Hi Jim,
Jim and I wanted to let you know how Daphne's snake avoidance training this morning paid off far sooner than we ever dreamed. As we were riding home from our session with you, we wondered aloud how Daphne would react now if she saw a rattlesnake on a path or loose in a yard somewhere.
Not three hours after we returned to our house, Daphne was in the back yard and suddenly started barking her head off. Daphne is not a barker, so that in itself was highly unusual, but then I looked out the window and saw her backing up and "dancing" around the patio while she was barking.
Laid out right by our patio door was a good sized rattler. Had one of us walked out the door without looking, we might have stepped on it. Since Daphne is a hunter and is attracted to the quail, rabbits, and lizards in our yard, I shutter to think how she might have approached the snake had she not just returned from her snake avoidance lesson.
Thank you for performing such a valuable service and for providing that service in such an educational way.
Thankfully, Rural Metro came to remove the snake for us--it was not a happy camper and was rattling like crazy as it got dumped in the container to be relocated.
Daphne is a pointer.
Rose and Lou--New River, AZ
After our conversation this morning, I thought I would drop you a note of our experience with the rattlesnake this morning.
About 4:30 a.m. I opened our front door to put Scooby-Doo out for his morning break when Scooby literally pulled me back into the house. At once I knew he sensed something, and about 4-5 feet away was a rattlesnake. The snake did not rattle until we reacted, so I'm assuming that he was asleep and we startled him as much as he startled us. However, this is positive proof that your "snake proof training" has been well worth it. We are so proud of Scooby and are so very thankful to you for helping us protect our beloved friend as well as ourselves.
With this coming only after one session, we will see you in a couple of weeks for the second session.
Again, thank you for your wonderful training services. --Scooby is a Coonhound/Australian shepherd mix.
Dhyana and Gary. Circle S Australian Shepherds--Desert Hills, AZ
Early one morning, my 1 1/2 year-old Aussie, Spicy, appeared to be playing a goofy game on our patio with our other six Aussies. I walked out of the house to see what they were doing and thought I heard water running over by their water bowl. I turned to go check on the water and was looking at the dogs "playing" while I was walking and was not looking at the path ahead of me.
Young Spicy came running up to me and intentionally pushed me back at my knees. When I regained my footing after having been shoved back several strides by this little forty pound dog, I looked down at her to remind her of her manners and could see she was noticeable upset. Her eyes were like giant saucers and her hair was disturbed indicating that she was greatly afraid. She wasn't looking at me but instead was glancing back over her shoulder in the direction I had been walking. I followed her gaze and saw that she had purposefully saved me from walking right into a diamondback rattlesnake that was coiled and appeared ready to strike just eight feet further on than where she'd blocked my path.
I immediately praised Spicy for her snake-avoidance behavior and hurried back into the house to recall all the dogs to safety and to get my husband to dispose of the snake.
What I had thought were my dogs playing in a somewhat goofy manner was actually their "alert" reaction to the snake. What I thought was the sound of running water was the warning rattle of the snake that the dogs were trying to alert me to. And what I thought was a clumsy young dog crashing thoughtlessly into my legs was actually my "best friend" saving me from harm.
(This incident took place nine months after Spicy had her snake avoidance training.)
Barbara-- Lake Havasu City, AZ
Jim
Toby and I want to thank you from the bottom of our hearts for the snake training.
We had an encounter this morning while returning from our walk in the wash. Toby saw that rattlesnake and danced way over the left while asking me to pick him up. That is his signal -- "Mommie I'm scared". So I picked him up, carried him for a few steps, put him back down and he was reassured.
Then Ruth called Buddie to her (he always wanders) and he said he also did not want anything to do with that snake.
So, we have two well trained dogs and we are very appreciative. And to think, just two weeks ago, Toby would have wanted to go over and check that thing out. Makes me shudder.
Thanks again
Toby is a Bichon Frise and Buddie is a Springer Spaniel
Susan- Cave Creek, AZ
Just a note to thank you for Emmie's training - we had a rattler tonight near the barn (I walk at LEAST 6 times a day by this spot). We had a snake in the drainage ditch and a person, a dog and a horse all walked right by this spot and just after all that we (Emmie, Taz my horse and me) walked over the ditch and Emmie (on my left) jumped backwards and jearked her leash almost out of my hand. I turned to look and as I did I saw the SNAKE! It never rattled - it just locked, loaded and fired! Thank GOD Emmie was FAST and she didn't get hit - and neither did I (the snake was 3 feet from my left leg.) geesh... I think I conviced my neighbor to give you a call for her dog's training. Emmie never went back for her second visit - she ended up getting really sick (with a virus) and it took 2 months for her to recover - so I never went for the second time - but you can see that even that first visit really counted!
