This post is for those who like me, upland hunt in snake country. The Rattlesnake is a huge menace for upland game dog’s early in the season. They are active in the West well into November. Dogs are very curious about the sound the Rattlesnake makes. Very often they will stick their nose right in a snakes face to see what all the ruckus is about, and BAM they get bit.
There are two things you can do to protect your dog if you hunt in snake prone areas. I STRONGLY recommend getting BOTH.
#1 Get your dog PROFESSIONALLY snake proofed. I know this blog is about training your own dog, but this one is better left to a pro. They will put far more pressure on a dog than most home trainers would consider. A Snake bite can kill your dog, it’s WAY worth the $50-$100 to get the snake proofing done right. Snake proofing teaches the dog to FEAR the sight, smell, and sound of a Rattlesnake.
#2 There is a vaccination available from your Vet that will greatly reduce the damage done by a Rattlesnake bite. This comes straight from my Vet, who is very experienced with snake bites in animals. The new vaccine WILL NOT I repeat WILL NOT make a dog immune to Rattlesnake venom. A snake bite is very serious and should never be left un-treated. What the vaccination does is significantly REDUCE the amount of anti-venom needed to treat a Rattlesnake bite. Reducing the treatment also means big savings to you.
In the Southwest U.S, where I live, we have a specie of Rattlesnake called the Mojave (sometimes called the Mojave Green). The Mojave Rattlesnake is the most toxic Rattlesnake in the United States. The Rattlesnake vaccination will not work on Mojave bites. A bite from the Mojave is deadly to dogs, 99% of dogs bitten by this snake will die, even if they get to a vet quickly. The Mojave will also kill most humans if the person is not treated quickly. This is why I got Homer snake proofed.
If done right snake proofing alone should keep your dog safe from a bite, I like the added insurance of the vaccination. Common sense will also protect your dog. Think about what you are doing before you send a dog into heavy brush. Snakes love to hide in thick brush in the afternoon hours.
Having your dog well trained to whistle commands will also help, blasting the “HERE” command on the whistle if you hear a snake could save your dog from a bite.
Joe Dynarski
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