‘Get Rattled’ teaches dogs rattlesnake avoidance – KOLO

RENO, Nev. (KOLO) – A rattlesnake bite can be fatal to your dog. So if you hike with them often, it may be a good idea to put them through rattlesnake training.

Get Rattled offers classes for your dog to teach them to stay away from rattlesnakes. They last for about an hour. At the beginning of the class, they attach a shock collar to your dog and have a few obstacles for them to overcome.

“Our first station is a live rattlesnake, out in the open, to make that first encounter as natural as possible,” said John Potash, Owner of Get Rattled. “We have other stations that focus solely on scent. So when the dog is sniffing around, we have an obstacle that simulates a snake in a bush. They’re going to smell it, they’re not going to hear it or see it. The other one simulates a hole, because we all know how much dogs like sticking their noses in holes.”

These classes are even more important because of a dog’s interest in rattlesnakes.

“It’s actually kind of the perfect dog toy,” said Potash. “It looks interesting, it smells great, it makes cool noises. It attracts a lot of dogs. Of course, some dogs just have a prey drive. So they’re just like, ‘Oh, something alive. Let me go get it.’ Either way, it’s a bad situation for the dog once they approach them.”

Get Rattled is planning more classes for the future. If you’re dog gets bit before you can get them to a class, Potash says get them to a veterinary hospital right away.

“It’s very important that you keep your dog calm and get them to a veterinarian office as quickly as possible. Don’t worry about any of the field treatments you might have heard of, like Benadryl doesn’t work. There’s really not much else you can do. Don’t do tourniquets or anything like that. Just make sure you get your dog to a veterinarian as quickly as possible.”

You can stay up to date on when and where classes are being offered here.

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