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The History and Function of Dog Whistles

Dog whistles are fascinating devices. Despite the name, they are not a whistle that dogs can use, but rather a whistle that only dogs can hear. This is because they employ a range of noise that is usually outside of the human range of hearing. It accomplishes this by using a very narrow cylinder for its construction. Regular whistles are much wider and make a much lower sound. The narrow body of the whistle raises the pitch of the whistle by changing the amount of air that can escape through the opening cut into the cylinder.

Most of these specially designed whistles use a frequency of about 22,000 Hertz, which is just barely outside of human hearing, so it can sometimes still be heard by individuals with extremely sensitive hearing. These whistles were first devised when it became clear to medical and veterinary science that every animal has a different range of hearing. Dogs can hear both above and below the range of human ears by many thousands of hertz. Hertz is a measure of frequency that determines how closely the waves of a sound are together.

Like the waves of the ocean, they are measured from peak to peak and the higher the number of hertz, the higher the frequency. This means that the waves are getting closer and closer together the higher the number. Conversely when the hertz level goes down, the sound waves are further and further apart, which makes the sound lower. Dog Whistles were invented by a relative of Charles Darwin, a scientist named Francis Galton. He found that by altering the shape of whistles he could change the frequency of sound they produced.

Shorter whistles with thin bodies will make a much higher frequency sound while longer whistles or those with a larger circumference will produce notably lower sounds. Some whistles employ a sound that is below the human hearing range, rather than above. They are used much the same way as their higher-pitched counterparts. The intention behind using a special whistle is usually to train the dog.

They will not respond to the whistle naturally unless a response is conditioned into them. They may be curious the first few times it is used, but repeated use will eventually desensitize them to the whistle and they will cease to be curious and instead treat it as just another noise. This can happen very rapidly, so for anyone thinking of training their dog with a whistle should not use it for anything other than training purposes.

If a person uses the whistle for other reasons, the dog becomes acclimated to the device. It would not identify it as peculiar or unique. Dog Whistles are not just for dogs. They were given the name and are used for dogs merely because dogs are the most commonly trained domestic animal. Most domestic animals, such as housecats or hamsters are also able to hear the dog whistle, and perhaps be trained with it; although there are very few instances of trained cats or hamsters in existence today.

About the Author

G. Smitty is a writer who loves to discuss many topics ranging from silent dog whistles to professional basketball. Thanks for reading!

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