We had made our way to the top of the mountain without seeing a bear and were on our way down when George and I heard the distinct rattle and hiss of an unhappy rattlesnake. I could barely make it out, coiled and looking at us from a well-camouflaged bed of leaves. Betsy was a few feet away from the snake, and she came immediately when I called for her. George insisted on snapping a photo before we got the heck out of there.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/09/08/when-dogs-tangle-with-snakes/