Does my dog need this training?

If you hike, hunt or camp with your dog or live in a rural area, your pet may be at risk of being bitten by a rattlesnake. Without emergency treatment, your pet could die from a rattlesnake bite.

Statistical data is not available on the number of dogs that are bitten in Nevada each year. However, our unscientific poll of area vets, found that they are seeing up to ten rattlesnake bites in dogs per summer.

In the 2003 rattlesnake avoidance training season, we trained nine dogs that had been previously bitten. Two of those dogs had been bitten twice on two separate occasions. One dog had been bitten four times on a single occasion, with the snake injecting most of it venom in one of the bites.

Unlike humans who know the distinctive sound of a rattler means danger, dogs are naturally curious. The first thing they do is put their nose down to investigate. That is why most of the snake bites to dogs happen in the face or front legs.

Rattlesnake bites are rarely fatal in humans, but most vets agree that they can be fatal to dogs without immediate treatment. People who hike or hunt with their dogs are usually more than 20 minutes from a veterinary hospital.

Rattlesnakes in Nevada have hematoxic venom, which means that they primarily affect the blood and can destroy tissue. Bites from rattlesnakes are extremely painful.

The benefits of rattlesnake training are obvious for your dog, but it could benefit you too. Your dog’s reaction to detecting a rattlesnake can signal you to avoid the snake. Second, it could save you the emotional trauma of having your dog hurt or killed. It also could save you a hefty vet bill. If the bite is caught in time, dogs can be treated with up to several days in the hospital, at a cost of up to $2,500.

How does the training work?

Back to Nevada Wildlife Federation home page

(Top) This dog was bitten by a rattlesnake in the head four times just three weeks prior to the training. The dog lived after $1,500 in treatments. (Below) This dog has a key-shaped tongue after being bit by a rattlesnake in the mouth. "King" nearly died, but he recovered after $2,300 in treatments.