Rattle Snake Training for Dogs

Rattle snake training is important for dogs that live in areas where rattlesnakes are found. Rattlesnake venom can kill a dog in a matter of a few short hours if antivenin is not administered immediately following a bite. Treatment with antivenin is expensive and risky. It's best to avoid bites altogether by training your dog to avoid snakes. While many snake aversion trainers use inhumane methods such as shock collars to teach dogs to avoid snakes, positive reinforcement training as well as safety precautions while walking can have the same benefit without inflicting cruelty on your dog.

  1. Teaching "Leave It"

    • Before you can teach your dog to avoid rattlesnakes, you'll need to teach him or her to "Leave It" on command. "Leave It" is a command meaning, "Turn your nose and body away from that object immediately."

      Start by teaching "Leave It" with something of low value to your dog, such as a rock. Hold the rock in your hand and let your dog sniff it. Wait until the dog turns its nose away from your hand, then reward him or her with a small treat. Repeat this until your dog will sniff the rock then turn away from it to get a treat.

      Once your dog will turn away from an object to get a treat, give the behavior a name. Say, "Leave It!" as your dog turns away from the rock, then give praise and a treat. After a few repetitions, stop rewarding the behavior unless you've first given your verbal cue.

      Continue this training with progressively higher-value objects. Move up to a stick or an old toy. When your dog will turn away from these objects on cue, try food rewards. Never reward a dog by giving him the food you just told them to turn away from. Always give a different treat.

    Snake Avoidance Training

    • Purchase a realistic plastic snake. If possible, put it in a tank with a friend's pet snake for a few days so it acquires the scent of a snake. Drop the toy snake on the floor and walk your leashed dog by it. As you approach the snake, command firmly, "Leave It!"

      If your dog turns away from the snake and looks to you for a treat, praise and reward the dog. If not, go back to Step 1 and practice for a few more training sessions, then try walking by the snake again.

      After your dog has learned to consistently turn away from the toy snake on cue when walking by it on a leash, you can increase the difficulty of the behavior. Have your dog sit on one side of the room while you stand on the other side, with the snake in the middle. Call your dog. As he approaches the snake toy, command "Leave It!" and give a big reward if your dog alters his course to avoid the snake.

      After this is accomplished, continue your rattlesnake training by periodically incorporating the toy into other training sessions and commanding your dog to turn away from it. Never allow the dog to approach, sniff or mouth the snake toy. Keep it out of your dog's sight and reach when not in use.

      If at all possible, acquire a shed rattlesnake skin and repeat the same steps with the shed skin. This is difficult for most pet owners, but increases the impact of this type of snake avoidance training significantly. Ask local ranchers to keep an eye out for shed skins and call you if they find one.

      To complete your snake avoidance training, reinforce a fear response in your dog along with the response to "Leave It." Repeat, preferably with the shed skin, the exercise in which you walk on leash toward the snake. When you get close, have an assistant in another room drop some pots and pans on the floor with a loud crash. React with extreme fear to this stimulus, screaming and running away. If your dog thinks that you, the "pack leader," is terrified, the dog will also respond with fear. Reward any fearful reaction with treats and praise. Repeat this exercise several times with the loud, scary noise.

      Once your dog is reacting with fear to the noise combined with the sight of the snake skin, try walking toward it then reacting with extreme fear to the sight of the snake skin, without the noise. Repeat the process of rewarding any fearful response, until your dog becomes reluctant to go anywhere near the snake.

      If you know a friend who owns a snake, repeat this process yet again with a live, non-venomous snake. Once your dog refuses to approach the snake and pulls away when you walk the leashed dog toward the snake, your training is complete. You'll need to repeat these exercises periodically so the dog will remember to stay away from snakes.

    Ongoing Rattle Snake Bite Avoidances

    • Training alone isn't enough to prevent a bite. Keep your dog safe by leashing him in areas where rattlesnakes may be present. Ask your veterinarian about the rattlesnake venom vaccine. Make sure you know where the nearest emergency vet clinic that stocks rattlesnake antivenin is located whenever you go hiking or camping.

      If you see a rattlesnake, don't try to approach or kill it. Never encourage a dog to attack a snake of any kind. Alter your own course to avoid the rattlesnake. Most bites occur when a snake is attacked by another animal or when it is about to be stepped on. A snake surprised in its den may also bite.