Warning

• Snake-avoidance training is something dog owners should not attempt on their own. Since training a dog effectively to avoid snakes involves exposing them to him, this process is considered very dangerous and potentially life-threatening.
  
  

Expert Insight

• Snake-avoidance training should not be left to dog owners. Instead, you can contact professionals (see an example in Resources below) skilled in training dogs to avoid snakes safely and in a controlled environment.
  
  

Function

• In snake-avoidance training dogs learn to smell snakes from a distance and avoid approaching them. This is accomplished in most cases by using remote electronic collars that deliver a mild shock to the dog every time it approaches a snake.
  
  

Considerations

• For the training to be effective year after year, owners should take their dogs to special refresher trainings at least once a year. In addition, owners living in areas densely populated by rattlesnakes should consider having their dogs vaccinated against rattlesnake bites.
  
  

Benefits

• Once dogs have been successfully snake-proofed, they will have learned a valuable, perhaps life-saving, lesson. A bonus benefit is that often these same dogs are able to alert their owners to the presence of a snake.