Summer Visit from my Granddaughter and Pug News

My granddaughter Marilyn is up for a visit and is helping me in the shop. We are currently evaluating everything that has been done on the Auto Flutes and Fifes , because she has not seen the work going on over the past winter and she is taking notes, asking questions on the changes and making sure that everything is documented and put down on the blueprints for each model. We are also taking photos of machining and assembly of each model for future reference and cataloging the inventory of parts available.

Marilyn is also doing the modeling for some advertising shots and learning photo editing. This is a lot of information and responsibility for a sixteen year old, but she is interested in the business and it is my hope that one day she will be ready to be a Whistle Miss on her own.

While we were working in the shop the other day, she mentioned that our pug, Hai Yu not only enjoys the whistle being played, but he generally falls asleep when she practices in the evening. I then remembered that our Shar Pei, Rugby and his buddy Ripley the cocker spaniel also enjoyed the whistle and contrary to popular belief, were never bothered by the high notes. Hai Yu actually loves the low whistle and sits in my lap (and in the way) when I play with Marilyn.

If you give your animals a low, slow lesson on the whistle where they can get used to it and not be afraid, they will be comfortable and enjoy the music. Avoid high key whistles until the animal knows that the music is not a command. Give them some distance from the sound (maybe outside for a while) and they will acclimate to the idea more readily. Hai Yu is particularly fond of Amazing Grace and Danny Boy while chewing his bone. He is a bilingual dog from Quebec, Canada and obeys both French and English. He is a purebred dog, but I tell everyone he is a Black, French Canadian, Chinese Pug and never met a game he didn't like. He is not allowed in any of the whistle making areas, simply because he believes everything might be food and Bristol pipe looks like a dog bone to him. Posted by The WhistleSmith at July 19, 2005 3:04 PM | TrackBack