Rattlesnake Avoidance training For Dogs

[dansley]

I have  seen a few posts in the past on rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs. My lab was trained when we were in AZ, and it has stuck with him for 9 years.   I am now offering this service in Wenatchee. You might consider getting the training out of the way before upland bird season.  For information click here;www.rattlesnakedog.com.

[WAcoyotehunter]

not a bad idea.  Our border collie got bit a few years ago and it hit her pretty hard.  I would also recommend getting the "vaccine" they offer.  Without that she would have been in a bad way.

[Happy Gilmore]

What if you dogs are collar conditioned and have a fetch/sit response to the collar?

[Shannon]

I am interested in taking my dog to this. Just curious as to what your qualifications are?

[KFhunter]

they got a snake in a cage - and they zap the hell outta your dog when it sniffs the cage

then they have you walk your dog to a snake thats not in a cage - and if your dog doesn't stop or show fear they zap the hell out of it again



I'm not sold on this approach, for starters they have you make over the dog after its zapped
the cage on the ground has tons of scent all around from both other dogs and humans too, probably urine from other dogs getting zapped before yours


I'd rather a professionally defanged snake with venom sac removed (yes you can permanatly defang a rattler and remove venom sacks) minimally handled and allowed to move about on its own, coil up, rattle and strike - then zap the dog

[Happy Gilmore]

The method would worry me because my dogs are force fetch with both manual pressure and collar pressure. They are also collar conditioned and forced to pile. I would fear that putting direct pressure on the dog would do one of two things with a new, live animal. With collar pressure on my dog and a bird nearby, my dog will become frantic to get the bird in her mouth. When I say frantic, she might become cage smashing frantic if she decided the little noise maker is what she thinks that I(through the collar) am trying to get her to pick up. THe other response to collars that is common with collar trained retrievers is a GO response to the collar. We use collar pressure to teach dogs to run blinds and the collar means GO.

I hope the poster replies with some input on his experience with a variety of dogs and different level of training the dogs he's worked with on this method. I wouldn't do it personally with my dogs because I'd be very affraid they'd do everything in their power to get the snake. My dogs are thoughrouly collar conditioned and force fetched. Collar pressure on a snake might cause a whole pile of other problems as well.

[KFhunter]

my dog isn't force fetched to the level yours is,  I've done the ear pinch method on the table tied off on a line above the table with a roller so the dog can run the length of the table but not escape

now I've got her on the ground grabbing bumpers and bringing them back, she wouldn't retreive much of anything before.

So with this snake, I wonder how one should get a FF'd dog to avoid them if not the Ecollar

I just zapped the hell out of my dog when she chased a deer, I made sure she was commited to the chase then lit her up - she screamed and hollard then about faced and full throttle back to me.  I let off the button soon as she broke off the deer but she got a good 2-3 second zap on max setting.  I ignored her totally during the whole thing like nothing happened and she was back to herself in about ten minutes.

So if you were walking along and stumbled upon a rattler just as yor dog was coming back to you - or you had it on heal,  what would you do?

[Happy Gilmore]

I'd be on NO-HERE-HEAL with a burn. Not sure. I don't know a thing about snake training. I'd be interested if we could get some replies to the methodology behind it.

[KFhunter]

almost need another type of stimulation - shot of pepper spray to the nose would do it I bet

hmmm wonder if a guy could rig something like that up 

[Bluemoon]

I have been to witness a few of these clinics.  IMO with the exception of one trainer down in Oregon they are flat out dog abuse..I would not recommend it.  The $21.50 shot every year to me worth more than having someone destroy a well trained dog.   For many years I lived right on the clockum creek with my dogs where there are a lot of snakes never had a problem. 

[BIGINNER]

I have been to witness a few of these clinics.  IMO with the exception of one trainer down in Oregon they are flat out dog abuse..I would not recommend it.  The $21.50 shot every year to me worth more than having someone destroy a well trained dog.   For many years I lived right on the clockum creek with my dogs where there are a lot of snakes never had a problem.

hey what shot are you talking about. also, is there some kind of atni venom or something like that i can get to carry around in the feild. after losing two hunting dogs in 1 year i am extra carefull with everything. (one was hit by a car and the other died from parvo)

[Happy Gilmore]

I have been to witness a few of these clinics.  IMO with the exception of one trainer down in Oregon they are flat out dog abuse..I would not recommend it.  The $21.50 shot every year to me worth more than having someone destroy a well trained dog.   For many years I lived right on the clockum creek with my dogs where there are a lot of snakes never had a problem.

hey what shot are you talking about. also, is there some kind of atni venom or something like that i can get to carry around in the feild. after losing two hunting dogs in 1 year i am extra carefull with everything. (one was hit by a car and the other died from parvo)

You get a shot once a year which is basically a vaccine. Your dog will get sick if bitten but, will not die.

