Just because I haven’t seen a rattlesnake in the open space surrounding my house doesn’t mean they aren’t there. Venomous snakes have been encountered above 8,000 feet in southern Colorado, so an arid, 6,500-foot elevation certainly seems in play now that the weather has begun to warm.
I cringe every time my dog sticks her nose into another prairie dog hole during daily walks. Rattlers love to den in those burrows, as well as the rocky crevices and caves that dot the surrounding landscape. Hunting, fishing and hiking forays regularly take us to grasslands, rocky streams and outcroppings that rattlers enjoy as well.
They say that people are more likely to die from lightning strikes in Colorado than from snakebites. But to my knowledge, nobody is keeping such records for dogs. And considering that nearly 8,000 people are bitten by venomous snakes every year in the U.S., it’s a safe bet our nosey dogs get hit even more. Widely varying estimates start at around 15,000.
Simply due to their body weight, dogs are more likely to die from rattlesnake bites than are people. And curiosity, a known cat killer, regularly puts a dog’s sniffer in harms way.
So this spring I’m taking action. With snake season starting up right about now, it’s time to “desnake” the dog.
Snake handler and dog trainer , from Texas, has been teaching dogs to keep their distance from rattlesnakes for more than 30 years now, working with members of the for twice-annual snake avoidance clinics in Colorado. The spring edition will be conducted in conjunction with Cabela’s on May 30 (Lone Tree) and May 31 (Thornton). Winter clinics are held during the International Sportsmen’s Expo.
“Dogs are attracted to snakes. They like that musky smell and are attracted to it,” said CJ Kausel, club president and champion dog trainer. “So this is a good process to get the dog to avoid them. The bonus on this is that the dog can warn you by acting strange that there could be a snake in the vicinity and alert you to it as well.”
Desnaking is not an altogether painless process, especially for those who have never used an electronic training collar. Wesley uses live diamondback rattlesnakes, both defanged and milked of venom, teaching dogs to recognize the sight, smell and sound of the deadly snakes through e-collar admonitions. Dogs are allowed to get up close and personal with the vipers before some minor shock therapy is applied, teaching them that sniffing out snakes is a no-no.
“Sometimes the dogs will be bitten,” Kausel admits. “But we’ve never had venom injected into a dog, and (Weslow) has done this for over 30 years.”
Bird hunters are obvious candidates for Weslow’s snake avoidance clinics, but anyone who spends time with a dog in the West’s vast snake habitat is invited to join in for a 10-minute session with the trainer and snake handler. That includes hikers, bikers, trail runners, ranchers, farmers and dog-loving desert dwellers of all walks.
“It’s open to all breeds, not just sporting dogs,” Kausel said. “If folks are out hiking or camping with the family pet, or let’s say you are a stream fishermen and you bring your dog along the bank, this is a good thing to do to get them to avoid snakes.”
Dogs must be more than 6 months old to participate, and the fee is $55 per dog with discounts available for multiple dogs. Preregistration is recommended through the Rocky Mountain Sporting Dog Club website at or by contacting club vice president Wayne Baker at legacy57@Q.com.
Scott Willoughby: swilloughby@denverpost.com or twitter.com/swilloughby
