German Shepherd Max is one of my regular students, and trains in our Advanced Obedience class on Saturdays.

Last Sat he never showed up for class, and today I found out why.

He was bitten by a Diamondback Rattlesnake.

Today he was snake proofed, and no, he did not avoid the snake due to being bitten. In fact, he walked right up to it.

Max is actually one of the "lucky" ones. Despite being bitten on the face, his injuries were relatively "minor".

His Mom still had to endure all the pain, suffering and yes, a vet bill of $1,500, but a week later, when this photo was taken, Max was feeling ok.

After we snakeproofed him, we tested him on a path we have specially cut into the desert. He did great, so hopefully he knows enough now to stay away.

And he will be back in training on Saturday.