Dave and Julie's Wonderful Adventure: The Tortoise Whisperer and Rattle Snake Training

It is that time of the year when the Mojave Desert Tortoise comes out of hiding to consume all the food and water it is going to need to survive the majority of the year underground. That means for a few months in the spring if you are lucky you may spot one while hiking or biking. If you have the tortoise whisperer with you, you will improve your chances dramatically.

The other day while hiking, I turned to look for Cooper who runs loose on certain trails and he was no where in site. I quickly called his name and I could hear him start barking. I ran back up the trail and there he was just off the trail barking at a Mojave Desert Tortoise. You do not want to scare them or pick them up as they will urinate, losing the "water" necessary to help them sustain the harsh summer heat and will likely die. I quickly leashed Cooper and got him away from he tortoise, of course not before taking pictures.

Mojave Desert Tortoise. NEVER call it a TURTLE as it offends some people! I had to learn this the hard way.

A short time later after taking him off the leash he discovered a pair of tortoise sunning themselves and enjoying a peaceful morning, at least until we showed up.

Please note, no tortoise were injured during these encounters.

Well, with this newly acquired skill, I could only imagine how long or short it would be until he found a rattle snake. The very next day he was in school to learn to avoid rattle snakes. They have a defanged rattler (it is painless and only lasts a couple of weeks before the fangs grow back) that they let the dogs "get to know". Once the dog has discovered the snake they shock it before it gets too close so they can associate pain with the snake. Cooper was right on the snake and had a great deal of interest. Too much. The handler gave him a jolt and he jumped in the air and screamed like he had been shot. The handler looked at me and said it was only a 4 on a scale of 1-14. I told him Cooper is delicate. Well, he learned not to go anywhere near snakes and graduated top of his class. He is still a little spooked by anything on the ground 5 days later. Lesson Learned!