[pct-l] dogs from campo to julian Snakes!!!

[Erik The Black]

Robert,

I'm curious as to how you went about training your dog to deal with
rattlesnakes.

I have a 1 year old German Shepherd. I've been training him intensely since
he was 4 months old. He responds to all my voice commands and will heel
indefinitely if I ask him to.

But when we're out hiking I typically let him run ahead and sniff around and
pick up sticks and romp as long as there aren't a bunch of people around. He
really enjoys this and is very curious. He likes to sniff everything he can
get his nose on.

He stays close and will return without hesitation when called, but I'm not
sure what he would do if he ran into a rattlesnake before I got there. I
imagine he would probably bark at it from a cautious distance until I called
him, but can't be sure until it actually happens. 

We're not going to be thru hiking, but I live in the San Bernardino
mountains and do a lot of exploring the local area. I typically run into a
few rattlers every year. But it will be a first time for the dog.

Any suggestions are appreciated.

Erik The Black
www.eriktheblack.com



****************************************************************************

I forgot about rattlesnakes. It is a every day concern where I live. My dogs
are both rattlesnake trained and vaccinated so I forget that it is a issue
for others. San Diego County is the poisonous snake capital of the USA. More
rattlesnakes here than any where else in the world.
Robert