Living with Rattlesnakes
Living in California means that we share our trails and backyard with Rattlesnakes. These animals pose a danger to our pets and ourselves but there are ways to mitigate risk and explore the outdoors safely.
Building off the work of experts in the fields of animal behavior, cognition, and wildlife ecology, our program offers an alternative to traditional aversive rattlesnake training. We believe there is power in knowledge so join us for this 2-hour presentation about snake ethology, trail safety, emergency preparedness and more.
Who is this class for?
Pet guardians
Pet sitters
Dog Trainers
Other pet care professionals
Prerequisites:
None!
Package details:
2 hour class - $45
Class takes place on campus
For humans only. Please leave your pups at home.
What we cover:
Rattlesnake behavior and ethology
"Snake-proofing" yards and homes
Trail safety (for dogs and humans!)
Critical dog training skills for snake country
Risk assessment of snake aversion classes
Creative training setups for wildlife avoidance
More Details
Resources
After this seminar, you will receive a follow-up email with a copy of the presentation given and step-by-step instructions for each exercise covered. This email will also contain links to additional resources, purchasable items, Clickstart’s supportive services and more.
Trainer Qualifications
Cassie and Liv, Clickstart’s co-founders and certified behavior consultants, have been researching alternatives to snake aversion classes for 10 years now. They’ve learned from the leaders in the industry with specialties in positive reinforcement-based snake avoidance training including Eileen Koval and Ken Ramirez. Liv and Cassie are passionate about helping pet parents steer clear of aversive training methods such as shock collars, even when faced with a logical fallacies that prey on your fears.
Class setup
This seminar is 2 hours and takes place on Clickstart’s Campus. You will have a table and chair to get comfortable and take notes throughout the presentation. Liv and Cassie welcome questions at any time!
FAQs
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This is a humans-only seminar so there will not be any live training. We will be reviewing beneficial exercises, showing videos demonstrations, and sending instructions for you to work with your dog at home.
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Any training company that promises a safety guarantee is offering a false peace of mind. A false peace of mind lowers our guard and precautions which can ultimately put our pets and ourselves in more danger. We must always be vigilant, prepared, take precautions and accept that, even then, accidents still happen. Knowing what to do in the case of an emergency is just as important as preventing one.
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These classes use shock collars under the false pretense that one good shock can teach a dog to avoid snakes. In reality, the shock often gets associated with something else completely (dirt trails, car rides, being on leash, another dog in the class, people, etc.). We worked with one dog who went to one snake aversion class and refused to walk on a dirt trail for the rest of his life.
Shock collars in general are known to increase anxiety, fear, and even aggression. We’ve known dogs who have become more aggressive toward snakes (or even sticks on the trail that look like snakes!) after attending a snake aversion class. Looking to attack a snake is not our idea of safety.
All in all, these classes offer a false sense of security and run the risk of damaging your dog’s psyche.
We would never put our dogs through a class like this and we hike all the time. We understand that it’s not the safety guarantee that they present it to be and the risks far outweigh any benefit.
