A dog whistle, also known as Galton whistle, is an ordinary looking device that serious dog owners and trainers use to help correct canine behavior, stop them from barking, and even train them to become better, more obedient pooches. These gadgets work by creating sound that only dogs will hear. And if you’re currently on the prowl for a Galton device of your own, you might want to check out our list of the best dog whistles in 2019.
The Best Dog Whistle
1 Ortz Ultrasonic Patrol Sound Dog Whistle
- Adjustable frequencies
- Durable and sturdy make
- Comes with lanyard strap
Currently classified as the best silent dog whistle, the Ortz prides itself of a variety of uses including deterrence, patrolling, repellent, behavioral correction, and training. It enjoys the trust of many dog owners. However, we cannot help but recognize some of the comments shared by a handful of consumers related to the Ortz’s supposed ultrasonic properties. Some dog owners say that they can still ‘hear’ the sound created by the Ortz. Fortunately, there are a greater number of people who can actually attest to the gun dog whistle’s effectiveness. Additionally, its neat design makes it a lot more stylish to wear around one’s neck. The frequencies can be easily adjusted, too. Maybe this is where the problem lies among those who say that they can still ‘hear’ its sound as they may not know how to make the proper adjustments. Overall, the Ortz is a great dog caller.
2 Acme Silent Dog Whistle
- Adjustable frequency
- Reaches up to 400 yards
- Nickel plated
- Made in England
The Acme dog whistle comes across as one of the best dog whistles currently on the market. This is a spectacular unit explicitly designed for use on canines, to catch their attention no matter where they are or how engrossed they are in any activity. It is a dog whistle model manufactured with guidance from expert dog trainers and dog lovers in general. The sound of this whistle is almost inaudible to humans but can come with an adjustable frequency feature that enables any dog owner to tune the sound to suit their dog. The versatility of the unit is what helps it stand out from its competition when there is any form of comparison. The Acme dog whistle is made with heavy-duty brass and features robust construction that ensures the quality and durability of your model for years to come. A sound from this whistle travels as far as 400 yards; thus, you’re assured of your dog hearing your call, no matter where he is.
3 Michael Josh Outdoor Emergency Survival Whistle
- 150-decibel maximum acoustic output
- Durable and sturdy construction
- Mold-free design
- Includes carabiner key chain and key ring
First and foremost, the Michael Josh Outdoor Loudest Emergency Survival Whistle is not the quintessential dog barking whistle that you may have in mind. Technically, it is just like any other ordinary tooter that you blow into to create a loud sound. What makes it quite useful is that the noise it creates can reach up to 150 decibels which is equivalent to the noise created by the engines of a jet airplane at take-off from a distance of about 25 meters. That said, your dog should be able to hear it even from afar. The stainless steel, dual-hole construction gives it elegance, too. It doesn’t contain pea that is usually a magnet for bacteria and mold. The Michael Josh comes with its own lanyard and built-in key ring and carabiner for easy attachment to your outdoor gear.
4 forePets Professional WhistCall Bark Control
- Best training guide
- Free lanyard
- Frequency can be changed
- Anti-loss features
If you seek high-quality whistles for your canine, one model we will recommend for its quality and excellent performance is the Forepets Professional Dog Whistle. This is a product designed to help stop your dog from barking continually. It was made after many research sessions and in conjunction with some of the world’s best dog guides; thus, It is 100% guaranteed to be effective. This dog whistle can be used to call your pet for its meals and also to train your dog when to stop barking and other acts of obedience. It makes use of an anti-loss feature which comprises of a single snap-on cover and locking nut feature. The frequency produced by the whistle can also be fine-tuned to suit the hearing of your dog, no matter the breed.
5 Acme 210.5 Dog Training Whistle
- 5900 Hz single frequency rating
- Designed for Spaniels
- Primarily intended for dogs with hearing impairments
- Comes in various colors
The ACME Dog Whistle 210.5 is one of the most trusted brands of gun dog whistle in the market. It is not really an ultrasonic or silent dog whistle since it only operates on a single frequency of 5900 Hertz. While it is frequently used in canine obedience training, its design is primarily intended for Spaniels especially pooches that have been diagnosed with hearing impairments. Since the ACME operates on a relatively low frequency sound, you can expect to hear the whistle that it produces. The ACME also comes in 8 colors so you have the option to choose one that suits your style.
