I talk to a lot of gun dog trainers in the process of writing this blog, and one training message gets delivered over and over: You need to think like a dog. Recently I received a new book that helped illuminate how a dog thinks. Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell, and Know by Alexandra Horowtz is not aimed at gun dog owners nor is it a training guide. But it did provide some insight into the world of the dog. Here are a few things I found interesting and helpful:

The Nose Knows: I’ve always assumed a dog’s sniffer worked the same way a human’s schnoz did. That is, we take air (scents) in, expel it, then take in some more. But that’s not quite the case. According to Horowitz, a dog’s nose is built to allow a continual passage of air over the scent receptors. As inhaled air escapes through the slits of the nose it creates a vacuum that pulls in more air. In other words, a dog never loses touch with the scent as air is flowing inward at all times. For a dog, the world of scent can be compared to our world of vision. Imagine that they see the world in scents. Pretty cool.

Color: I’ve always heard that dogs are color blind. Not so, says Horowitz. But they do see colors a bit differently than we do. Yellow, red, and orange don’t look that way to your pup. Red resembles a faint green. Remember this when you want pup to use her nose when retrieving a dummy. Toss a red/orange dummy into a field of green grass and it will be camouflaged in its surroundings. (But only do this after pup is rock-solid on retrieving. Don’t make early retrieves tough.)

Use Your Eyes: The book also points out that dogs react better to commands when they see the eyes of their trainer. Your dog understands you mean business when you look it in the eye and deliver a command. Sure this isn’t always practical when training a gun dog, but it does bring up a mistake I’ve made a few times. Don’t wear sunglasses when training your pup. Let her see your eyes, and she’ll have a better idea that you mean business. She’ll also have a better read of what you want.

Your Dog Is Not One of Us: What I found most interesting was Horowitz’s description of umwelt…a word that essentially means you know nothing of a dog unless you know how a dog thinks. For example, when a dog licks your face he’s not letting you know he loves you…he’s more likely looking for leftover food from your lunch. How does a dog think? Not like us. The problem is when we think they do. When training a gun dog remember to think like your pup…not like a trainer.

On Saturday Pritch and I attended our first hunt test in Fort Lawn, S.C. The event was hosted by the Carolina Boykin Spaniel Retriever Club, and I entered Pritch in the puppy division (6 to 12 months).

Our first test was a land retrieve. There were three birds thrown—one to our left, one directly in front of us, and one to our far right. And we were downright awful. Pritch needed to hunt up the first bird but eventually found it…then decided to pluck it on the spot. I eventually ran out to her and brought her back in. She marked the next two birds well but still wouldn’t pick them up—more plucking, a little tossing, and no retrieving.

Can you say “dejection?” How about “mortification?” Maybe even a little “despair?” I felt them all.

At least I knew the water test would play to Prtich’s strengths…mainly because she loves a water retrieve and really has no choice but to pick up the bird. The test (photo above) was pretty straightforward. The bird was launched from a bank about 15 yards to our right and the dog would need to swim about 25 yards or so for the bird. I’m happy to report that Pritch hit the water like a thundering buffalo and retrieved the bird. However, she hit the bank about 5 yards from me and decided to drop the bird, take a whiz, and have a drink. Not perfect by any means.

Here’s what I took away from the event:

Birds, Birds, Birds! The land retrieve debacle was nothing more than a reflection of my training mistake. I have not put Pritch on enough birds, especially fresh birds. She would have aced that test if bumpers were tossed…but last I checked shooting bumpers out of the sky was not hunting.

Force Fetch: I have held off on the force fetch training until now. It would also solve the problem of picking up birds. Can’t hold off any longer.

Take Your Time: Stepping up to the line at a hunt test or field trial is downright nerve wracking. My knees were practically bumping. It pays to take a deep breath, relax, and make sure you’re not rushing your dog.

Have Fun: At this age, a club hunt test or field trial can serve as an excellent training session for the pup. Take advantage of that even if things go south. I came away knowing exactly what we need to work on. That alone is worth the entry fee.

Ever had a field trial or hunt test you’d like to forget? Did you take anything away from it or have your weaknesses exposed?

Speaking of, excuse us while we get to work…we’ve got a load to do.

The other day I was talking with a couple of friends about the dog training command we couldn’t live without. All three of my buddies argued you could do nothing if your dog didn’t know SIT. And I agree. You need the dog to SIT for a variety of reasons, including sending it on a blind retrieve. If you can’t get it to SIT then you don’t have much. In fact, you may want to take up competitive bumper pool.

But for me, the most important command isn’t a word at all. It’s a derivation of NO—a guttural noise that can best be described as, “EHH!” (I’ve sometimes heard trainers use AHH!)

This is not the “EHH” the Fonz used to say when he looked in a mirror. (Click here for that classic.) You must say it sharply, quickly, and with authority. It means loosely “Stop what you’re doing instantly, or you’re gonna get a true thrashing.”

When Pritch is not steady before a retrieve…EHH!

When she’s about to jump for the bumper in my hand…EHH!

When she is lunging for a roll on my dinner plate…EHH!

When she decides the couch cover needs a few threads removed...EHH!

The list goes on. And I can’t explain why EHH! works better than NO, but it does. Sometimes, when the sin Pritch is about to commit is mortal, I’ll need to string together a few, rising in volume as they progress…EH! EHH, EHHHH! I realize there are other commands essential to gun-dog training, but on a day-to-day basis I’m darn glad I figured out EHH!

Got a command you can’t live without? Ever user the EHH! or some other derivation? If not, give it a try.

I’m often told by those who don’t live in the South that golf courses are prime places to train a gun dog. I laugh and tell them golf courses are a good place to watch your dog get eaten by a 'gator. For the most part, they don’t get it. Our ponds in South Carolina are loaded with large alligators—and even some of our tidal creeks.

Want proof? Just yesterday an Ohio man was golfing at the Fripp Island Resort, a beach community in coastal South Carolina, when he was attacked by a 10-foot gator. He had reached down to pick up his ball from the edge of a pond when the alligator lunged for him. The big lizard then took him under water in what has been described as “a series of death rolls” until the man’s arm was severed below the elbow.

The golfer’s buddies rushed him to a hospital. Before long the offending gator was killed, and the man’s arm removed from its stomach. The condition of the golfer was unknown this morning.

I’ve walked this golf course before. In fact, I often visit Fripp Island with Pritchard. (Her namesake island neighbors Fripp.) But I NEVER let her venture near ponds or creeks. (The above alligator photo was taken on Fripp Island in August.) And I would never think of training her in any water on the island. She would be nothing more than a snack for a 10-foot gator. I have nightmares about such things…now I’m glad I don’t play golf.

Keep your dogs safe, folks. Always know where you’re sending them for a retrieve.