Training in Avoiding Rattlesnakes Gives Firm Lesson in Pet Protection

Anyone who owns a dog would have felt for Charlie the Yorkshire terrier Sunday.

As other dogs and their owners watched and waited their turn at a pet clinic intended to teach the dangers of rattlesnakes, Charlie nervously wagged his tail and shuffled over to a grumpy-looking rattler. Then it happened.

The snake--its fangs taped shut--lunged forward, and the tiny terrier jumped back.

If this had been the dog’s back patio in Westlake Village, Charlie most likely would have taken a snakebite to the chin and a ride to the veterinarian.

Instead, the 7-year-old terrier was given a crash course in what to do the next time he sees a rattlesnake slithering along his owner’s backyard deck--run.

Sponsored by the Ojai-based National Search Dog Foundation, the snake-avoidance clinic was the latest reminder that spring means the return of the venomous southern Pacific rattler to the brush and foothills of Ventura County.

Hikers are particularly vulnerable and so are their dogs, said Debra Tosch, a member of the foundation who was on hand for the three-day clinic, which ended Sunday. But pet owners should also be aware of the occasional rattler that can wander into their backyards.

This wasn’t the first time Charlie has seen a rattlesnake up close. In 1998, he was almost bitten by a rattler outside the back door of the house where he lives, said Charlie’s owner, Marilyn Hewitson.

“After what happened to him three years ago, why wouldn’t I do this?” Hewitson said. “He’s like my second child.”

Tosch said more than 150 dogs and even a few horses have been taken through the snake-avoidance training course, which was set up at an Oak View horse stable.

The cost of the 10-minute clinic was $50 for foundation members and $60 for nonmembers, with a portion of the proceeds going toward the foundation.

Norco-based animal trainer Patrick Callaghan ran the clinic. Each dog approached a coiled-up rattlesnake at three different stations. Wrapped around each dog’s neck was a black collar charged with just enough voltage to give the dog a painless jolt after the animal made eye contact with the rattlesnake or got too close.

The snakes had tape wrapped around their mouths so they couldn’t bite the dogs when they approached. The electronic jolt to the collar served to remind the dog of the snake’s presence, Callaghan said.

Sunday, Callaghan gave gentle directions to each dog while occasionally sending an electronic signal to their collars using a hand-held remote-control device.

As a collie named Chelsea approached a snake that was sending out a frantic warning from its rattler, Callaghan leaned forward and carefully studied the dog’s movements. At first anxious to lick or at least sniff the rattlesnake, Chelsea showed no curiosity after going through the course.

“I treat each dog differently,” Callaghan said. “Their bodies tell me what is in their minds.”