Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for dogs
Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for dogs
Warmer weather means camping and hiking with your furry friend. But every year thousands of dogs are bite by snakes.
Snake avoidance training is important for any working dog handler deploying in venomous snake country. It is important to use people who know how to do this properly. The correct preparation of a live snake coupled with proper k9 correction timing upon investigation is crucial.
Be sure to view my video walking my two Airedale Terriers at Mission Trails Regional Park here in San Diego. Here is the direct link to that video: Airedale Terriers rattle snake
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:
Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for dogs
Rattlesnake are the leading contributor to snakebite injuries in North America. However, rattlesnakes rarely bite unless provoked or threatened; if treated promptly, the bites are seldom fatal.
Rattlesnakes consume mice, rats, small birds, and other small animals.[10] They lie in wait for their prey, or hunt for it in holes. The prey is killed quickly with a venomous bite as opposed to constriction. If the bitten prey moves away before dying, the rattlesnake can follow it by its scent. When it locates the fallen prey, it checks for signs of life by prodding with its snout, flicking its tongue, and using its sense of smell. Once the prey has become incapacitated, the rattlesnake locates its head by odors emitted from the mouth. The prey is then ingested head-first, which allows wings and limbs to fold at the joints in a manner which minimizes the girth of the meal. The gastric fluids of rattlesnakes are extremely powerful, allowing for the digestion of flesh, as well as bone. Optimal digestion occurs when the snake maintains a body temperature between 80 and 85 °F (25 and 29 °C). If the prey is small, the rattlesnake often continues hunting. If it was an adequate meal, the snake finds a warm, safe location in which to coil up and rest until the prey is digested.
Rattlesnakes are believed to require at least their own body weight in water annually to remain hydrated. The method in which they drink depends on the water source. In larger bodies of water (streams, ponds, etc.), they submerge their heads and ingest water by opening and closing their jaws, which sucks in water. If drinking dew, or drinking from small puddles, they sip the liquid either by capillary action or by flattening and flooding their lower jaws.
Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for dogs