Course Curriculum

  • 01

    R+ Snake Avoidance for Dog Trainers

    • About This Course

    • Part 1.1 - The Business Side of Snake Avoidance

    • Part 1.2 - Snake ID, Behavior, and Safety

    • Part 1.3 - Snake Avoidance Training Procedures

    • Resources for Snake Avoidance Trainers
  • 02

    Snake Avoidance Class - Welcome to Snake Avoidance!

    • A Message from Your Instructor

    • How This Course Works
  • 03

    Snake Avoidance Class - Training Basics

    • Training Basics for Snake Avoidance

    • Marker Training Basics Overview

    • Marker Training Basics FAQs

    • Marker Training Basics

    • Marker Mechanics

    • Adding a Cue

    • Capturing, Shaping, Luring
  • 04

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 1

    • Snake Avoidance Training Plan Overview

    • Snake Safety

    • Snake Behavior

    • Training Materials for Sight, Scent & Sound

    • Other Training Supplies

    • Snake Alert Foundations

    • Week 1 Homework Summary
  • 05

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 2

    • Welcome to Week 2!

    • Adding A Verbal Cue to Your Snake Alert

    • Recall Foundations

    • Using A Long-Line for Recall Foundations

    • Collar Give

    • Week 2 Homework Summary
  • 06

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 3

    • Welcome to Week 3!

    • What Is Fluency & Why Is It Important?

    • Building & Generalizing Your Dog's Alert

    • Advancing Recall (Level 2 Distractions)

    • Advancing Collar-Give

    • Troubleshooting Recall Failure

    • Week 3 Homework Summary
  • 07

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 4

    • Welcome to Week 4!

    • Fading Extra Alert Cue Props & Prompts

    • Generalizing Alert Cue to Movement

    • Advancing Recall (Level 3 Distractions)

    • Snake Avoidance Without Guardian Present

    • Week 4 Homework Summary
  • 08

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 5

    • Welcome to Week 5!

    • Transferring The Alert

    • Change of Behavior

    • Sound

    • Scent

    • Sight

    • Week 5 Homework Summary
  • 09

    Snake Avoidance Class - Week 6

    • Welcome to Week 6!

    • Putting The Cues Together

    • Troubleshooting Ignoring The Snake

    • Advanced Set-Ups

    • Week 6 Homework Summary
  • 10

    Snake Avoidance Class - Next Steps

    • Practice, Practice, Practice!
  • 11

    Next Steps & Wrap Up for Dog Trainers!

    • Coupon Code for Snake Avoidance 6-Week Self-Study Course

    • CEU Quiz

    • Snake Avoidance Dog Trainer Logo

    • Thank you!!

Snake Avoidance Class Instructors

Amy started training dogs professionally in 2010 at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley after leaving the nursing profession. Amy is a graduate of the Karen Pryor Academy, and the owner of Trust Your Dog, which makes custom dog muzzles and other dog gear for expanding dogs’ worlds. Amy’s background in training has ranged from agility, to search and rescue, to shelter work, and behavior modification. Amy currently trains her personal dog in the sport of agility and loves attending continuing education events and classes for dog trainers. Amy's major training focuses in recent years have been Rattlesnake Avoidance, which she has been doing since 2017, and educating other pet professionals about Fear Free Vet Visits and Cooperative Care at Colorado State University.

Amy Creaven KPA-CTP

Guest Instructor

Snake Avoidance Class Instructors

I love helping people and their dogs have great adventures together. I have been training dogs since the age of 10, and teaching others how to train their dogs since the age of 13. Needless to say, it's a long burning passion of mine that's not going away any time soon. When I'm not teaching about dogs online or in person, you'll find me hiking with my best four-legged hiking buddy in the lovely mountains of Colorado.

Amber Quann KPA-CTP CPDT-KSA

Trail Blazer & Head Trainer

Snake Avoidance Extra Support

  • Virtual Classroom Facebook Group

    With your online course enrollment, you get access to our Facebook community group for ongoing support. Here you can post videos of your training, ask questions, and get answers from the Summit team to guide your next training steps!

  • Add-On Online Coaching

    Snake Avoidance Online Coaching Sessions! Get 30 minutes of private Snake Avoidance training support wherever you are in your dog’s Snake Alert training! These Online Coaching sessions are held via Google Meet, so you can access this support from wherever you are in the world! Your session will be recorded and sent to you so you can go back for review at any time. Register at www.summitdogtraining.com/snake-avoidance

FAQ

  • How do you teach Snake Avoidance with positive reinforcement?

    Snake Avoidance is taught with positive reinforcement by focusing on what we want our dogs to do when they find a snake. The most useful behaviors are those that create space between the snake and the dog while alerting the owner to the presence of the snake. This course teaches the components of building an alert behavior that creates distance away from the snake, and then putting that alert behavior on the cue of the sight, scent, and sound of the snake.

  • Will I need any other equipment to work on Snake Avoidance at home with my dog?

    You will need snake cuing supplies such as snake sheds, a decoy snake, a bluetooth speaker or phone, and possibly a few other props depending on what you’re teaching your dog to do as an alert behavior. Oh, and treats or toys too! In the first week of the course, we include links where you can purchase or find snake-specific props that you will need in later weeks of the course.

  • What types of snakes will this Snake Avoidance course cover?

    While we focus on snake avoidance for rattlesnake species found in Colorado (where Summit & Amy have their home bases), the concepts taught in this course can be applied to venomous snakes or poisonous creatures of many species. If you know a little bit about the types of dangerous creatures in your area, you can create a scent, sight, and sound (if applicable) cue picture most similar to that species, and use that for the cue for your dog’s recall and alert behavior.

  • If I start out with just the online course, can I add supplemental practice later?

    Of course! Supplement support is available with online coaching! Online coaching sessions are available all year long, but the prime seasons for us are the spring & summer months. Learn more about Supplemental Support lessons at www.summitdogtraining.com/snake-avoidance

  • Will taking this course guarantee that my dog won't get bitten by a snake?

    This online course covers a training protocol for teaching your dog Snake Avoidance skills; just like with all training, individual results will depend on the implementation of your training plan. Taking this course does not guarantee that your dog will not get bitten by a rattlesnake (or other snake), but we know it will give you and your dog skills to work together to avoid them!

Enroll in the Snake Avoidance Online Class!

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