6 Noopel Whistles To Train Your Dog
- 2-set dog whistles
- Reached 120 decibels
- Water-resistant
- Lightweight
- Made with aluminium alloy for durability
- Great value
These super loud emergency survival whistles are the perfect addition to any camping trip if you plan on bringing the pooches along. This 2-set kit is able to reach 120 decibels and can thus be heard from great distances. If you’re hiking through mountains on embarking on fishing trips, it will thus keep your pups in check and ensure that they can always hear you. This 2-piece set is made with premium quality materials including aluminium alloy metal. It’s strength and durability bode well for outdoor adventures and since it’s so lightweight (weighing only 12 grams), it’s also easy to carry. They also come with a lanyard and keychain and are thus super easy to handle. These dog whistles thus boast durability and ease and added to these benefits is the fact that it’s water-resistant. Whether you’re caught in the rain or sailing down the river, these whistles will ensure that your pooches remain safe. You can also use these models for dog training, and it’s advised that before setting off an outdoor trip with your pups you practice using the whistles at home. This will ensure ultimate safety when it comes to all your outside adventures.
7 Erligpowht Professional Dog Training Whistle
- Ultrasonic sound
- Free lanyard
- Pack of two whistles
- 100% money back guarantee
The Dog Whistle is a professional dog whistle that has all the design features to help you transform your dog into the best version of itself. This whistle is spectacular in form and function and is recommended by several trainers and dog owners from across the globe. It is sold in a pack of two, with each whistle features adjustable frequencies that make the training process more comfortable. To find the best pitch for your pet, users are required to rotate the adjustable nut located on the whistle. This professional dog whistle comes with a lanyard strip, which is a high-quality element included in the design to enable you to carry this whistle with you while training your dog. This reduces the chance of it getting missing. The professional whistle is made from heavy-duty stainless steel material, a premium material that is known for its longevity and strength.
8 SportDOG SAC00-1175 Roy Gonia Dog Whistle
- Field whistle
- User-friendly design
- Anti-freeze
- Best dog whistle
Meet the SportDOG Special Whistles, a collection of unique whistles designed for use by both professional dog trainers and dog owners. It is an extremely user-friendly unit designed by seasoned professionals who seek to make the training process swift and straightforward. This whistle from the SportDOG brand is made from premium metal with a high frequency and no trills. It is excellent when used on puppies or larger sized dogs for close-work training sessions. Get your canine to stop barking, sit, roll, and all other activities with help from this incredible product. The Gonia brand of unique whistles are one of the best on the market today, and we guarantee that you will be glad to make use of them.
9 FANZ Ultrasonic Dog Whistle
- Removable dog whistle cover and 19in lanyard included.
- Adjustable frequency with frequency lock.
- 100% money-back guarantee.
The FANZ ultrasonic dog whistle is among the best dog whistles, with many loyal customers that have remarked on how well it has worked. This whistle is ideal for training pups for recall, teaching them new tricks, and discouraging antisocial behavior such as growling and barking at passing cars and pedestrians. This dog whistle is designed to have an adjustable frequency so that you can find the perfect pitch to get the best response from your pup. Additionally, once you have found the pitch you need you can lock it into position so that the ideal frequency can’t be lost between training sessions. It is worth noting that most of the pitches will likely be inaudible for you (other than the sound of air passing through the whistle). Please keep this in mind and only blow on the whistle in short blasts. With the FANZ dog whistle, it comes with a free 19” lanyard and whistle cover, as well as a 100% money-back guarantee for any dissatisfied customer. So why not give it a try?
10 Acme 575 Shepherds Mouth Dog Whistle
- Variety of pitches
- Nickel plated
- Use tongue for manipulation
- Perfect dog training tool
The Shepherd Mouth Whistle for dogs comes as an excellent performing unit for use on dogs of all breeds. It is a heavy-duty product manufactured with metal and coated with nickel to improve its lifespan. Using this for your dog, training is easy, as it is manipulated with help from your tongue. Like other products reviewed, it features an adjustable frequency setting which enables you to train different kinds of dogs whenever you please. The Shepherd mouth whistle is an exceptional unit, and we will recommend it for you and your fellow dog lovers.
How to Choose the Best Dog Whistle
If you’re thinking of buying your very own silent dog whistle to train your pooch, correct its behavior, or even deter it from doing something you don’t like, then there are several things you have to look for in the right dog whistle.
Acoustic consistency
Many of these devices work on the same principle as any other type of wind instrument: you will have to blow through the mouthpiece to produce sound. Unfortunately, you may not produce the same sonic frequency every time. As such, one of the things you need to look for is the consistency of its acoustic output.
