Un-Chase! Snakes
Teach your dog how to avoid rattlesnakes
Snakes can be scary! Teaching your dog how to avoid them keeps you and your dog safe
This training provides you and your dog with skills to respond to the presence of a snake, with a goal of preventing an encounter. You will learn how to teach your dog a special alert behavior and an amazing recall, which will be put together so that when your dog encounters a rattlesnake they come running back to you and give you an alert.
Un-Chase! Snakes is taught in a positive, low-stress environment without the use of live snakes or shock collars. We cannot guarantee your dog will never be bitten by a snake (because there is no way to guarantee the behavior of another living being!). We do, however, give you and your dog the tools necessary to help minimize negative encounters with rattlesnakes along with the knowledge of what to do in the event you or your dog experience a snake bite.
Learn remotely from anywhere!
Purchase the UnChase! Snakes remote package and everything is included!
At the end of this 8 week course your dog will have a super stellar recall, and know to come to you and give an indication when they detect a rattlesnake, all taught using positive reinforcement and without causing harm to any snakes.
For $515 you get:
An initial 60 minute Zoom call:
Learn about what we will cover
Get important information about snakes and how to avoid them
Get started with training!
Free access to the UnChase! Snakes 8-Week Training Program on the UnChase! app. You will follow the video lessons in the app to teach your dog skills such as an emergency stop, emergency recall, and a new target behavior.
On Days 4 and 14 of the app receive feedback on videos to assess how your training is going.
Ongoing email support.
Four 30 minute sessions over Zoom or in-person within 20 miles of Fort Collins. One session in each of weeks 5, 6, 7, and 8 of the online course, where I coach you through teaching your dog to give the trained response to snake cues.
You receive a snake avoidance teaching kit including a rubber snake and real rattlesnake odor to practice your new skills safely and teach your dog to give the trained response when they see snake movement or detect odor.
If you have already done an UnChase! Snakes course I recommend polishing your cue transfer skills each year
In-person within 20 miles of Old Town Fort Collins
Book your cue transfer sessions here:
Why do you need snake avoidance training?
I am not afraid of snakes, but I have a healthy respect for rattlesnakes. Their venom can easily kill or seriously injure your dog.
Throughout the warm months your dog may encounter a rattlesnake whenever you are walking in natural areas.
Teaching your dog to come to you and give an alert when they detect a rattlesnake means you can be pro-active in avoiding a dangerous and expensive encounter.
In the photo I am handling a captive bullsnake brought to a Wilderness First Aid course for demonstration purposes. I do not condone handling wild snakes.
If you go hiking with your dog, you need this!
FAQs
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Yes. Attending a workshop is the pre-requisite for joining the 1:1 sessions. At the workshop you will learn the target and recall skills needed for a snake alert. The 1:1 sessions are where you are taught to transfer the cue for these behaviors to movement and/or odor of a snake.
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No! This training does not involve harm to snakes or dogs. It uses positive reinforcement based methods to teach your dogs the skills they need.
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Sadly not. But at the very least you will learn a rock solid emergency recall, so that if you see a snake before your dog does they will come to you and stay out of trouble.
It is considered professionally unethical to guarantee training results, as how can you guarantee the behaviour of another living being? We do guarantee that you will work with a highly credentialed instructor motivated to help you reach your training goals. We guarantee we’ll use only the most humane, modern, and scientifically proven positive reinforcement-based training methods to reach those goals. And we guarantee training with us will be a fun and positive experience for both you and your dog.
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I am a qualified biologist with a lot of experience working in areas with snakes, including rattlesnakes (all rattlesnake photos on this page were taken by me). I have also undertaken further training to become a licensed Un-Chase trainer, so I can teach the Un-Chase Snakes protocol developed by Alexis Davison. This protocol has been repeatedly tested and proven effectve in Australia, where dogs have to avoid many deadly snakes!