Rattlesnake Aversion Training
Friday, August 28, 2026 (time slots assigned) Starting at 9am until 5pm
CRTA Denverton Training Grounds ( right in front parking lot. )
The Marin Retriever Club is pleased to make professional rattlesnake aversion training available to its members.
Help protect your dog from a painful, costly, and potentially deadly encounter with a rattlesnake. The training will be conducted by Natural Solutions Wildlife Enterprises, whose staff includes experienced dog trainers, animal behaviorists, and naturalists.
About Training
Each dog will receive personalized, one-on-one instruction designed to teach an instinctive avoidance response to the sight, sound, and smell of rattlesnakes.
Dogs are introduced to both juvenile and adult live rattlesnakes in a natural setting. The snakes are not confined in cages, allowing each dog to make the appropriate real-world associations. All snakes are safely and humanely muzzled, and equal consideration is given to their safety and well-being.
Using a remote training collar, the trainer provides carefully timed stimulation to reinforce avoidance. The trainers begin at the lowest appropriate level and customize each session according to the dog’s temperament and individual psychological needs.
Your dog’s physical safety and mental well-being are the trainers’ highest priorities. They will spend as much time as necessary to ensure that each dog is in the proper frame of mind for training. For particularly fearful or anxious dogs, this may include taking a short walk, sitting quietly with the dog, or allowing additional time to become comfortable.
Age Requirements
Natural Solutions recommends that dogs be at least six months old, as they must be developmentally mature enough to make the correct association during training. Because puppies mature at different rates, the trainers will provide a brief evaluation for dogs between five and seven months old on the day of the event. When a trainer determines that a puppy is not ready, the owner will receive a refund.
Cost
The regular cost is $90 per dog.
For MRC Members who register and prepay through the Marin Retriever Club website, the club will contribute $50.00 towards the cost, (maximum of 3 dogs per member please). The participant’s final cost will be $25.00 per dog. You can have additional dogs, however you will need to pay the full $90.00 per dog at the event (Cash or Check).
Contact Tony Melton through email tmelton@solutionsinimaging.com or Call 408-499-7777 for those additional time slots.
Why This Training Matters
Tony’s dog, Titus, was bitten by a rattlesnake while duck hunting in the middle of January—a reminder that rattlesnakes can pose a danger even outside the warmer summer months.
Before and after of Tony's dog Titus. Titus needed only one anti-venom shot and his vet bill was approximately $4000, with an overnight stay at the emergency room! He has long term residual medical issues.
Additional information about Natural Solutions Wildlife Enterprises, its staff, and the training process is available at:
www.RattlesnakeAversion.com
Space is limited. Advance registration and member portion of payment are required at registration.
Once registered, you can contact Tony Melton through email: tmelton@solutionsinimaging.com or Call 408-499-7777 for a time slot. If you do not contact him, he will give you an open time slot
Sign up soon! If there are unfilled slots by August 22nd, they will be offered to non-members (at cost of $90 per dog).
