A number of years ago, I wrote a story for the Outdoors section of the Wyoming Tribune-Eagle on rattlesnake avoidance classes for dogs. It was a fascinating subject, and I got to watch as they trained dogs to stay away from snakes. It was an important lesson then, but it’s even more important now. My sister, who is a veterinarian in Riverton, told me last weekend that vets are having a difficult time getting their hands on rattlesnake antivenom.
But even if antivenom is available, sometimes you just don’t have enough time to get your dog from where he got struck to the nearest vet to make a difference. As the old proverb goes, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. If your dog doesn’t get struck in the first place, he won’t need the medicine at all. And as an added bonus, you might be alerted to the presence of the snake sooner than you would if your dog wasn’t trained, too.
There are various methods for teaching dogs to steer clear of snakes, but the most common involve the dog being put in close proximity to a real, live rattlesnake. The snakes are usually defanged, and sometimes even muzzled. But if you’ve ever seen a snake strike, you know how quick they move. On top of that, the speed they strike causes them to hit pretty hard, even if they can’t bite. Some trainers also use a shock collar to further reinforce the lesson at the instant of the strike.
Get your dogs into a snake aversion class as soon as you can. There are several trainers around the state that offer the service. Find one close to you and get signed up. It could be the difference between many more years of faithful companionship or something much less pleasant.
