Worrying about Snakes

Pssst.

Southern Pacific rattlesnake. Pat Murkland Photo

It's snake season.

We have 6 species of rattlesnakes in Southern California.

Three different species live where we do.

Each has its own DNA.

The anti-rattler vaccine doesn't appear to apply to our snake breeds.

Anti-rattler training with shock collars?

Many Irish Wolfhound people will tell you,

not with their hounds.

Our first wolfhound, Erin, was our snake-wise trainer of other wolfhounds.

When Blake was a baby, she taught him about snakes.

Today, Blake barked ferociously.

We investigated.

Blake wanted too let us know this snake was in the yard.

This is our "snake protection yard," with a snake fence around the chainlink.

The snake still found its way in.

Fortunately, this was a beneficial gopher snake. Whew.

Blake stood guard while we checked out the situation, watching the snake and protecting us.

Good dog, Blake!

Thank you, Erin. Good training.

Tribute to Harry (3)

Champion door opener

As noted in a previous post, the wolfhounds are great at opening doors, and Harry was the master of all door-openers. Here, he was caught in the act of opening the doorknob with his mouth so he could go inside with his partners in crime, Ginny (then a puppy, center), and Erin, who no doubt master-minded the whole operation.

Tribute to Harry (1)

Harry and Puppy Omen, 2002

Today Omen would have been six years old.

Now that Harry has joined him in the next world, I believe that their relationship has resumed to what it was when Omen was young. They were the best of friends, and Omen was Harry's shadow. He imitated everything that Harry did. Because Omen had severe temperament issues and was extremely shy, Harry taught him that life is exciting and fun. It was a joy to witness the countless tender ways Harry was the loving guardian of his buddy, Omen. They loved to run together and I picture them running together now — chasing after Erin.

 They still can't catch her.

Name games

My first Irish Wolfhound more than eight years ago was very special as the first, and I searched and thought a long while when it came to naming her and registering her with the American Kennel Club. I looked through Irish dictionaries and delved into other possible sources such as myths and legends. In the end she gave me her own name, because that's who she was: Erin, Rocket Girl of Rysheron. Her call name was Erin ... Ireland.

Harry's registered name is CH Rysheron's Wizard, JC, a tipoff that Harry's name pays homage to the hero of J.K. Rowling's magical classics. 

CH Glenamadda Starkeeper Verity was a bundle of red brindle when she arrived as a puppy from Canada. A smarty redhead with a giant crush on Harry from Day One ... naturally, she named herself: Ginny.

 

 Young Ginny with Harry at dusk in 2007

Her registered name, Verity, comes from being in the "V" litter. Verity means truth, and that's my hope for the foundation of my kennel.

Blake, the youngest, registered as Limerick Blake at Gryffindor, comes from a litter of 12 magnificent wolfhounds that are all named after tennis players!