<\/span>
\n <\/button><\/p>\nWhich method is best?<\/h2>\n
Carotenuto, who teaches at the University of Arizona\u2019s College of Veterinary Medicine, said she\u2019s participating in a research study there into whether rattlesnake-aversion training works, and which method is most effective.<\/p>\n
Like Belcher, most trainers insist that the use of the electronic collar is necessary to ensure a dog will avoid poisonous snakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a very fast and effective form of training,\u201d said Belcher, who has traveled around the Western U.S. for more than two decades teaching rattlesnake avoidance to thousands of pet and working dogs, including search-and-rescue animals and the occasional police dog.<\/p>\n
He acknowledged the growing debate about the use of electronic training collars, a method that the American Humane Society has opposed as cruel.<\/p>\n
The ASPCA doesn\u2019t explicitly oppose electronic collars, but insists they be used correctly.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis type of training can be highly effective \u2014 however, we recommend that such training be conducted only under the guidance of a trainer knowledgeable in the principles of avoidance learning,\u201d said Pamela Reid, vice president of ASPCA\u2019s behavioral sciences team. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt is imperative to weigh the dog\u2019s risk of a snakebite against the potential fallout from using an electronic collar,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Training a dog to come reliably when it\u2019s called and to \u201cleave it\u201d when it is interested in something dangerous \u201ccan go a long way toward keeping a dog safe,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Belcher said he has developed an alternative positive-reinforcement program for clients who are squeamish about electronic collars, but nobody has wanted to pay the $2,500 he would charge for the multiple sessions. A single visit with the collar costs $125.<\/p>\n
Another trainer, Mike Parmley in Salt Lake City, teaches as many as 500 dogs every year, usually in small classes of four to six. He uses an electronic collar set on a low level, emphasizing, \u201cYou don\u2019t have to shock the hell out of the dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
He aims to help dogs steer clear of the Salt Lake area\u2019s Great Basin rattlesnakes.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey are a pretty big problem up here in the foothills,\u201d said Parmley, who owns Barley\u2019s Canine Recreation Center. \u201cThey came out a lot earlier this year because of a trend of warmer weather, and we had more than 100 dogs signed up by early June.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other steps to prevent encounters with snakes<\/h2>\n
Here are some tips from trainers and veterinarians for protecting your dog:<\/p>\n
\u2014 Learn about snakes in your area. Venomous snakes exist across the U.S., with various rattler species not only in the West but as far east as New York and North Carolina.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Clear your yard of long grass and other foliage or debris that can attract small rodents hunted by snakes. Trimming back growth can eliminate hiding places.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Stay on well-worn trails while hiking and keep your dog on a leash.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Don\u2019t let your guard down even if your dog has had avoidance training. A viper can surprise and attack a person or pet without warning.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Seek emergency care immediately if your dog is bitten because the venom will move quickly through its body, destroying tissue.<\/p>\n
___<\/p>\n
For more AP pet stories, go to https:\/\/apnews.com\/hub\/pets<\/a><\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"In this undated photo shows Brian the rattlesnake, which is used to train dogs to avoid dangerous vipers, in Tucson, Ariz. (J.J. Belcher via AP) 2026-08-01T04:02:09Z TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) \u2014 Ripley, a medium-sized dog with a strong prey drive, curiously approached Brian, a large western diamondback rattlesnake, until she got a quick zap on the… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"neve_meta_sidebar":"","neve_meta_container":"","neve_meta_enable_content_width":"","neve_meta_content_width":0,"neve_meta_title_alignment":"","neve_meta_author_avatar":"","neve_post_elements_order":"","neve_meta_disable_header":"","neve_meta_disable_footer":"","neve_meta_disable_title":"","neve_meta_reading_time":"","_themeisle_gutenberg_block_has_review":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1820","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1820"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1820\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1820"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1820"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/uscnews.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1820"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}