Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic
for Dogs
Thank you to everyone who brought their dogs out for the 2026 Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic, it was another great year! We're grateful for your support of Mountain Canine Corps and for keeping your dogs safe in rattlesnake country.
Clinic dates and locations for 2027 will be posted here when available. Follow us on social media or check back closer to spring for updates.
For more than a decade, the Rattlesnake Avoidance Clinic has brought together dog owners, outdoor enthusiasts, and community supporters for hands-on, life-saving rattlesnake avoidance training. As our largest annual fundraiser, this clinic not only provides a critical tool for protecting dogs who live, work, and recreate in rattlesnake country it also supports Mountain Canine Corps’ all-volunteer search-and-rescue team, helping fund training, equipment, and operational readiness when every minute matters.
Terry and Janet Chandler conduct rattlesnake avoidance clinics (RAC) across the Southwest and in other regions of the U.S. Their clinics are second to none because they work! They have been conducting these clinics for more than twenty-five years with unparalleled success. Terry has more than 40 years of experience training and handling dogs, specializing in top performance sporting dogs including finishing more than 100 field champions.
2026 marked the 13th year Terry & Janet have conducted RAC for residents in Santa Fe, Los Alamos, and beyond. Terry uses specially designed e-collars for this training, adjusting for each dog’s size, age, breed, physical shape, medical precondition and personality. The goal is to replace curiosity with abject fear to avoid rattlers in a safe manner. They own and operate Rugerheim Kennels in Las Cruces, NM, home to some of the top German Shorthair Pointers in the nation.
