After seeing blood in the snow I examined him and took him to the vet where he was treated. It must have been shot and somehow crawled or limped its way back to our porch where I discovered it resting quietly. The worse that happened was the small dog came back with a gunshot wound once. I'm sure they must have gotten wise to dealing with snakes and other things because as far as I'm aware they never got bit. They spent all their time either in the yard or escaping from the yard to go wander around. When I was growing up, we had dogs, we lived in a semi-rural area with our house butting up against the desert. I grew up in NM, I'm currently in Sunnyvale having moved here several years ago to work in Silicon Valley. are you still in Sunnyvale? Half of my extended family is from Sunnyvale! Have you lived in NM long? She said they're country dogs, and she knows the risks, and hopes they stay safe. Oregon Bill, you've given me a firm foundation from which to work this out. I've already contacted the gardeners at the UNM and have gotten exceptional advice on gardening in the high desert, esp northern NM. I will find a vet before we go and connecting with someone knowledgeable at UNM is also a good idea. Wood isn't piled up, grass is kept short, and all is far from where the dog hangs out. That's probably how so many dogs there have no incidents with snakes.
In any case, your idea of making sure not to attract the snakes is probably the best advice of all. I do wonder, though, if snakes would get through because they can burrow underneath. Regarding fencing, I was thinking of building something like a horse fence - and attaching the mesh like we now have welded wire from a few inches below ground level to the top rail, so our dog can't go through the rails. You might also reach out to a university herpetologist the more you know, the better prepared you are to protect yourself and your canine best friend. Do discuss the issue with your vet - your NEW MEXICO vet who has a lot of experience with snake bite. I would talk to some of the folks that do rattlesnake removals about other measures you can take to make your property less attractive to buzztails in terms of vegetation management and discouraging mice and other preferred snake foods. Thanks again - very valuable info, very much.Īlgiz, my guess is fencing an entire acre would be problematic. OMG, we certainly lucked out! I'll remember your words about when they're the most active. I thought they liked to be out in the heat more than the coolness of the morning. Hmmm, while in Placitas, I made sure to get up early in the morning, sometimes just after dawn, thinking that this would be the safest time to hike around with my dog since the snakes would be less likely to be out since it was cool then. My dog is just so curious and so confident and has such a positive disposition, so sure of the goodness of all, that he has no concept that something could be bad. I will do the snake aversion training, even if I don't move to NM, I've decided. I imagine that 1/4 inch mesh will be expensive to fence an acre, but well worth it to me. Wow, Oregon Bill, wonderful info and video! I'm looking into it. See here:Īnd keep in mind, rattlesnakes are most active early in the morning, in the evening and after a rain, especially around grass. Third, you can put up snake fencing, but it has to be done right. A vet friend in central Oregon said he is a real believer based on bitten dogs he has treated.
Some say it works well, others not at all. Second, there is a controversial rattlesnake vaccine made by Red Rock Biologics specifically to reduce the effects of a bite by a western diamondback - the most common crotalid in New Mexico. Yes, it hurts for a second - and yes, your dog will always associate that smell with pain. It involves putting a shock collar on your dog, letting it get a good whiff of a de-fanged rattler and giving it a quick 10. Three things to consider: Do the snake aversion training! The Central New Mexico Brittany Club does one each spring that is open to all comers. Algiz, everywhere I go in New Mexico, folks have dogs, walk their dogs, hike with their dogs, camp with their dogs - and the dogs live.
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