Desert Messenger

January 2, 2019 www.DesertMessenger.com 31 Hiking, dogs & rattlesnakes Many hikers enjoy the compa- ny of their four footed friends during their treks. The dog provides companionship, and gets some exercise at the same time. But what happens if the dog fi nds a rattlesnake before the walk is over? Most dogs are not naturally afraid of rattlesnakes. Perhaps one dog in three hundred may be wary enough to avoid be- ing bitten. However, dogs can be trained to avoid rattlesnakes. This training goes by various names: snake proofi ng, snake training, or snake breaking. There are two training techniques to teach a dog to avoid a rattlesnake. Place the snake on the ground In this method, the trainer places the live rattlesnake on the ground for the dog to fi nd. The snake is rendered harmless by several methods. Pulling the snake's fangs out is one way . Another is clip- ping the fangs short, or taping, banding, sewing, or stapling, the snake's mouth shut so they cannot strike the dog and inject venom. When the dog fi nds the snake on the ground the dog is given a cor- rection with an electronic training collar (a shock collar.) Keep the snakes in a cage or container The other method is to keep the live rattlesnake(s) in a cage and al- low the dog to approach the cage and smell, hear the snake rattle, and see the snake, then administer the correction via the shock collar. Most experts agree that either method works if done correctly. Arguments for and against each method The snake on the ground adher- ents insist that the dog has to see the snake before the correction is administered. Their rejoinder is "I've been walking in the desert for years and I've never seen a snake in a cage." Or, "I don't want my dog to be afraid of a box or a cage." The caged snake crowd retorts with replies such as: "We want the dog to use their strongest sense and smell the rattlesnake fi rst." And, "We've been walking in the desert for years and have never seen a rattlesnake just lying out in the open. They are usually under cover: rocks, beneath cactus, not exposed somewhere slap- ping on the 'ole SPF sunscreen." Jim Walkington, owner/operator of Viper Voidance, a New River, Arizona Company that trains dogs to avoid rattlesnakes agrees that ei- ther method works if done correctly and responsibly. He keeps his rat- tlesnakes in special cages, and stat- ed that he has trained thousands of dogs to avoid rattlesnakes including several blind dogs. Walkington will be in Quartzsite at the gold show (QIA) February 9, 2019, call him for an appointment 480-215-1776. Cost is $80 per dog for new dogs. 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