Visit from a rattler
Since I fenced in a portion of my new property, the dogs have been spending their days outside. I drop them off in the morning after their breakfast, walk them sometime during the day and then return them to the kennel. I think they really like it out there - it’s not as big as the area they had in Tesuque, but it’s a heck of a lot better than spending your day on a chain or being locked up in the house.
Yesterday noon the two of them started barking like crazy. I expected to see some stray dog around the kennel or a pack of coyotes checking the dogs out. When I looked outside I saw both dogs circling a bush in the fenced-in area and barking at something on the ground. Went into the kennel and immediately saw - aehm - and heard the reason why they were barking: smack in the middle of their territory was a decent sized rattle snake doing her rattling thing. I still don’t know how the dogs know to avoid snakes: they never got bitten and only had a few limited encounters with them (at least that I know of).
I went back inside and got the dust-pan (the one with the long, long handle) and a broom. Thought I could pick her up and remove her from the kennel. Wrong! Bad idea! As mentioned earlier, it was noon and Miss snake had already some 5 hours to warm up and get her engines in gear. When I approached her and tried to lure her into the dust-pan she attacked the plastic like her worst enemy. She was about 4 ft in length, but you don’t see that when she’s all curled up, ready for a strike. After a few attempts I got worried about my hands at the end of the handle and decided it was wiser to bring the dogs in the house until she decided to move on.
How I know she was female? Invading somebody else’ territory and hissing for no reason, of course …
you crazy cowboy! glad you and the dogs are all okay after encounter. but you got it all wrong about the sex of the slithery hisser….it’s gotta be a guy. lazin’ about in someone else’s space. totally ambivalent. and that rattle? that’s just the sound of empty beer cans strewn about….this is new mexico,after all.
Boo! Boo, Tobi! Hiss! Hiss! If I had one of Pia’s waterballoons, I’d aim it for your head with that comment!!! Love ya!