From the glossary of "Wake Up Dead Man" by Bruce Jackson
" Rattler. The original tracking hound, the one who can follow any trail, walk a log, swim the trecherous Brazos River (all Teaxs work camps were based along the Brazos). There is a well known songabout him (#62, a,b,c,d) & he is sometimes mentioned in other songs. I've been told that it is traditional to name at least one dog on each farm "Rattler". See notes for song62 for more about the name.

Notes to song 62
Rattler is the superhound; he can do all the things that any dog sergeant would want his best dogs to enjoy doing if they were smart enough to know what their master really wantedof them; he prefers tracking convicts to chewing on a bone. etc.

Botkin reprints in Tresuary of American Folklore 91944,p.19) a story in which Davy Crockett's dog in named "Rattler" (the story is taken from 'Sketches & Eccentricities of Col. David Crockett, of West Tennessee', New York,1833, pp125-127).

Barry