[predatorpro]

they got a snake in a cage - and they zap the hell outta your dog when it sniffs the cage

then they have you walk your dog to a snake thats not in a cage - and if your dog doesn't stop or show fear they zap the hell out of it again



I'm not sold on this approach, for starters they have you make over the dog after its zapped
the cage on the ground has tons of scent all around from both other dogs and humans too, probably urine from other dogs getting zapped before yours


I'd rather a professionally defanged snake with venom sac removed (yes you can permanatly defang a rattler and remove venom sacks) minimally handled and allowed to move about on its own, coil up, rattle and strike - then zap the dog

well good luck defanging a rattle snake, first its illegal to own any venomous snake and defanging one is like chopping a dogs nuts off with a pair of scissors and will eventually kill the rattle snake normally sooner than later, and just because its a snake doesnt mean who cares if it dies

[Happy Gilmore]

they got a snake in a cage - and they zap the hell outta your dog when it sniffs the cage

then they have you walk your dog to a snake thats not in a cage - and if your dog doesn't stop or show fear they zap the hell out of it again



I'm not sold on this approach, for starters they have you make over the dog after its zapped
the cage on the ground has tons of scent all around from both other dogs and humans too, probably urine from other dogs getting zapped before yours


I'd rather a professionally defanged snake with venom sac removed (yes you can permanatly defang a rattler and remove venom sacks) minimally handled and allowed to move about on its own, coil up, rattle and strike - then zap the dog

well good luck defanging a rattle snake, first its illegal to own any venomous snake and defanging one is like chopping a dogs nuts off with a pair of scissors and will eventually kill the rattle snake normally sooner than later, and just because its a snake doesnt mean who cares if it dies

I don't think that is completely true. Have you ever stopped by or seen the Reptile Man's business in Sultan on HWY 2? He also takes devenomized(sp?) snakes to schools to show kids. I went and saw him at my nephews school in Kennewick about 3 years ago. Pretty cool and all the snakes were very lively and healthy. Including the 12' King Cobra that he had loose on the table about 15' away from all the kids sitting on the gym floor. I was in the back getting ready to pull a George Custanza out the exit door if that thing made a move for the floor...

[KFhunter]

they got a snake in a cage - and they zap the hell outta your dog when it sniffs the cage

then they have you walk your dog to a snake thats not in a cage - and if your dog doesn't stop or show fear they zap the hell out of it again



I'm not sold on this approach, for starters they have you make over the dog after its zapped
the cage on the ground has tons of scent all around from both other dogs and humans too, probably urine from other dogs getting zapped before yours


I'd rather a professionally defanged snake with venom sac removed (yes you can permanatly defang a rattler and remove venom sacks) minimally handled and allowed to move about on its own, coil up, rattle and strike - then zap the dog

well good luck defanging a rattle snake, first its illegal to own any venomous snake and defanging one is like chopping a dogs nuts off with a pair of scissors and will eventually kill the rattle snake normally sooner than later, and just because its a snake doesnt mean who cares if it dies

I don't think that is completely true. Have you ever stopped by or seen the Reptile Man's business in Sultan on HWY 2? He also takes devenomized(sp?) snakes to schools to show kids. I went and saw him at my nephews school in Kennewick about 3 years ago. Pretty cool and all the snakes were very lively and healthy. Including the 12' King Cobra that he had loose on the table about 15' away from all the kids sitting on the gym floor. I was in the back getting ready to pull a George Custanza out the exit door if that thing made a move for the floor...

I've seen it, went to the school with my kids and that is auctually where I got the idea for my post above. I even startled a bit when the black mamba jumped out 


SO ya I'd like to see a licensed herpatologistwith a properly defanged rattler team up for some dog training, he could handle the snake and a good trainer could help with the dogs.

http://www.reptileman.com/home.html