We used to have snake avoidance training in our Quail Forever Chapter to make money for guzzler projects. Some dogs are vocal, some are not, they all react differently. I remember we did not take HUGE dogs, because even with 2 dog handlers the dog could pull their arms out of their sockets. Some dogs wanted to run like hell, some lied down. Sometimes it was a rodeo!!
It's critical that the trainer is competent!!! This cannot be overstated. Shock collar training/pain avoidance is what I have seen used. There is a lot of emotion and ignorance when it comes to shock collar training. Shock training like snake avoidance training is fine, so long as the trainer is competent, which is critical. It's not rocket science and is a bit of an art, or rather takes patience, being able to read the dog, and TIMING.
All my dogs either weren't concerned bout the snake, or like most walked right up to it to check it out. I met some guys who's dogs had gotten bit and never learned from their experience. A couple guys said their dogs were bitten twice in a couple years and never learned. This makes sense if you ever witness snake avoidance training, because the training is very intensive. One bad experience from a bite, is usually not enough of a deterrent.
The first training takes the longest and is the hardest. The dog usually gets anxious and uncomfortable to what is happening. The trainer will let the dog settle down, because when it is real upset it isn't learning before progressing.
I have taken my dogs once a year for refresher training and after 4 or 5 years they really seem to get it and don't seem to need more training. Each subsequent year my dogs need less and less training, because they remember. You can tell if a dog has been trained before by the way it reacts.
The vaccine is not a vaccine, it is anti venom. It can be given as much as once every 6 months and that is what I do. There is a lot of ignorance with the vaccine as well. I read in the local newspaper where a local woman accused the vaccine of killing her dog. She said that her dog got the vaccine and was bite by a rattler. She took the dog to the vet and the vet said to take the dog home, because it had no symptoms. The woman said she took the dog home and it died, so she blamed the vaccine. Then she wanted to rally against the vaccine and get it banned, which was ridiculous!!! Who knows what really happened.
The vaccine works in that it is an anti venom and if I dog is bitten it has resistance to the venom. What happens after a dog is bitten depends on a lot of things. How much venom the snake gave the dog if any. Where the dog was bitten. Some dogs show little reaction some show more.
Whether your dog had the vaccine or not if it gets bitten it should be observed until it is determined it is ok. Taking your dog to a competent vet is critical as is having good common sense.
Cheers,
Bill
