Sheepdog Whistle

	Whistle Sounds

To properly move livestock, each of the herding commands must be mutually understood (lie down, come here, walk up, come by, way to me, get out, look back, take time, that'll do). Each herding command is explained briefly below, with the verbal command and whistle sound also provided.

The use of the in-mouth sheepdog whistle requires some practice, most new users can produce controlled sounds quite quickly, but before using the whistle with a herding dog it is recommended that consistent commands can be produced so as to avoid confusing the dog.

When learning the use of the whistle, many people find listening to a recording of the basic border collie commands is helpful as a reference to ensure the "vital" control tones are correctly learned.

The sound files available on this page should be listened to carefully to hear the correct tonal nuances before trying to duplicate the commands with your new Commander Whistle.

Once the basic commands are mastered the handler may introduce his/her own personal modifications to effect more refined and subtle movements, the Sheepdog is a wonderfully intelligent breed and is easily able to assimilate a great many different command whistles.

Lie Down	One long blast	Stops dog
Come Here	Whee-Whee-Wheet	Brings dog to handler
Walk Up	Two short whistles	Moves dog straight toward the livestock
Come By	Wheet-Wheeeo	Moves dog around the livestock clockwise
Way to Me	Whee-Who	Moves dog around the livestock counter-clockwise
Get Out	Wheet-Wheeo-Wheet-Wheet	Moves dog away from the livestock
Look Back	Who-Hee-Who	Turns dog around to go gather more livestock
Take Time	Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee	Slows dog to a steady pace
That'll Do	Hee-Hee-Hee-Hee	Orders dog to quit working