CLINIC TAKES THE BITE OUT CANINES LEARN HOW TO AVOID RATTLESNAKES.

Byline: Naush Boghossian Staff Writer

CANYON COUNTRY - People came from throughout the Los Angeles area Saturday to have Pat Callaghan teach their dogs to avoid rattlesnakes.

The curious nature of dogs makes them easy targets for rattlesnakes, which are particularly active in Southern California when the weather is warm.

``Nine-tenths of first-time dogs go right up to a snake and get hit,'' Callaghan said about the dogs who had never taken his class.

Maxine New, who arranged the clinic, said that since rattlesnakes are a part of daily life in the community many owners concerned about a shortage in antivenin and the costly nature of treating infected dogs, wanted to focus on prevention methods.

This year, 51 people registered their dogs and paid $50 each to undergo the training, up from 35 last year. Callaghan offered a percentage of the proceeds to New, who said she will donate her share to cancer research.

The conditioning process lasted from seven to 10 minutes for each dog.

``People who did it last year told me that the dogs who encountered snakes didn't approach them,'' said New.

Callaghan conducts his training course with live, but muzzled rattlesnakes.

Each dog has a remote training collar placed around its neck that emits an almost undetectable stimulus that is controlled by Callaghan, as the dogs are taken by a handler up to a snake.

``I look at the dog's breathing, posture, neck, and body language as it approaches a rattlesnake and give the stimulus based on the timing, so they remember the sight, sound and smell of the rattlesnake'' Callaghan said.

Callaghan introduces the dogs to three different rattlesnakes allowing them to experience sound, scent and visual stimuli.

When dogs responded appropriately and avoided the snake, they received praise by the handler or Callaghan.

On a big lawn, Callaghan set up three buckets that were overturned and at considerable distances from each other with rattlesnakes underneath.

The first snake's rattles are taped to eliminate sound. A handler brings the dog, which is on a leash, close to the snake and then back away several times to teach it sight recognition.

The second snake's rattles are not taped to teach the dog both sound and scent recognition, by approaching the rattlesnake at a downwind angle.

The third phase is a test. The dog is placed approximately 20 feet from the third rattlesnake. A volunteer removes the bucket and the dog comes face to face with the rattler.

Once the dogs were conditioned to avoid the snakes, some would go on their hind legs at a distance of 20 yards, pulling back on the leash as they tried to move as far away from the snake as they could.

Janice Farran wanted her boxer to go through the class because she said it was very inquisitive and since they go hiking a lot, she wanted her pet to stay away from snakes.

``I'm very pleased,'' Farran said after her dog completed the lesson. The boxer had been hit by the first snake, but by the second and third snakes, it was backing off at a distance.

Callaghan recommends that dogs come in for what he calls ``tuneups'' each year. Those dogs that had taken the clinic last year quickly recognized the snakes at 20 yards, some even sensing them before the buckets were removed.

Callaghan, whose business based in Norco, Calif., is booked every weekend starting in March through September, from the Mexican border to the Bay Area, conducting clinics for veterinarians, dog clubs, obedience schools and fire departments.

A professional dog trainer since the 1960s with his own training center, Callaghan specializes in training dogs, horses and llamas to avoid rattlesnakes.

``It's all about good dog training,'' Callaghan said with a knowing smile as he saw dog after dog run away from the rattlesnakes.

Callaghan's telephone number is [phone] and his Web site at www.patrickcallaghan.com.

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3 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Maggie, a 1-year-old black Lab, gets introduced to a diamondback rattlesnake at Pat Callaghan's clinic Saturday.

(2 -- color) A muzzled diamondback rattlesnake coils up at the Canyon Country clinic Saturday.

(3 -- color) Trainer Pat Callaghan teaches dogs, horses and even llamas to avoid rattlesnakes at his Canyon Country clinic.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer