[pct-l] Rattlesnake training

Tue Mar 3 09:21:39 CST 2009

FWIW, my german shorthair pointer has six years of training as she competed in national-level hunting trials.  Even with six years of very extensive training, she still makes mistakes periodically.  Fortunately, her infrequent mistakes are not such that it might cost her life.  While I don't have personal experience with this rattlesnake avoidance training, I have a difficult time believing that a one day training course will be sufficient to place my dog in harms way when it could easily cost her life. 

The question you need to ask is it worth the risk.  Only you and Fido will know for sure. 

Elevator 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "patti kulesz" <peprmintpati88 at yahoo.com> 
To: pct-l at backcountry.net, "Ellen Shopes" <igellen at comcast.net> 
Sent: Tuesday, March 3, 2009 7:03:04 AM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 

Ellen did that dog have the avoidance class b/c they are trained to smell the scent of the snakes...just curious cuz I'm boasting on this Patrick guy. I felt like there were two occassions that my Droopy dog scented one and kept me from going down the trail until it was gone 

patti 

--- On Tue, 3/3/09, Ellen Shopes <igellen at comcast.net> wrote: 

From: Ellen Shopes <igellen at comcast.net> 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 
To: pct-l at backcountry.net 
Date: Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 2:03 AM 

Be advised, even with rattlesnake training, you need to keep your dog close, 
at heel.  A friend of mine had her dog envenomated when the dog stopped to 
scent-mark (pee) on a bush.  The dog barely survived with treatment. 
Ellen 

----- Original Message ----- 
From: <jeff.singewald at comcast.net> 
To: "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net> 
Cc: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net> 
Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 8:58 PM 
Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 

> 
> 
> Chuck, 
> 
> 
> 
> There must be quite a few of them snake wranglers out there. In 2006, 
> Giddyup and I got a hitch off the summit down to Onyx from a couple of 
> snake wranglers. A funny story as we had just started hitching and this 
> truck pulls over in the big wide pull out on the summit just after passing 
> us. Giddyup and I start running down to the car as these two good ol' boys 
> jump out of the car. They were a bit surprised to see us running towards 
> them and sheepishly said they just stopped to relieve themselves of the 
> beverages they had consumed on the drive up from Ridgecrest. Anyhow, when 
> we asked for a ride into Onyx to pickup a few snacks and shared that we 
> were hiking the PCT, they wholeheartedly agreed. They asked about our 
> snake sightings to-date and I shared that I had seen my fair share of 
> rattlers but that Giddyup had yet to see one. The laughed and all but 
> guaranteed Giddyup that he would see one before reaching KM. After a quick 
> stop in Onyx it was back to the trail and within the first mile of that 
> initial climb we nearly stepped on a big 4 1/2 foot rattler with 10 or 11 
> rattles. Probably the biggest I had seen on the trail to date. Needless to 
> say Giddyup was excited. These wranglers told us that they hunted rattlers 
> 5 days a week and had a shop in Ridgecrest where they made jewelry and 
> other fine snakeskin products. Sure would have enjoyed a bit of decoration 
> to wrap around my Tilly. 
> 
> 
> 
> Elevator 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net> 
> To: "Ken Powers" <ken at gottawalk.com> 
> Cc: "pct-l" <pct-l at backcountry.net> 
> Sent: Monday, March 2, 2009 4:08:23 PM GMT -08:00 US/Canada Pacific 
> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 
> 
> Good afternoon, Ken, 
> 
> I met that old -- but not as old as me -- codger north of Big Bear in '07, 
> and took a break to talk with him for a while. He's great fun. 
> 
> Steel-Eye 
> 
> On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 10:29 AM, Ken Powers <ken at gottawalk.com> wrote: 
> 
>> Then there is the option to trail the owner: 
>> 
>> http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=221603 
>> 
>> (Just kidding) 
>> 
>> Ken 
>> ----- Original Message ----- 
>> From: "dicentra" <dicentragirl at yahoo.com> 
>> To: "CHUCK CHELIN" <steeleye at wildblue.net> 
>> Cc: <pct-l at backcountry.net> 
>> Sent: Monday, March 02, 2009 10:17 AM 
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 
>> 
>> 
>> Suddenly I'm liking my nice wet woods. Yikes. 
>> 
>> ~Dicentra 
>> 
>> 
>> http://www.onepanwonders.com ~ Backcountry Cooking at its Finest 
>> http://www.freewebs.com/dicentra 
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> --- On Mon, 3/2/09, CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> wrote: 
>> 
>> 
>> From: CHUCK CHELIN <steeleye at wildblue.net> 
>> Subject: Re: [pct-l] Rattlesnake training 
>> To: "Andrew Jones" <a.freddy.j at gmail.com> 
>> Cc: erik at eriktheblack.com, pct-l at backcountry.net 
>> Date: Monday, March 2, 2009, 6:02 AM 
>> 
>> 
>> Good morning, Andy, 
>> 
>> I think you're right, the training can't hurt, but here's something that 
>> can: http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=217197 
>> That was on the south side of Hauser Canyon where the trail was about 4' 
>> wide. That guy could probably eat a lap-dog. 
>> 
>> Steel-Eye 
>> 
>> On Mon, Mar 2, 2009 at 5:41 AM, Andrew Jones <a.freddy.j at gmail.com> 
>> wrote: 
>> 
>> > There's one professional trainer that's been mentioned on the list 
>> before: 
>> > 
>> > http://www.patrickcallaghan.com/ 
>> > 
>> > We're taking our dog to one of his sessions before our through hike. 
>> > I'm 
>> > not 
>> > sure if one day will be enough to make the training stick, but it's 
>> fairly 
>> > cheap ($70), and I guess it can't hurt. 
>> > 
>> > Andy 
>> > _______________________________________________ 
>> > Pct-l mailing list 
>> > Pct-l at backcountry.net 
>> > http://mailman.backcountry.net/mailman/listinfo/pct-l 
>> > 
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>> 
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