Posted: 7/11/2011 3:56:47 PM EDT
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Tips for your best friend's safety from rattlers, scorpions, and apparently toads? Others? When hiking? Actions to take if the worst does happen? How are you prepared?
My wife and I are planning on getting a puppy in about 6 weeks! |
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For rattlers, check out Viper training for your dog. Essentially the trainer uses rattlers and other non lethal snakes in a test area. As the dog approaches a rattler he is hit with a shock from the collar. After two hits or so the dog will stop several feet away from the rattler, but pass easily by the other snakes. I guess they can smell the venom. The snakes are in cages so the dogs are safe.
Our terrier will take hikes on the trail and stop as soon as he smells something. Usually backs in the opposite direction. I found both snakes @20 feet or so from us under some brush. |
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I've never viper trained a dog, but I have trained them to stop chasing deer and rabbits. Sounds about like the same process. I'm interested in hearing more about this. When I get completely settled I am going to buy two bird dogs. I miss my old girl I had to put down in January. Are histamine blockers effective against scorpions? I'm thinking about getting a couple of Vizslas. I've always been a Labrador guy but I don't think bringing that breed to the desert makes a lick of sense. |
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This is the guy we used 10 years ago. He was recommended by our vet in Anthem. He did offer a refresher, but our terrier still retains the training. Hope this helps...
Viper training |
| FWIW, I keep rattlesnakes and other snakes. One bedroom of my house is a dedicated "snake room". None of my GSD's care to step foot in that room. Just the sound of a rattler or two sounding off is enough to deter them. Never had a lab or bird dog of any kind, not sure if they would be as turned off by just the mere sound of a rattler or not. |
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Quoted: I've never viper trained a dog, but I have trained them to stop chasing deer and rabbits. Sounds about like the same process. I'm interested in hearing more about this. When I get completely settled I am going to buy two bird dogs. I miss my old girl I had to put down in January. Are histamine blockers effective against scorpions? I'm thinking about getting a couple of Vizslas. I've always been a Labrador guy but I don't think bringing that breed to the desert makes a lick of sense. What about a Norwegian Ridgeback |
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Quoted:
I've never viper trained a dog, but I have trained them to stop chasing deer and rabbits. Sounds about like the same process. I'm interested in hearing more about this. When I get completely settled I am going to buy two bird dogs. I miss my old girl I had to put down in January. Are histamine blockers effective against scorpions? I'm thinking about getting a couple of Vizslas. I've always been a Labrador guy but I don't think bringing that breed to the desert makes a lick of sense. I have grown up with labs and the wife has grown up with goldens. I miss my lab back home that I couldn't bring down because my mom was too attached and would have been sad so we're getting a lab. I see plenty of them around down here. We plan on moving back to MN though in a year or two. Hopefully we can hunt the two of them together then. |
| My Heeler must have trained himself. He won't get within 10 feet of a pissed off rattler. I really don't know what I'd do if he got bit. If I were within an hour or so of a vet, I would rush him there. If I were way out in the desert and hours away from town I would still try to get him to a vet. But if it looked like he was suffering bad or we broke down and couldn't get to town, I would have to put him down. Easy to type that....I hope i don't have to find out if I can really do it. |
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I had a dog bit in the leg by a rattlesnake. Snake was in my driveway. I myself stepped within 12" of it. Never saw it. Dog was behind me. Dog never saw it either.
The vet said it was the only dog he had ever seen bit on the leg instead of the snout. This was a good sized German shepherd. Dogs leg swelled up to about 3x normal size. Pretty scarry. Vet gave the dog a shot of cortisone (like you would get for a bad knee) and it took the swelling down within an hour. |