Rattlesnake Aversion Training
Rattlesnake Aversion Training

It’s getting warmer in the high desert, which means it’s time to protect your dogs from dangerous critters that thrive in desert climates. And in May, after a rattlesnake was spotted at Pine Nursery Dog Park, the Bend dog community became even more aware of the danger of rattlesnakes.

Some things to know about rattlesnakes:

  • Rattlesnakes hang out at elevation below 6,000 feet
  • When temperatures reach 70 degrees or warmer, rattlesnakes come out for sunshine
  • A coiled rattlesnake indicates that they are ready to strike
  • Rattlesnakes are animals too, and part of a healthy ecosystem, please do not harm them

So if your dog is likely to encounter a rattlesnake on the trail, you have two options:

  • Rattlesnake Aversion Training
  • Rattlesnake venom annual vaccination

Luckily, there are a couple clinics coming to Bend that offer this type of training. Rattlesnake venom antidote is rare and only certain veterinary practices have it in stock. Central Oregon Animal Hospital is one clinic that has the anti-venom in stock at the moment as of June, 2022.

Thankfully, certain veterinary practices in Bend offer a rattlesnake venom vaccination called Crotalus. This vaccination is a two-shot series. An annual vaccination, it gives your dog a higher resistance to the venom. This means you have more time to get them to an emergency room.

Natural Solutions Rattlesnake Aversion Training

Location: Bend Veterinary Clinic

Clinic Dates: June 26th & 27th, 2022

Lauded as a “critical step in snakebite prevention,” Rattlesnake Aversion Training by Natural Solutions is doing a tour this summer in Oregon. They will be hosting a clinic over two days.

Natural Solutions allows dogs of all breeds, sizes, and ages – but puppies should be at least 6 months old.

This year, Bend Veterinary Clinic will be hosting. For more information and to get your dog on their roster, contact jessica@bendveterinaryclinic.com or call 541-382-0741.

Get Rattled

Location: Bend Unleashed

Clinic Dates: August 6th, 2022

Coming all the way from Reno, NV, Get Rattled will be hosting another rattlesnake aversion class in Bend this year. Their focus is training your dog to avoid rattlesnakes, porcupines and skunks.

Their rattlesnake aversion clinic is only one day in August and will be hosted by Bend Unleashed. You can watch their promotional video below.

For more information on how to get on their roster, contact info@bendunleashed.com or call 541-383-3833.

Ely Twiggs

Author: Ely Twiggs

Ely's love for the outdoors and having first hand experience of the shortness of life was the impetus for her move from Australia into an RV to travel the US. When she got to Bend, she knew this was the place. After creating The Dog in Us, a multi-channel platform about exploring National Parks with Dogs, she wanted to bring dog-approved resources to a local community she loves. Enter The Dog Guide Bend, a resource made for the Bend Dog Community. Ely is the guardian of two rescue dogs, Alaska and Smoky Joe, and they are the center of her universe. Ely and her husband Tom run a mobile RV repair business called Meet You There RV Repair & Inspection.