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Community Corner

Train Your Dog to Avoid Rattlesnakes

It's not too late to educate your dogs about rattlesnakes and how to avoid them.

The statistics are staggering. Poisonous snakes bite about 15,000 dogs every year.

In California, the poisonous snakes to watch out for are rattlesnakes. Springtime to summertime means it’s rattlesnake season when these deadly creatures are out looking for water and mice.

Rattlesnakes are her business

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“There are no other snakes that are venomous in California, except for rattlesnakes,” said Tracy Jenson-Presson, a trainer and owner of High on Kennels, a dog obedience and boarding service based in Santa Ysabel, near San Diego. Jenson-Presson has been training dogs for hunting, obedience, therapy and rattlesnake avoidance for over 12 years.

Rattlesnakes in general are heavy-bodied, blunt-tailed and with triangular-shaped heads. They may have one or more rattles on their tails. They also have a series of dark and light bands near the tail, just before the rattles, she said.

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According to Jenson-Presson, there are close to 10 California species but the ones that are prevalent in our area are the Western Diamondback, the Red Diamond and the Southern Pacific.

The Western Diamondback has black and white rings around the tail, which are equal in width. The Red Diamond comes in various shades of reddish brown, while the Southern Pacific is brown to olive-brown in color, with dark brown blotches in the back.

“In Malibu and surrounding areas, I think the rattlesnakes have stopped rattling, because they’re getting used to people and dogs on the trails. It doesn’t mean we should let our guards down,” said Jenson-Presson, who uses the electronic training collar method to train dogs on rattlesnake avoidance.

The collar is harmless but meant to simulate a snakebite through a mild electrical shock that will startle the dogs. It just teaches them to recognize and avoid the snake through constant reinforcement, said the dog trainer.

As far as rattlesnake bites are concerned, size does matter. “Smaller dogs usually have a far worse reaction because of their size,” said Jenson-Presson. “They don’t have as much body mass to absorb the venom.”

Educating the public

Even as summertime is coming to a close, it’s not too late to sign your dog up for the last class of the season.

On September 17 and 18, Presson will be bringing her expertise to Tapia Park in Calabasas to conduct one-on-one rattlesnake avoidance training classes with the canines.

Mountains Restoration Trust (MRT), an environmental non-profit organization, will be hosting the clinic. MRT offers education programs throughout the year to help residents maximize their enjoyment of living in the Santa Monica Mountains Recreation Area.

MRT also works with the local schools on native plant education. Furthermore, the non-profit conducts classes on fire protection. “Our main focus is educating people,” said Debbie Bruschaber, executive director of MRT.

Four rattlesnake avoidance-training clinics have been offered so far in 2011. “The September clinic will be the fifth and last on the topic,” said Bruschaber.

A dog’s best defense

“We are trying to fill the Saturday, September 17 time slots first,” said Bruschaber. “Once that’s filled, we’ll open Sunday, September 18 as well.”

The one-on-one training which costs $70, will take approximately 20 minutes and will not harm the dog or the neutralized rattlesnake.

Contrary to popular perception, rattlesnake shots just “buys you more time to get to your veterinarian,” according to Jenson-Presson.

“The best defense is still educating your dog about the sight, sound and smell of rattlesnakes so these deadly creatures can be avoided,” she said.

To reserve a spot, please contact: Mountains Restoration Trust at 818.591.1701 x205 or http://www.mountainstrust.org/education/rattlesnake.html

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