to, (but be
careful not to let it wrap around your ankle) send the dog to the back
pile. Have him return to your
side. Send him again to the back pile and this time when he is about half way back give the “sit”,
“tweet”, “sit” command walking toward him with an open hand as if to
say STOP (even if you walk all the way up to him to begin with) and when he does
sit, reward with a verbal “good sit” and walk back to where you sent him
from originally and then give the three
whistle blasts or “come in”
whistle to the finish position. Now
send him two or three times again to the back
pile without stopping him so that he is charging out and charging back to
you. Quit for the day.
Repeat this sequence
giving only one or two “whistle sits”
per session for about a week until the dog is sitting on the whistle without you
having to walk toward him. Once he can do this
reliably you will be ready to begin the formal T drill! J The formal T
drill is starting from about 50 yards from the back
pile with the dog at your side and sending him to the back
pile. Receive him back at your
side. Now send again (dog on long
line so you have control) and stop him on the way out with the “sit whistle” where the “overs” intersect with the back line.
When the dog turns and sits, count one thousand one, one thousand two and
give the RH over cast.
Take a step in that direction if you need to in order for the dog to be
correct or if you have to toss a bumper there a time or two do so until he
understands what you need him to do in this new setting.
Receive the dog at your side. Send
again all the way to the back pile
without stopping him. Send again and
stop him at the intersection and cast this time to the LH
over. Now finish off
sending two more times to the back pile
without any stopping or casting. If
the dog should start to go to one of the over
locations use your “sit whistle”
and give a right or left back cast (whichever is needed so as not to have the
dog go into a complete spin) to get him to the back pile and use your rope to
control the outcome by preventing him from going to an incorrect location.
You may need a couple of casts or to walk forward in order to get your
dog to take the correct cast. It
won’t take long for your dog to get the T
drill down. Your dog will
soon learn that when you blow a sit whistle that he will need to change
directions. I will never
practice stopping to the back pile and
then giving a direct back cast once I have taught it and know the dog understand
it, because I want my dog to understand that when a sit whistle is blown, it means I need him to change direction. Remember that at any
time your dog seems confused or is not having success, SIMPLIFY!!!
Go back to any of the building block stages you need to clarify and give
your dog the confidence he needs to do this drill with motivation and success!! Enjoy the journey! |
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