On Saturday I was hiking up a mountain in the Highlands and it was misty and drizzly. As we were ascending, my mate and I saw a couple hikers and their dog emerge out of the mist. They were a good way off and he said, "You should hide behind a rock and play the whistle, try to freak them out." (I keep a Bb whistle in my pack, because you know in a survival situation, that's the one thing that will save your life). So I did -- it was cold so I wasn't playing very well and windy so I had no idea whether these hikers heard it or not. But their dog did. It was looking around in super alert mode and as I kept playing, it began barking its head off. The people were frantically trying to quiet it but it kept barking and barking. Hilarious. Obviously not a fan of the whistle.
And it could have started off an expensive and useless rescue search by the mountain rescue people..
But to get back to the reaction of dogs to whistles or other instruments, my dog wants to be let out of the room if he hears an accordion being played, and isn't too keen on the fiddle either.
That's me told. To be fair, we weren't anywhere near the top. We basically thought it would be quite funny if the hikers heard mysterious tin whistle noises coming out of the mist. Most dogs I have met are fine with whistle, pipes, et al. and I'm not sure we knew it was there when I first started to play. Visibility was pretty poor.
I know someone who climbs with a bombard. I guess he shouldn't play it in the mountains on the off chance he might upset a dog.
I teach both accordion and drums and my little dog loves to greet my pupils. Following the usual sniffing around each particular pupil, he lies peacefully at my feet while the lesson is going on.
Aye, memory is a funny, inaccurate thing. But thinking about it more carefully, we may not have first seen it. I really don't think we did. In any case, it (a) didn't go totally nuts, just stood there barking and (b) I know what I wrote above didn't read as I intended it to but were weren't deliberately trying to scare the dog. We just thought whistle sounds coming out of the mists would be vaguely amusing.
My sister gave up the low whistle because her dog, a Huskey, couldn't stand the sound of it. She thought that it was hurting the poor little guys ears. This is how I aquired my Overton. My pets (three dogs and a cat ) don't seem to mind it at all. Nor do they mind the whistle, banjo, concertina or any of my kids instruments. The neighbors on the other hand....
I think I will invite my 4 year old nephew over to play whistle for my neighbors 3 annoying barking bitches. Ah hell, have some fun and give out a whistle to every kid on my block.
Once, busking with a melodeon player, we were approached by a woman with a small dog who wanted to make small talk.
When we started playing again, the dog screamed as if it was being tortured. The owner thought it was the funniest thing in the world, and wanted passersby (who obviously thought we were to blame for whatever was happening) to join in the merriment.
The hikers' interpretation of these events might yet appear in the Fortean Times.
Long years ago, our family dog simply howled her head off when I played the melodeon or mouth organ. I couldn't tell if she was enjoying herself or being tortured - she wouldn't try to run away, just stayed there and howled. I've forgotten her reactions to the whistle, but they were less thorough-going.
If I play the mandolin, my springer spaniel will get up and leave the room. Ditto if I play banjo but not quite as quickly.
If I play guitar he will come in and sit down and sit at my feet. If a friend plays fiddle or flute he will howl along with it.
Our dogs don't care which instrument I am playing or what type of music I am playing just so long as I am paying attention to them instead of making strange noises with one instrument or the other.
My 20-pound Himalayan cat used to start meowing when I started to practice the whistle, then he'd roll over onto his back to have his tummy rubbed ...
If these efforts to get me to stop failed, he'd go to the nearest wall and spray it with urine.
Now THAT's a critic!!!
Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
On Saturday I was hiking up a mountain in the Highlands and it was misty and drizzly. As we were ascending, my mate and I saw a couple hikers and their dog emerge out of the mist. They were a good way off and he said, "You should hide behind a rock and play the whistle, try to freak them out." (I keep a Bb whistle in my pack, because you know in a survival situation, that's the one thing that will save your life). So I did -- it was cold so I wasn't playing very well and windy so I had no idea whether these hikers heard it or not. But their dog did. It was looking around in super alert mode and as I kept playing, it began barking its head off. The people were frantically trying to quiet it but it kept barking and barking. Hilarious. Obviously not a fan of the whistle.
