Keeping your dog safe from snakes

A couple of days ago, I wrote a post about how Rocket and I went on a hike and had an encounter with a rattlesnake. We skirted our way around it, but some dogs aren't alway so lucky. Naturally curious, dogs can poke their noses against the curled up snakes. In response, the snakes can pounce and bite the dog.

The canines don't always survive. And with the weather warming up, the cold-blooded animals will become a more common site on trails around the South Bay.

Today's Orange County Register has a story about a man in Norco who teaches dogs to stay away from rattle snakes. He's charges $70 for the short lesson.

Patrick Callaghan ... continues to travel virtually each weekend from March to September to various venues throughout Southern California, working "to educate and protect the dog as much as we can."

In his training, he uses live — but muzzled — rattlesnakes to duplicate what a dog would encounter in the wild.

The dog is fitted with a collar that emits an eye-opening stimulus much like a muscle stimulator used in a chiropractor's office.

When the dog hears, sees or smells the snake, Callaghan pushes a button on a remote control that triggers the stimulation, making the dog think the snake got it.

"It's nasty," he said. "I imprint on them that it's not nice. They've got to stay away."