As the weather gets warmer here in Arizona, more and more dog owners are venturing outside to enjoy the great outdoors.
Keep in mind, as you’re taking your dog out hiking or playing for hours in the backyard, that another creature has come out to enjoy the warmth, too: rattlesnakes.
Rattlesnakes are venomous reptiles that are fairly abundant in the Arizona landscape. Named for the distinct warning rattle they emit from the tip of their tail, rattlesnakes have a venom that is extremely potent, and their bites require immediate medical attention.
Although fatalities in humans are rare, according to LiveScience reports, this isn’t the case for our furry friends.
What is Snake Avoidance Training?
Dogs generally don’t instinctively know to avoid rattlesnakes, and as such, they can easily become victims of their bites. Although the snakes do not bite unprovoked, a dog nose invading their space is enough to send the reptile into defense mode and you to an emergency animal hospital. That’s why snake avoidance training is so important: it was developed as a preventive measure to help keep your dog safe from snake bites.
As the name suggests, snake avoidance training is a regimen intended to teach your dog to avoid snakes at all costs. Dogs are taught how to avoid being bitten by conditioning the pups to the sight, sound, and smell of all snakes, both harmless and life-threatening venomous species.
