I go to a Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic for Dogs

And the instructor said: “Walk Towards The Snake . . .”

I walked across a dusty El Dorado field towards a group of folks and their dogs. I was there to watch a Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic. As I got closer, the first thing I heard was the trainer, Terry Chandler, saying to a woman, “Walk towards the rattler, Ma’am.”

“Walk towards the rattler?” What universe had I entered? I clearly had not though this through. I’d imagined they’d use a Bullsnake, or maybe a picture of a rattlesnake with the accompanying sound of castanets.

This gave me pause. I have a history with rattlesnakes, including unknowingly stepping over one on our back step. When it sensed me and began to rattle, three things happened: I screamed, jumped and threw my coffee in the air.

At the training, with the tossed coffee in mind, I slowed my approach. Then the yellow caution light in my brain was switched to red by what happened next. Terry’s eleven-year-old granddaughter, who I nick-named “Athena the Brave,” was the official snake wrangler. She was casually standing next to the three-foot Diamondback, every once and awhile nudging it back into place with a snake tong. As I carefully circled the training area she said to her grandfather, “Can we use the big rattler now?”

This, ladies and gentleman, is the kind of danger I put myself in to help you keep your dogs safe.

Okay, full disclosure: the particular rattlesnake had his venom removed. But I did not know that until later.

Seriously, rattlesnakes are an ever-present danger in many parts of the country including our little haven of Santa Fe. The El Dorado Animal Clinic treats at least a half a dozen dogs hit by rattlesnakes every summer. The rattler encounters can happen anywhere; on trails, in yards or back steps.

There is no recorded data of the number of dogs bit by rattlesnakes, but approximately 8,000 humans are bit yearly with an average of 5–8 fatalities. One source I found estimated that 20% of dogs bit by venomous snakes die. (Remember, if your dog is bit, immediately call your veterinarian!)

Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for those of you who took Psychology 101 is like the Pavlov experiment with dogs. Instead of hear bell, think food, the dog sees rattlesnake and gets a mild shock from the shock collar. The dog associates the rattler with the shock and then, ideally, will avoid rattlers in the future. In essence, they are teaching dogs to be like me: See rattler, hear rattler, flee rattler!

The first step was the training. One by one a leashed dog would approach the Diamondback, get close, and receive a shock. The majority of dogs yelped and ran away.

The second round was to see if the training had stuck. The dogs would again be led up to the snake with their human this time without a collar. Upon seeing or hearing the snake most of the dogs definitely tried to avoid. They bolted away, got behind their human or jumped into their human’s arms. A few dogs seem unperturbed and had to repeat the training.

But clearly most of the dogs associated the rattler with the shock.

I did wonder about the dogs’ ability to generalize this lesson. Would they avoid rattlers in other locations or after a few months had passed? Terry was asked the same question and his answer was that most dogs keep the association no matter where they are.

I have some anecdotal evidence to support this. First, three years after my rattler/jumping/coffee incident I still am really cautious about our back step. Second, I’m definitely aware of anything that remotely looks like a snake; sticks, wavy grass or extension cords that I left in the backyard. No, I’m not a dog, but I’ve been around them enough to act and think like them, at least according to my family.

The last point I want to make is it’s not fun watching your dog yelp at getting a shock. Neither is it fun watching your kid start crying when they are vaccinated. But vaccination protects children from horrible diseases and hopefully Avoidance Training protects dogs from a painful and possibly deadly encounter with a rattler.

A final note. If your dog does get bit by a rattler and your vet tells you to bring your dog in, there is a little bit of business you need to do first. Rattler anti-venom is species specific. It’s important for the veterinarian to know what kind of rattlesnake he or she is dealing with. Here is where it gets tricky. In our fire department medical protocol book (dealing with humans bit by a rattler) we are advised to bring the head of the snake into the ER with us. (In a paper bag presumably) We are also advised to remember that even the head of snake if handled wrong can still bite and envenomate. Think about that for a minute. . .

Plan B — my preferred option — is to just take a picture of the snake with your trusty smartphone. Just make sure you’re not shaking and the snake is clearly identified.

As for Terry, Janet and Athena, they’ll be back next spring. Maybe next year they’ll use the big Diamondback. FYI: I won’t be there . . .