How do you make a silent dog whistle?

Silent dog whistles can be made from carving willow branches. The branch used should be about 3/4 inch thick and 8 to 10 inches long, cut at an angle.

1. Trim the branch

   Prepare the branch by finding a section with consistent thickness. Trim the branch to 8 or 10 inches. Cut one end so it is at an angle.

2. Create a small hole

   Using the knife, cut a small hole in the top of the branch. This can be done by pushing the knife into the branch slowly. The result should be a hole the size of a pen head.

3. Remove the bark

   Remove any bark from the branch, but keep it one piece. This may reduce the overall size of the whistle to about 6 inches.

4. Create a mouthpiece

   To allow air into the whistle, cut a circle near the tip of the angled edge. The circle should be cut around the bark. Cut a small shaft in the mouthpiece.

5. Carve a trench

   Cut a shallow, round trench on the top of the whistle. This trench shouldn't be more than one-fourth of the total depth of the branch.

6. Reapply the bark

   Wet the branch and reapply the bark so the sound from the whistle is reduced.