Range
It is important that the device’s sonic output carries well. What we mean by this is that it should be heard by your pet even from a significant distance. For instance, a device with a 200-foot range is a lot better than one that only has a 100-foot range. This means, even if your dog goes up to 200 feet away from you, you can still be certain that it will hear your ‘acoustic commands’.
Durable construction
Let’s face it. Some of us actually have butterfingers. Additionally, the ground on which we stand is not really cushiony. As such, it is inadvertent that we can drop these gadgets at some point. That said, you need something made of really sturdy material.
Ease of cleaning
Remember, these gadgets are to be slipped in between your lips, perhaps even touching your tongue. You’d do well to look for a product that can be easily cleaned.
Adjustability
This is technically akin to having a device that provides consistent acoustic output. If you can easily adjust the frequency of the sound produced, then that would really make your task of training or even correcting your pet’s behavior a lot easier.
What is a Dog Whistle?
A dog whistle is a device that emits or produces a sound that only dogs can hear. The sound created is typically beyond the acoustic frequencies that humans can sense. As such only canines, whose sense of hearing is more acute than humans, can hear the sound created by these devices. Technically they are just like any other whistle that you use to call the attention of someone else. In this case, however, the attention you would like to get is that of a dog.
The device was invented by Francis Galton in 1876 as a result of his experiments with various species of animals regarding their hearing acuity and compared these with human auditory capacity. In his study, he found out that humans have a maximum acoustic threshold of about 20 kilohertz. However, this is only for children whose hearing acuity is sharper than adults. As a man grows older, his hearing capabilities are reduced significantly and middle-aged adults are known to respond only to maximum acoustic thresholds of 15 to 17 kilohertz. Seniors or members of the elderly population can actually reduce their hearing acuity in half to about 8 to 12 kilohertz, often depending on the existence of chronic health problems.
On the other hand, dogs have been known to have a fairly higher maximum acoustic threshold, topping at 45 kilohertz or more than twice the maximum hearing acuity of children, although it is possible that certain breeds of dogs can have hearing acuities reaching as high as 60 kilohertz. Cats, Galton discovered, have an acoustic threshold of 64 kilohertz, more than 3 times the maximum of human kids. It is believed that the ancestors of both canine and feline breeds have evolved their hearing acuity to enable them to listen to the faintest sounds created by small prey.
As such, when Galton invented the silent whistle, he made sure that the sonic frequency operated well beyond the upper limit of human hearing acuity (20 kHz) but lower than the maximum hearing acuity of the animals (64 kHz) included in his study. This way only these animals will be able to hear the ‘sound’ created by these silent dog whistles.
Frequency of a Dog Whistle
We already mentioned that the quintessential dog whistle based on the original invention of Francis Galton operates on a frequency that is higher than 20 kilohertz but lower than 64 kilohertz. These two values correspond to the maximum hearing acuities of human children and domestic animals, respectively. As such, many of today’s dog whistles are designed to produce a sound that ranges between 23 and 54 kilohertz, although it is not uncommon to see some device that may actually extend the acoustic range to 70 kilohertz to account for other animals.
Benefits of Using Canine Whistle
There are quite a number of dog owners who think lowly of a dog whistle, often referring to it as nothing more than a ‘soundless’ device you blow into. While it is definitely ‘soundless’ insofar as we really cannot hear the acoustic frequency operating several thousands of Hertz above our maximum capacity, these gadgets provide a host of benefits, especially during training. Here are some of them.
- Doesn’t annoy you or other people
Can you imagine sharing the dog park with a pet owner who uses an ordinary whistle? Will, it does not annoy you? Will the high-pitched sound produced by the whistle not irritate you? The beauty of these sonic gadgets is that only your dog will be able to hear them. You can be blown on top of your lungs and only your dog will respond to it. You save yourself from eardrum damage as well as a possible lawsuit from your neighbor because of too much noise.
- Encourages use of positive reinforcement
Gone are the days when the only way to train pooches is to use aversion methods, in other words, punishment. Today, we use positive reinforcement methods whereby we reward desirable canine behaviors with something very pleasurable, more meaningful. Dog whistles can help us make full use of positive reinforcement since our dog’s full attention will be on us. It will not be easily distracted. And even if it does get distracted, you can easily redirect its focus. Once it does, you can then provide positive reinforcement.