# Posted on June 21st 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Bloody stupid thing to do. Deliberately freak a dog out on the top of a hill? Stupid. And possibly dangerous
# Posted on June 21st 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
And it could have started off an expensive and useless rescue search by the mountain rescue people..
But to get back to the reaction of dogs to whistles or other instruments, my dog wants to be let out of the room if he hears an accordion being played, and isn't too keen on the fiddle either.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by lazyhound
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
That's me told. To be fair, we weren't anywhere near the top. We basically thought it would be quite funny if the hikers heard mysterious tin whistle noises coming out of the mist. Most dogs I have met are fine with whistle, pipes, et al. and I'm not sure we knew it was there when I first started to play. Visibility was pretty poor.
I know someone who climbs with a bombard. I guess he shouldn't play it in the mountains on the off chance he might upset a dog.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
"my mate and I saw a couple hikers and their dog"
"I'm not sure we knew it [the dog] was there when I first started to play"
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by llig leahcim
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
I teach both accordion and drums and my little dog loves to greet my pupils. Following the usual sniffing around each particular pupil, he lies peacefully at my feet while the lesson is going on.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by Free Reed
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Aye, memory is a funny, inaccurate thing. But thinking about it more carefully, we may not have first seen it. I really don't think we did. In any case, it (a) didn't go totally nuts, just stood there barking and (b) I know what I wrote above didn't read as I intended it to but were weren't deliberately trying to scare the dog. We just thought whistle sounds coming out of the mists would be vaguely amusing.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by TheSilverSpear
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Silver Spear, I should stop digging this particular hole if I were you
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by lazyhound
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
One of my cats tries to kill the whistle while I'm playing it - batting it
with her claws. It's good session practice.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by Hup
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
My sister gave up the low whistle because her dog, a Huskey, couldn't stand the sound of it. She thought that it was hurting the poor little guys ears. This is how I aquired my Overton. My pets (three dogs and a cat ) don't seem to mind it at all. Nor do they mind the whistle, banjo, concertina or any of my kids instruments. The neighbors on the other hand....
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by shanty
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
I think I will invite my 4 year old nephew over to play whistle for my neighbors 3 annoying barking bitches. Ah hell, have some fun and give out a whistle to every kid on my block.
Thanx for the idea Ms. Spear.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by Lint - upon - Tweed
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Once, busking with a melodeon player, we were approached by a woman with a small dog who wanted to make small talk.
When we started playing again, the dog screamed as if it was being tortured. The owner thought it was the funniest thing in the world, and wanted passersby (who obviously thought we were to blame for whatever was happening) to join in the merriment.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by oldstrings
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
"My dog wants to be let out of the room if he hears an accordion." (lazyhound). So, dogs are human after all
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by P-K
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Isn't telling your owners that you have heard something that they have not a traditional part of the canine job description ?
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by david_h
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
The hikers' interpretation of these events might yet appear in the Fortean Times.
Long years ago, our family dog simply howled her head off when I played the melodeon or mouth organ. I couldn't tell if she was enjoying herself or being tortured - she wouldn't try to run away, just stayed there and howled. I've forgotten her reactions to the whistle, but they were less thorough-going.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by nicholas
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Our previous dogs hated the whistle, but our new Maltese doesn't mind, probably because she is a soprano herself....
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by AlBrown
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
I played concertina around a dog I was babysitting on friday and he didn't seem bothered by it, or maybe he didn't mind Clare tunes
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by Azalin
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
If I play the mandolin, my springer spaniel will get up and leave the room. Ditto if I play banjo but not quite as quickly.
If I play guitar he will come in and sit down and sit at my feet. If a friend plays fiddle or flute he will howl along with it.
He probably has good taste.
# Posted on June 22nd 2009 by Rob
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
English or Welsh springer?
# Posted on June 23rd 2009 by oldstrings
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
Our dogs don't care which instrument I am playing or what type of music I am playing just so long as I am paying attention to them instead of making strange noises with one instrument or the other.
# Posted on June 24th 2009 by fauxcelt
Re: Canine punter doesn't like the whistle
My 20-pound Himalayan cat used to start meowing when I started to practice the whistle, then he'd roll over onto his back to have his tummy rubbed ...
If these efforts to get me to stop failed, he'd go to the nearest wall and spray it with urine.
Now THAT's a critic!!!
# Posted on June 26th 2009 by chscott