24/04/2024
Most rattlesnake avoidance classes use aversive pain-based methods, but there are alternatives!
Overall, less than 1% of dogs and cats in the U.S. are bit by snakes. However, if you live in an area prone to rattlesnakes, your odds are obviously higher. About 85% of rattlesnake bites to dogs occur in the dog’s in the backyard, so if you have a backyard where your pets roam freely, or if you hike with your dog (especially off-leash) in a place where rattlesnakes are common, avoidance training is a good investment to keep your dog safe.
A vet bill for a deadly snake attack can cost upwards to $2,250, plus untold heartache wondering if the dog would pull through after a night in the Veterinarian E.R.
What makes it worse is that there’s evidence this type of training doesn’t work for all dogs!
Generally in these classes, the dog encounters a live rattlesnake that’s been muzzled, had its fangs removed, or been milked of its venom. Then, while the dog is near the snake, a painful shock is delivered via the e-collar.
The idea is to teach the dog that snakes equal pain and should be avoided. In theory, this can be an effective strategy. However for some dogs, this type of training can result in unwanted side effects and might even produce the opposite behavior of what’s intended.
Because the trainer cannot control what connections the dog is making, this type of training can be unpredictable. Some dog might develop a fear of oscillating sprinklers, which can sound like a rattlesnake. Other dogs, rather than learning to avoid the snake, could choose to attack instead!
In the case of rattlesnake training, the rewarded response is to run away when the dog becomes aware of a snake.
Rattlesnake Avoidance without shock
With an e-collar, a snake aversion training class might only last one hour. The positive reinforcement method takes longer, but spreading the course over six weeks allows the dogs time to learn without pain.
These are the steps:
Step 1: Using real rattlesnake scent, dogs learn to identify the scent of a rattlesnake through positive reinforcement.
Step 2: Go away! Trains dogs to run away on command.
Step 3: Combining Steps 1 and 2. Dog learn to run away upon smelling the snake.
Step 4: Using toy snakes, often combined with the scent, dogs learn to recognize snakes by sight.
Step 5: Finally, the sound is added. Using maracas or phone apps to mimic the sound, dog learn to avoid use their hearing to avoid rattlesnakes.
For the remaining steps, and the final two weeks of class, a live rattlesnake is introduced to ensure the training has worked. Through repetitive positive reinforcement, dogs learn to run away as soon as they smell, see, or hear a rattlesnake.
