Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for Dogs in Arizona
What Is Rattlesnake Avoidance Training?
Are you tired of apologizing for your dog's behavior? Are you looking for the perfect place to watch your dog while you're out of town? Are you looking for a place to drain your dog's energy while improving its socialization? With 100+ years of combined dog training experience, and 55,000+ dogs trained, we have seen it all. Whatever your needs, let Partners Dog School join you on the journey to a delightful relationship with your dog.
Book Your Session
Schedule Rattlesnake Avoidance Training
Pick a date and time below. Choose First Timer or Refresher, your location (Scottsdale or Cave Creek), and add more dogs in the same window. Sessions are about 15-20 minutes.
- 18,000+ dogs trained since the early 2000s
- Sessions under $110 per dog — refreshers recommended annually
- Held at both Scottsdale and Cave Creek locations
About Our Rattlesnake Avoidance Training
Discover what sets Partners Dogs apart in dog training and behavior support.
What is Partners Snake Avoidance Training?
At Partners Snake Avoidance, we train a negative association to the scent and sound of a rattlesnake using a small "stim" on an e-collar. That subsequently trains your dog to avoid rattlesnakes whenever he/she recognizes the scent or sound of a rattlesnake.
"After training, our first occasionally ran into snakes on trails, and would not approach them at all. She often let us know there was a snake up ahead, before we knew it ourselves. It's a must for dog owners who love their fur babies!"
- Karen B.
Raising Rattlesnake Avoidance Training Standards
There are a lot of variables that come into play with Rattlesnake Avoidance Training. Far too many to list. Therefore, we require our Lead Rattlesnake Avoidance Instructors to undergo a minimum of two years of training in order to properly read and adapt to all of the situations that can occur.
"We've gone to Partners for 6 years for our annual snake proofing and they never fail to excel! The trainers are very nice and conscious of your dog's quirks/issues, and ensure they pass the test."
- Julie S.
Only The Best For Your Dog
We have your dog's life in our hands, and we take that very seriously. That is why only the best of the best trainers are hand-picked to be a part of our Partners Snake Avoidance. These high standards are set to achieve the best results with your dog.
"Everyone we worked with was very professional, and you can tell they truly care about the well-being and safety of your dog. Within one, 20 minute training session, Sandy wouldn't go near or look at the snakes."
- Kimberly H.
Our Experienced Rattlesnake Avoidance Trainers
Partners Snake Avoidance is one of the first dog schools to ever do Rattlesnake Avoidance Training. Since the early 2000s, we have trained over 18,000 dogs to avoid rattlesnakes. We pass that experience onto you and ensure that every dog is trained to the best of our ability.
"We have 2 dogs who were trained by Partners for Snake Avoidance. It was done quickly and with no discomfort to our pups."
- Paul K.
Our Method
Real Snakes, Real Desert, Real Avoidance
Watch one of our location's school tour video for a comprehensive, inside look at our facilities and what we have to offer. They are also a great way to get to know our Team and see how much we love dogs! After touring our school, we hope you'll be inspired to visit one of our locations and see for yourself why we're the highest-rated dog training schools in the Southwest.
Learn More About Rattlesnake Avoidance Training for Dogs
Watch this brief video to learn all about the snake avoidance process and how just a few minutes of training can keep you and your dog safe in the desert.
How Snake Avoidance Works
Check-In
- When you arrive at Partners Snake Avoidance, you will check-in with one of our team members
- We schedule each time slot individually so there is typically only a queue of 3-4 dogs
- We will pair you with a trainer and they will put our equipment onto your dog
- We will ask you a few questions before we begin training such as your dog's age, background, and if they have any medical issues
- Once your dog has had a few minutes to get settled, we will begin training!
Training
- Next, you and your dog will accompany our Trainer back to our training area
- Our Instructor will guide the Trainer and your dog through the session while explaining to you what we are seeing
- Our goal is to teach your dog an avoidance towards the Scent and Sound of a Rattlesnake
- When your dog is confronted with a live, Diamondback Rattlesnake and shows curiosity, we will give a small stim with an e-collar to train an acute negative association
- Then our Trainer will run your dog away from the Rattlesnake in order to encourage a flight response
- The process is repeated several times around our desert habitat
Debrief and Refreshers
- Our Instructor will explain how your dog performed during training
- We assess the type of default response your dog showed (Fight, Flight, Free, Fawn)
- We explain any other variables that may affect your dog's response in the future
- The Instructor will recommend when your dog should come back in for a refresher
- Refreshers are typically recommended 1-2 times per year
Frequently asked
Snake Avoidance FAQs
Real questions from real Partners Dogs families. Have a different question? Ask us.
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Rattlesnake avoidance training is under $110 per dog per session — one of the most practical and potentially life-saving training investments you can make as an Arizona dog owner. Sessions last 15-20 minutes per dog. Annual refreshers (typically every 6-12 months) are recommended to maintain the avoidance behavior.
For context: an Arizona rattlesnake bite emergency vet bill typically runs $3,000-$10,000 — or worse. One session can prevent a bite event entirely.
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Rattlesnake avoidance training conditions your dog to actively avoid Arizona rattlesnakes by associating the sight, sound, and scent of a live rattlesnake with a small e-collar stimulation. After training, dogs naturally avoid rattlesnakes when they encounter the same scent or sound in the wild.
Partners Dogs has trained over 18,000 dogs in rattlesnake avoidance since the early 2000s, making us one of the most experienced rattlesnake-avoidance providers in Arizona. Sessions are 15-20 minutes per dog at our Scottsdale or Cave Creek facility, using live Diamondback rattlesnakes in double-mesh wire cages.
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Each 15-20 minute session follows the same proven structure:
- Check-in. A trainer is paired with you and your dog. We put our equipment (e-collar) on your dog and ask about age, background, and any medical issues.
- Training. The trainer brings your dog to our desert habitat. When your dog shows curiosity toward a caged live Diamondback rattlesnake, we deliver a small e-collar stim to create a negative association. The trainer then runs the dog away to encourage a flight response. This is repeated several times.
- Debrief. We explain how your dog performed, identify their default stress response (Fight, Flight, Freeze, Fawn), and recommend when to come back for a refresher — typically 6-12 months.
The e-collar uses the minimum stim needed for the dog to associate the rattlesnake with avoidance. We test the e-collar on ourselves before every session.
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Refreshers are recommended every 6 to 12 months. Most clients schedule annually, typically before Arizona's peak hiking and rattlesnake season (March through October). Some dogs benefit from twice-yearly refreshers, especially active hiking dogs.
Refresher sessions cost the same as first-timer sessions (under $110) and follow the same 15-20 minute format. Each refresher reinforces the original avoidance training so it stays sharp when your dog encounters a live rattlesnake in the wild.
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Yes. Our rattlesnakes are live and intact — we do not defang or milk them. We want the most natural training scenario possible so dogs learn to recognize the real scent and sound of a rattlesnake they would encounter on a trail or in their backyard.
For safety, our snakes are housed in double-mesh wire cages — there is no way they can reach your dog. Our Lead Rattlesnake Avoidance Instructors complete a minimum of two years of training before running sessions, so they can read every situation and adapt.