- Provides a more ‘humane’ way for correcting behavior
Most of us correct the undesirable behavior of our dogs by pulling on their leash, squirting a lemon, or even delivering an electrostatic shock on their collars. While these methods may not actually be harmful to our pooches, they are not helpful either. Using sonic gadgets like those invented by Galton can help correct behavior by getting the attention of your pooch in a non-threatening manner. In fact, it will be simply made curious by the sound that only your canine friend can hear.
You may also like our guides on the Best Anti Bark Collars and Best Shock Collars For Dogs.
- Allows for consistency in giving commands
Your pet actually responds best to your voice whenever you give a command. However, what if you have a raspy voice because of a cold or cough? What if another person were to give your pet a command and one whose voice your pet simply doesn’t recognize? Since there is a ‘change’ in the quality of the voice that your canine friend is receiving, there’s a chance that it might not actually obey the command. You can help prevent this by using a Galton device, ensuring consistency in your commands as embedded in the kind of whistle that you produce.
- Affords versatility in whistling
The good thing about Galton’s devices is that you can actually modify the way in which you create sound. You can go on a single blast or even produce a string of pips. Whatever the case, you are providing yourself with versatility in managing the training and behavior of your pet pooch.
Training Tips Using Canine Whistle
Training pooches is one of the areas where silent Galton devices are frequently used. And if you are in the process of initiating training for your pooch using one of these gadgets, you may find these training tips to be especially useful.
Check out our guide on the Best Dog Gadgets.
- Train your pooch to associate the sound of the whistle with something really great
Anything that has something to do with canine training always starts with creating an association of the device to something pleasurable or meaningful for the pooch. This means that you will need to introduce the sound of the whistle to your pet at a time when it is very happy or feeling really great. This is to make your hound think and associate that the sound of the whistle is what brings great happiness.
- Always start early and in the home
As we have mentioned above, it is important to start acclimatizing your pooch to the sound of the whistle and to time it well. Again, we have to emphasize the importance of associating the sound with something that is really pleasurable. However, caution should be observed not to overuse it. Dogs are intelligent animals, you know this by now. If you use the whistle every now and then, you might learn that the sound is nothing more than a product of your blowing into a device.
- Try it in your garden
Before you try it in public, you might need to run a few sessions in the comfort of your own backyard. Blow into the device when your pet’s attention is not on you. If your initial efforts are correct, then your dog’s response will be to stop what it’s doing and turn its attention to you. Call it to come to you and make sure to reward your pet once it does. This way it learns that the sound will eventually lead to a reward.
- Try it out in a confined, public area
Once you’re confident about your pooch’s abilities, you can try out its skills in the open. However, it is best to do it in a confined area first, such as a dog park or some other area with an enclosure.
- Use sparingly especially in the early phases of training
Resist the temptation of blowing the whistle very often especially if you’re still in the early stages of your pet’s training. The point is for you to condition your pet’s behavior first especially in accepting the sound as something that is pleasurable.
Dog whistles play an important role in training our pets, correcting their behavior, and even stopping them from doing undesirable behavior. Choosing the right dog whistle includes looking at their acoustic consistency, range, durable construction, ease of cleaning, and adjustability. Learning how to properly use these gadgets especially in training your dog is equally important. Remember, these are just tools that can never truly replace hands-on, personalized training of our pets.
You may also like our article on the Best Dog Silencers.
Sources:
- Simon Foden, How to Use a Dog Whistle to Prevent Bad Behaviors, The Nest
- Can Dogs Hear Whistles?, Wag!
My neighbor recently had his girl friend move in along with her untrained dog that weighs about 18 lbs. The dog has white fur and sort of looks like a poodle. My neighbor and I share a walkway and in order for me to get to my front door I have to walk by my neighbors window. Every time I enter or leave my house this dog starts to viciously bark at me. Of course my neighbors are oblivious or they just don’t care. When I see them walk this dog sadly it is obvious to me they do not have a clue as to how to train a dog, the dog walks them. I don’t want to have a discussion with them, who knows what issues that will bring after complaining about their baby.
Do dog whistles work, is there something hand held that I can use to deter this untrained pup to stop barking at me when I walk by the aforementioned window. I like dogs, keep dog treats at the office and actually dog sit a couple of my employees dogs if they have to run out of town, not liking dogs is not my issue.
I am simply trying to enter my house, this dog has been barking at me for months.
Can you provide any advice.
Thank you, Barry