A course in northern Nevada will teach animals to behave in a safe manner around rattlesnakes.

"Get Rattled" is a Reno-based, family-owned company, offering professional rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs throughout Nevada and several other western states, including northern California, Colorado, Utah, and Oregon.

Dogs are given a stimulated e-collar to wear and are led through a staged course of three stations.

The first station involves a live rattlesnake; the second phase includes a camouflaged box with a rattlesnake and shed skin, and the third part of the course is a PVC snake hole stuffed with a snakeskin.

Owner and founder John Potash shared how the process works.  

Each dog is exposed to live rattlesnakes in realistic scenarios at the various stations, and scent cues and hiding spots are staged.

"So, the course is, we set up a variety of different stations, to focus the dog's attention on different aspects of the rattlesnakes," he said. "So, the first station is the live snake out in the open, like you see behind us. We want that first encounter to be as natural as possible, under these conditions of course. So, the dog comes in and as soon as they show interest, they'll get a correction from the collar."

"I kind of knew what the training was," said Tamara Wall, who requires her German Shepherd working dog, on a daily basis. "I've had friends that have done it with their dogs, so it was about what I expected, and it was really smooth. It was really easy, too. It was easy to get registered, ya know. It was easy to find, like it's been a very smooth process."  

With over a decade of experience, Potash says training sessions typically occur during the spring and summer months and appointments are simple to book.

"So, we started Get Rattled 13 years ago, and again that has continued to grow," he said. "We get invited all over the country to come do these sessions. So, we have a website, getrattled.net, and we post all of our events on there and people can go on there and sign up through that website."

The final test involves guiding the dog past the live snake, with the owner calling them from the opposite side. If the dog obeys and avoids the snake, they pass and receive a certificate. Classes typically take under 30 minutes per dog.  

Whether you're on a trail hike or backwoods adventure, rattlesnakes can creep up unexpectedly at any time. Making sure you stay well prepared can save your dog's life and avoid a costly emergency trip to the vet.