Snake-avoidance training can be a lifesaver for dogs that live among venomous snakes. A common way to train snake avoidance is to pair a strong aversive , like an electric shock, with the appearance of a snake to instill in the dog a fear of snakes.

I highly recommend you consider rattlesnake avoidance training for your dog! It can save its life. As you will read below, rattlesnake vaccines have many limits and risks. They also don't protect your dog from venom like you normally expect from vaccines.

Place the fake snake on the ground and when you approach it with your dog, say “leave it!” and give a big reward when he does. When he is good at this, increase the challenge by tying a string to the snake and have someone make it move. Again, offer a high value reward for leaving it alone.

The dogs in the class are presented with the sight, smell, and sound of rattlesnakes, and are then delivered a painful shock. The idea behind this training is to teach the dogs that snakes equal pain for them and should be avoided. In theory, and often in practice as well, this is an effective strategy.