
A dog whistle (also known as silent whistle or Galton's whistle) is a type of
whistle
A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...
that emits sound in the
ultrasonic range, which humans cannot hear but some other animals can, including
dog
The dog (''Canis familiaris'' or ''Canis lupus familiaris'') is a domesticated descendant of the gray wolf. Also called the domestic dog, it was selectively bred from a population of wolves during the Late Pleistocene by hunter-gatherers. ...
s and domestic
cats, and is used in their
training
Training is teaching, or developing in oneself or others, any skills and knowledge or fitness that relate to specific useful competencies. Training has specific goals of improving one's capability, capacity, productivity and performance. I ...
. It was invented in 1876 by
Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton (; 16 February 1822 – 17 January 1911) was an English polymath and the originator of eugenics during the Victorian era; his ideas later became the basis of behavioural genetics.
Galton produced over 340 papers and b ...
and is mentioned in his book ''Inquiries into Human Faculty and Its Development'',
in which he describes experiments to test the range of frequencies that could be heard by various animals, such as a house cat. Dog whistles were invented to explore auditory perception in animals and have since evolved into tools primarily used for dog training.
The dog whistle has since evolved into a widely-used tool in dog training, with commercial developments leading to more specialized and efficient designs.
References to dog whistles also appear in children's media, including cartoons and educational programming, where they are used as examples in discussions about sound, hearing, or animal behavior.
Origins
The origins of the dog whistle trace back to the late 19th century with the invention of the Galton whistle by Sir Francis Galton, a British polymath and half-cousin of Charles Darwin.
Galton developed this device to study the range of frequencies audible to humans and animals, particularly dogs.
The whistle emitted ultrasonic sounds beyond the upper limit of human hearing, allowing Galton to observe that smaller dogs could detect higher pitches than larger ones, and that cats responded to even higher frequencies, albeit with less enthusiasm.
This innovation not only advanced the understanding of auditory perception but also laid the groundwork for the modern dog whistle used in training and communication with canines.
The upper limit of the human hearing range is about 20
kilohertz
The hertz (symbol: Hz) is the unit of frequency in the International System of Units (SI), often described as being equivalent to one event (or cycle) per second. The hertz is an SI derived unit whose formal expression in terms of SI base ...
(kHz) for children, declining to 15–17 kHz for middle-age adults.
The top end of a dog's hearing range is about 45 kHz, while a cat's is 64 kHz.
It is thought that the wild ancestors of cats and dogs evolved this higher hearing range in order to hear high-frequency sounds made by their preferred prey, small rodents.
The frequency of most dog whistles is within the range of 23 to 54 kHz, so they are above the range of human hearing, although some are adjustable down into the audible range.
To human ears, dog whistles only emit a quiet hissing sound.
The principal advantage of dog whistles is that they do not produce a loud, potentially irritating noise for humans that a normal whistle would produce and thus can be used to train or command animals without disturbing nearby people. Some dog whistles have adjustable sliders for active control of the frequency produced. Trainers may use the whistle simply to get a dog's attention or to inflict pain for the purpose of
behaviour modification.
In popular culture
Dog whistles have been featured in a range of media to demonstrate the difference between human and canine hearing. In the animated television series ''The Simpsons'', the family dog, Santa’s Little Helper, responds to a dog whistle in several episodes, highlighting the concept of sounds inaudible to humans. Similarly, in ''Family Guy'', Brian, the anthropomorphic dog, references dog whistles in comedic contexts, using them to underscore communication gaps between species. In the 1997 film ''Men in Black'', a dog whistle is used to elicit a reaction from a pug that is revealed to be an alien in disguise. These portrayals often serve to reinforce the idea that dogs are capable of detecting frequencies far beyond the range of human hearing.
Modern use
The commercial development of the dog whistle led to the introduction of adjustable frequency whistles and more compact designs, making them a key tool for dog training. These innovations allow trainers to communicate with dogs over long distances using frequencies inaudible to humans.
The effectiveness of dog whistles, however, varies depending on the breed and individual dog's response.
In addition to lung-powered whistles, there are also electronic dog whistle devices that emit ultrasonic sound via
piezoelectric
Piezoelectricity (, ) is the electric charge that accumulates in certain solid materials—such as crystals, certain ceramics, and biological matter such as bone, DNA, and various proteins—in response to applied stress (mechanics), mechanical s ...
emitters.
The electronic variety are sometimes coupled with
bark
Bark may refer to:
Common meanings
* Bark (botany), an outer layer of a woody plant such as a tree or stick
* Bark (sound), a vocalization of some animals (which is commonly the dog)
Arts and entertainment
* ''Bark'' (Jefferson Airplane album), ...
-detection circuits in devices designed to curb barking behaviour.
Criticism and concerns
Although dog whistles are designed to emit sounds that are generally inaudible to humans, some people report being able to hear high-pitched frequencies produced by certain models, especially younger individuals or those with sensitive hearing. This can result in discomfort, headaches, or ear irritation.
In addition, some animal welfare advocates have raised concerns about the misuse of dog whistles, particularly if used at excessive volumes or frequencies that may cause distress or confusion in dogs and other animals. Inappropriate use of ultrasonic devices for behavior correction has also been criticized as potentially aversive or inhumane when used without proper training or understanding.
[Yin, Sophia (2009). ''Low Stress Handling, Restraint and Behavior Modification of Dogs & Cats''. Davis, CA: CattleDog Publishing. ISBN 978-0-9641518-7-1.]
Due to these concerns, some pet owners and trainers prefer alternative methods of communication and recall, such as clickers, verbal cues, or visual hand signals.
See also
*
Animal training
Animal training is the act of teaching animals specific responses to specific conditions or stimuli. Training may be for purposes such as companionship, detection, protection, and entertainment. The type of training an animal receives will va ...
*
Dog behavior
*
Ultrasound
Ultrasound is sound with frequency, frequencies greater than 20 Hertz, kilohertz. This frequency is the approximate upper audible hearing range, limit of human hearing in healthy young adults. The physical principles of acoustic waves apply ...
*
Hearing range
Hearing range describes the frequency range that can be heard by humans or other animals, though it can also refer to the range of levels. The human range is commonly given as 20 to 20,000 Hz, although there is considerable variation bet ...
*
Dog communication
Dog communication refers to the methods dogs use to transfer information to other dogs, animals, and humans. Dogs may exchange information vocally, visually, or through smell. Visual communication includes mouth shape and head position, licking ...
*
Clicker training
*
Francis Galton
Sir Francis Galton (; 16 February 1822 – 17 January 1911) was an English polymath and the originator of eugenics during the Victorian era; his ideas later became the basis of behavioural genetics.
Galton produced over 340 papers and b ...
References
External links
*
{{Whistles
Whistle
A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...
Whistle
A whistle is a musical instrument which produces sound from a stream of gas, most commonly air. It is a type of Fipple, fipple flute, and may be mouth-operated, or powered by air pressure, steam, or other means. Whistles vary in size from a s ...
Whistles
cs:Galtonova píšťala