06/09/2025
For the first few years of Arizona Rattlesnake Aversion, we tried very hard not to comment on the efficacy of other Aversion Training methods. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to hold our tongue when we consistently see dogs who have been "trained" with ZERO Aversion to rattlesnakes.
These "trainers" are selling false hope, and that puts dogs in danger. It also puts people in danger, because properly trained dogs will often give their humans a sign that rattlesnakes are nearby (this keeps you safe on the trail).
The following videos are from this weekend.
The Doberman was trained one year ago using a CAGED rattlesnake. As you can see, he has ZERO Aversion.
The Cane Corso (video in comments) was trained TWO WEEKS AGO using caged rattlesnakes. As you can see, he walks right up (within 6 inches) to the rattlesnake and sniffs it. To his credit, he did eventually jump back a foot (still way too close), but that was only after the rattlesnake suddenly began to rattle and it frightened him (pretty typical response to a sudden and strange sound for any dog, whether trained or not). It was not because of Aversion. An averse dog would have not gone within several feet of the snake after seeing it and smelling it. Properly trained dogs respond to the scent and appearance of the snake - not just the rattle.
These are just 2 of the 6 dogs we retrained this weekend that were originally trained using caged snakes or group classes. NONE of them had an Aversion. This doesn't mean it does not work 100% of the time - we have seen dogs trained with caged snakes with some Aversion. However, 90% of the dogs we retrain have little to no Aversion.
If you recently had your dog trained using these methods, we will happily check their Aversion and retrain them properly for free.
