At the Davis Mountains Resort’s community center on Saturday, May 12, Trainer Terry Chandler of Rugerheim Kennels from Las Cruces, NM (above, in cowboy hat) led a “rattlesnake avoidance clinic” for dogs. Terry uses live, de-fanged rattlesnakes to teach dogs to recognize rattlers on three levels: scent, sight and sound. Also from Rugerheim, the snake wrangler is Eric Frantz (wearing ball-cap).



Above: the aversion to rattlesnakes is imprinted on dogs using a specially designed and calibrated Tri-Tronic Electronic collar. First, dogs and their owners are individually exposed to the de-fanged rattlesnake in a natural setting. Typically one, sometimes two, shocks are all that are needed to reinforce the avoidance instinct. The second part of the clinic repeats exposure to the snake in a new location to confirm the dogs have learned that rattlesnakes are dangerous and to be avoided.

Below: some 30 dogs and their people from all over the region were in attendance at the clinic. (Photos by Jeff Smith.)