Snake Avoidance Dog Training

Front Range K9 Academy
Wheat Ridge, CO

Teach your dog to avoid rattlesnakes, at home, on the trail, and camping.

“I attended [Front Range] K9 Academy's rattlesnake avoidance class with my dog, Josie, and was impressed by the professionalism of Jordan. She provided excellent instruction, communicated well, was friendly and polite, thorough, and focused on a positive outcome for my dog.”

Michael Rios, Englewood, Co

Snake Avoidance Dog Training

Not all dogs are naturally afraid of snakes. While nothing is 100% guaranteed, snake avoidance training (or snake proofing, as it's sometimes called) has been shown be to very helpful in teaching dogs to recognize - and AVOID - snakes.

Don’t get lost in a big clinic with hundreds of dogs, where each dog only gets about 5 to 10 minutes with the trainer & snakes. This is a private, one-on-one training session with you and your dog and the trainer. We book a full hour for each session (training may take anywhere from 30 to 60 minutes.)

We train the dog to avoid the scent, sight and sound of snakes with the remote e-collar as a negative consequence for interest and engagement with snakes; and we use positive reinforcement to encourage, reward, and build a strong routine of avoidance.

We use mechanical snakes for sight & movement, actual dehydrated rattlesnakes & skins for sight & scent, and recordings for sounds.  

To attend this private dog training class, we require:  proof of current vaccinations, registration form, reservation fee, & liability release. 

Offered year-round, but most effective April to October, when snakes are active in the Denver/Front Range area.

Cost:

Initial Session: SALE $99 (normally $125)

Refresher sessions (recommended in the spring, when the snakes begin to come out): $75

Rattlesnake bites can kill.

Even when rattlesnake bites aren't lethal, they are extremely painful for dogs - and costly for owners. The average vial of antivenom alone costs between $800 and $1000, with the average snakebite veterinary treatment(s) ranging between $2000 and $4000.

Did you know?

Rattlesnake bites in dogs happen most often between April and October. Warm weather brings the snakes out and increases chances of encounters.

Many dogs get bitten by rattlesnakes within yards of their own home, instead of on hikes or camping out in the back country.

Dogs are usually bitten by rattlesnakes after accidentally stepping on them, or after messing with them due to the dog's natural curiosity and prey drive instincts.