Rattlesnake training

[Taylor & Huff]

The other day we went to the Bark For Life event. There they had a demonstration from sradt.comwhich is a rattlesnake avoidance training website. The people that were putting on the demonstration asked for a volenteer. A man voulenteered his German Sheperd for the demonstration. The person giving the domenstration put a shock collar on the poor dog then he encouraged the German Sheperd to look and get intrested in the rattlesnake. When the dog got intrested he SHOCKED the poor dog, the dog screamed like I have never heard a dog scream before, he also jumped a little. The man kept trying to get the dog intrested again, but he was having nothing to do with it. The man got his dog back and I believe he left. I even believe the demonstrator wetthe dogs coat before the demonstration. what do you think about this?    

[Jennifer,Chloe & Myla]

How awful! The volunteer wasn't told that he was going to have his dog shocked?? INSANE! I'd take him down! Could have ruined this man's dog for good.

[Taylor & Huff]

No he told the voulenteer nothing before he voulenteered his dog. We are planing on reporting him to the ASPCA.

[Laurie, Fudge, and Vern]

I think I am glad that he did not ask Fudge and Vern to volunteer, as I would have been hauled off to jail after he hurt my dogs.

[Taylor & Huff]

Hahahahaha. I wanted to voulenteer Huff before I knew what he was gonna do ( I am soo glad I didn't).

[Frances Pendrous (Horan)]

That is disgusting....I would have beat that man to a pulp had he hurt my dog. To make the dog scream like that he must have had the intensity of the shock collar turned right up...what an ass. I swear I would have taken that shock collar to placed it around "his" neck and pushed the shock button....oh yes, I would have wet him down too....

[Taylor & Huff]

Hahahahaha.

[Adina P]

I'm not too familiar with normal ways of doing rattlesnake training or exactly how most trainers do it with the remote collar.  I also don't think I'd let someone totally unfamiliar to me demo on my dog if I didn't have a hint as to how things would proceed.

 

However, here's another way to look at it.  Most dogs would probably scream when startled by a discomfort like an electronic stimulation--it doesn't mean they were fried with it or that they were mentally/physically harmed.  But it probably scared him--as should a snake.  And how soft or hard that dog was, none of us know.  The whole point of snake avoidance training is to make a dog WANT BADLY to avoid snakes.  So what is better a couple of strong-enough shocks that won't actually injure the dog or a bite from a snake that could injure a dog?  Obviously not all snakes are poisonous, but for those who live in areas or do things with dogs in areas where snakes are common--it seems like a reasonable measure to help a dog find snakes COMPLETELY worth avoiding.  I am sure this dog was fine later...perhaps superstitious about snakes (not a bad thing) but overall he'll be fine.

 

 

[Lee Seidman]

I agree,  well worth the shock if it saves a life!

[Taylor & Huff]

There are better ways to teach this. This is not a good way in my book.

[Nancie & Gracie Doodle]

I would love to hear what better ways you have in mind.  You can start a great business if you can come up with a better way!!

[F, Calla & Luca]

I agree with both the above comments. A shock is a lot better than a rattlesnake bit. That said, the volunteer should have been, and hopefully was, fully informed of what was going to happen.

[Taylor & Huff]

He was not, he was just the first to voulenteer his dog. They said nothing before he voulenteered.