Among the thousands of educational opportunities offered at the International Sportsman’s Expo taking place at the Denver Convention Center on Jan. 5-8, the one dog owners may benefit from most is the Colorado Gun Dog Association’s Snake Avoidance Clinic. Anyone who enjoys the outdoors with a dog in rattlesnake country will want to register for one of the 32 spots offered over four days at ISE ($55 includes admission to the Expo for you and your dog). There, professional snake handler Julian Weslow will introduce dogs to surgically defanged diamondbacks along with a negative stimulation from an electronic collar. After seeing, hearing and smelling the snake, the negative association of the e-collar safely trains the dogs that curiosity doesn’t pay. Weslow has successfully “desnaked” more than 5,000 dogs in the past 20 years, so expect the clinics to fill up fast.
Register: Call Fred Prior at 303-450-2547 or send an e-mail to fred_prior@comcast.net.
