Dog owners can sign up for a rattlesnake aversion training clinic to be offered July 20 at Toro Canyon Park, between Montecito and Carpinteria.

Rattlesnake aversion training is an effective tool for preventing the pain and suffering of rattlesnake bites. The one-day clinic, presented by High On Kennels, will offer one-on-one training with live rattlesnakes to teach dogs to avoid the sight, scent and sound of rattlesnakes.

Pre-registration is required. The cost is $80 per dog and usually takes 20-30 minutes. For more information and to register, go to https://rattlesnakeclinic.as.me.

Area wildfires have reduced native habitat that normally supports the critters that call it home. Wildlife will migrate to where food and shelter exist, and in the urban wildland interface, that could be close to people’s home.  

Rattlesnakes provide important ecological functions of controlling rodents, as well as being food for hawks and other snakes. The above-normal winter rains usually bring increases in food supply, which in turn increases wildlife populations.

“If you enjoy activities that take you and your dogs outdoors, you and your pets may be at risk of encountering rattlesnakes,” said Fred Presson, professional dog trainer at High On Kennels in Santa Ysabel. “And as the snakes move along in search of food and mates, they may even end up in your own backyard.”

Most rattlesnake bites occur on the head and neck. Because dogs are naturally curious, when they encounter a snake, they check it out face first. Training dogs to avoid the sight, scent and sound of rattlesnakes is the best way to keep dogs safe. As an added benefit, dogs can be an alert system for humans, too.

— Debbie Sharpton for High On Kennels.