I was reading up on some other national forums and there were lots of threads about snake proofing your dog. I can understand it's a neccessity in texas or louisiana but man, those guys were going to the trouble to get defanged rattlers or tying up watersnakes and shock collering the dogs. I love snakes, own 4 of em and have 2 in my lab but i never even considered having to work the dog with them. Mabye there is some other positive aspects to living in ohio other than lake erie...relative lack of venomous snakes. A few copperheads down south and mabye a very rare timber rattlesnake but nothing like the texas guys were talking about.<br>
<P>The biggest problem I have here in WNY is the occasional tick. Even that is something I do not see very often. I have a lab every winter because her owner goes to Florida for three months. In the neighborhood he lives in, the labs are nicknamed Gator Bait! Will not stay out of the water so many are lost to gators. Sent me a picture of a 12 footer in his back yard. I will take a snow storm any day. We are blessed with(out) these distractions. Jim</P>
