I'll start by saying we have had wonderful weather once Summer actually started. Lots of sunny days with high temps. mostly high 70s to low 80s. Perfect. My husband and I like to get our dogs out for a walk every morning. We walk up a USFS paved, one lane road that follows a creek and leads to a trailhead. We are surrounded by the Wallowa Mountain Range with many peaks close to 10,000 feet.
One morning in the recent past my husband was not available to join the boys and I on our morning walk so I took them by myself. Now I have taken the two of them on walks by myself many times. What was different this time? We were walking along and I always look at what is ahead of us on the road so I have time to tighten up the leashes (examples: horseshit, dead rodents, etc.) so they can't dive and get a mouthful. About 30 feet in front of us in the middle of the road was a snake sunbathing on the asphalt. I saw it first, grabbed their leashes close to their collars, then Mack spotted it and started pulling forward, then Ruggles joined in and I was overpowered. I was trying to walk backwards but we were getting closer to the snake. I started yelling at the snake to move; not knowing if they have ears I started jumping up and down on the pavement. I could see both of the dogs getting a hold of the snake and playing tug with it or what if one of them swallowed it! I have fished many things out of their mouths but honestly didn't think I could a snake. We got within 5 feet of the snake when it finally moved in to the grass. Of course I got drug over to the grass but it was gone.
We completed our walk and I went home feeling like both arms were longer.
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One morning in the recent past my husband was not available to join the boys and I on our morning walk so I took them by myself. Now I have taken the two of them on walks by myself many times. What was different this time? We were walking along and I always look at what is ahead of us on the road so I have time to tighten up the leashes (examples: horseshit, dead rodents, etc.) so they can't dive and get a mouthful. About 30 feet in front of us in the middle of the road was a snake sunbathing on the asphalt. I saw it first, grabbed their leashes close to their collars, then Mack spotted it and started pulling forward, then Ruggles joined in and I was overpowered. I was trying to walk backwards but we were getting closer to the snake. I started yelling at the snake to move; not knowing if they have ears I started jumping up and down on the pavement. I could see both of the dogs getting a hold of the snake and playing tug with it or what if one of them swallowed it! I have fished many things out of their mouths but honestly didn't think I could a snake. We got within 5 feet of the snake when it finally moved in to the grass. Of course I got drug over to the grass but it was gone.
We completed our walk and I went home feeling like both arms were longer.
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... We have rattlesnakes a many! This is one of my fears!! Glad it "heard" you and moved on!!!
We have rattlesnakes where we camp. I had an encounter with one 2 years ago with my other two boys (Ace and Orion - Orion's passed now). It was about 3pm and I took them both to the end of the trail from our campsite after we got back in from boating and I was about 15 feet away from them as they were off leash. Then I heard it!!!! The sound of a rattle. To my horror Ace was on one side of it and Orion was on the other and it was coiled up getting close to striking. Well that morning since it was our first morning there I had taken them both down to the water and gave them a 10 minute brush up on sit, stay, come, etc. like I always did on our first outing out during for the summer. Well I hollared ACE ORION COME!!! And immediately they did just that. From that point on I was more on guard. Snakes are scaryyyy!
