dog-whistle politics n. a concealed, coded, or unstated idea, usually divisive or politically dangerous, nevertheless understood by the intended voters. Also dog whistle issue. Editorial Note: A dog whistle is often used as a figurative device for something cannot be heard or understood by everyone, or that surreptitiously compels people to come along. Etymological Note: Despite the information in the first 2000 citation, this term probably originated in Australia or New Zealand, though it could be derived from the dog whistle effect in American polling, which is the ability of survey participants to distinguish a difference in questions where a pollster may not have intended one. The credit for the coinage in the 2005 cite is unproven though possible, since Lynton Crosby ran four election campaigns for Australian Prime Minister John Howard; Crosby certainly introduced the term in the U.K. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
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my dog is 5 years old and is half beagle/half cocker spaniel, and she likes to run away everytime I open the door. And even when shes on the leash and she sees another animal, she is able to get out of her collar. Everytime I call for her to stop she continues running. She thinks we r playin. So If I bought a dog whistle, would that make her come back to me, if she runs away again?
Oh gosh! We had the same problem with our boxer, she would “wiggle” out of her leash, we eventually had to buy a pinch-collar to help with that.