Barking Dogs, Aggressive Dogs, and Whistles
DUAL TONE WHISTLE - The dual-tone whistle has long been a favorite of Deutsch-Drahthaar and other versatile gundog owners. We've resisted carrying the German dual-tone whistles made of horn because they can be extremely variable in performance - it's not uncommon to go through a dozen and find only three or four that blow properly from both ends. Finally, the world's foremost manufacturer of whistles has invented a plastic whistle that, at first glance, looks very similar to the German dual-tone horn whistles, but in function is a world apart. Whether you use the roller end or the pea-less end, these Acme 640 whistles blow consistently, and the tone has been specifically designed for long ear canal dogs. The manufacturers claim that these breeds can distinguish between the two sounds at distances of up to two miles. Hung from the center hole, there's no more twisting before using the lower hanging end - the whistle is always positioned ready for use. Altmoor is proud to have been the first to introduce the Acme 640 to North America several years ago, when they were first manufactured. And, in the summer of 2005, we became the first in North America to offer the Acme 641. Identical in design to the Acme 640, the 641 differs only in that it is smaller in size and higher in tone. For those who've always liked the small German dual-tone horn whistles, here's your super-functional, reliable replacement. We are now offering either whistle by the pair only. We apologize for the price increase of 12/2/18. UPS shipping charges to get them here from Englind in 2017 were $254 - this year it was $419. Details
These often ship via regular mail with no tracking or ship notification.
Barking Dogs, Aggressive Dogs, and Whistles:
We're often asked which whistle can be used to quiet the neighbor's barking dog. Joggers and walkers sometimes ask which whistle will scare away aggressive dogs. We're tempted to respond with a question of our own - will a car run better on orange juice or grape juice?
In other words, dog whistles are intended to serve one purpose only, and that is to signal one's own dog to obey certain commands. They are not intended to scare away aggressive dogs, nor to quiet the neighbor's dog. In our opinion, a dog that seriously intends to bite you is going to proceed right through any sound. And, a dog that is barking at something, or one that really loves to bark for the sake of barking, is not, over the long term, going to stop doing so because of a noise. And, a surprisingly significant percentage of the dog population is deaf, making any noise producing device useless.
Having made those disclaimers, the fact is that the Acme Silent Whistle has, over the years, earned an interesting reputation. We've been told that many of the ambulance crews in Great Britain (where it's made) carry one to distract protective dogs when the owner needs the crew's assistance. They've found that turning the whistle barrel out three complete revolutions, and then locking it in that position with the set screw, causes the whistle to produce a pitch which is just barely audible to humans, but very distracting to dogs.
The key word here is "distract". In our opinion, yes, it may distract a nearby barking dog. Maybe is will also distract a seemingly aggressive dog which is just bluffing (assuming it's not deaf). However, if it were really dependable for either purpose, don't you think the manufacturer would market it with claims of success for those purposes? They don't. And, we personally have found that, in regard to barking dogs, even those devices on the market costing several hundred dollars and producing an ultrasonic sound to distract barking dogs only work for a few weeks - after that the dogs just become accustomed to them.
We personally would never depend on any noise-producing device to repel a seriously aggressive dog. We might try one of the "pepper" (OC) aerosol defense sprays (after all, some are marketed to stop grizzly bear attacks), but we'd never depend on a whistle alone. (No, we don't carry the sprays - you'll just have to search the web.)
As to barking dogs, the bark collars which we used to sell do work with nearly all dogs.
If you'd still like to try an Acme Silent Whistle after reading all this, you can probably find one one the 'net. We're going to assume that you'll be using it for the purpose intended - training your own dog to respond to a variety of commands.
No guarantees apply to whistles (for hygiene reasons).
Sorry, we no longer carry the Acme Silent Whistle, but have left this explanation for whatever value it may have.