Emmie is a Rat Terrier
John--Phoenix, AZ
Jim gave my Labrador, Kaley snake avoidance training last year and a tune up this past August. It works! While on a Quail hunt in October, Kaley came over a berm and abruptly stopped, ears back, hair on her neck up, in front of her about 20 feet was an area of tall grass & weeds by an old metal water tank. She would not go any closer and we preceded a full 20 feet around this area and when clear she started hunting again. Both of us know there was a rattler in those weeds.
Kaley is a black Lab.
Barbara A. Yarnell, AZ
Splash walked with me to the pigeon coup today and started barking around a pine tree and would not approach. She acted just like she did in training. There was no snake there, but I am sure one had been there. She definitely alerted me to danger!!! Splash is a Flat Coated Retriever
Jim, I didn't bring Splash back to you this year for her yearly retest because she retested just fine at home. She was outside and started barking. I realized that it was a different kind of bark, sharper and more frantic than her usual, "someone's here" bark. I went outside and she was at the edge of the garage looking inside and barking. Inside the garage, in a corner was a coiled rattlesnake. Wow. I'm glad she had the training. Thanks.
Lou and Vickie -- Cornville, AZ
Hi Jim -
We had Katie down for your training in March and returned 3 weeks later for a test. Katie obviously remembered her training and avoided the cages with the snakes.
We were hoping that her training would never be tested here but that changed yesterday. Vicki was out walking her on leash late yesterday afternoon in our driveway which is covered with small river rock.
Katie stopped at one point then backed up a bit and did not want to go any further. Vicki looked in the direction that Katie was looking and spotted a Diamondback sunning himself. He blended very well in with the river rock and was hard to see but Katie knew that he was there and alerted Vicki to that.
The snake was a bit over 3 feet long and did rattle, but only after Vicki spotted it. We had a terrier that was bitten on the tongue by a Diamondback a few years ago while protecting Vicki. That dog had not gone through your training. She made it after a trip to the vet for treatment with anti venom though it was a close call.
Thanks again for providing a great service for us folks and our dogs who live in rattlesnake country. We would highly recommend your training for anyone that lives where rattlesnakes roam.
Katie is a mix breed incident took place in June
Pam--Desert Hills, AZ
Hi Jim,
Scout, my black and tan Aussie, received your snake training last December at six months of age. I live in Desert Hills on the hillside and we've had a lot of rattlesnake sightings this year. One day last week, Scout and I were walking around the house and he stopped short. I thought he was just checking out a sound so I urged him to move forward. He took a few more steps and stopped again and just stared forward. That's when it dawned on me that he had picked up the scent of a snake and he had no intentions of getting closer to it.
Thank you SO much for your excellent training. My neighbor was almost bitten coming out of his front door at night so knowing that Scout is "tuned in" is a big relief. Incident took place eight months after Scout was trained.
Clay- New River, AZ
I was awakened last night at two a.m. by the dogs barking. This barking was different from their usual "we've got a coyote on the run" bark. Upon checking, there was a diamondback on our back porch, close to the spot where we leave our shoes. The dogs did not settle down until after I took care of the snake. My conclusion is that the training works and works well.
Chad- Phoenix
Hi Jim,
I just wanted to contact you- to give you a big thank you. The service that you provided in snake breaking our dog truly paid off, only a couple of weeks after his training. As you know, we do a lot of trail running in the desert and Rudy, our Vizsla, typically tags along. While just getting started on a run we noticed another couple coming our way with their dog off leash, a couple of pleasantries were exchanged and the dogs were excused to run free and meet each other. The dogs were about 30 yards a part when they started to run towards one another. About half way to their meeting spot, Rudy slammed on his brakes, threw dust and rocks everywhere and went the other direction, back to the truck. Fortunately, the other dog followed his lead and stopped as well realizing something was out of normal. Good thing for the both of them, as Rudy's crazy turnaround was his realization that there was a large rattlesnake in the middle of the trail. I believe that his training actually saved the both of them as they would have met up in the same spot that the snake laid coiled up and ready to strike. We can't thank you enough for this training- we will be recommending it all of our dog owning friends!
Best regards,
Chad, Michelle and Rudy
Dave--Phoenix
Jim...I must tell you about the success with Moose. You trained him just three weeks ago. Last night, May 14th, about 8 PM I heard Moose barking in the back yard. All of a sudden he came running through our doggie
door into the kitchen. Then he went over to the glass door and was staring out with his fur up and tail back. I opened the door and he went into his defensive posture low and staring at a spot near the back door. I knew it was his behavior when seeing rattlesnakes and following his gaze I saw a 2 1/2 foot long snake. Upon further examination, it was not a rattler but a shovelnose snake. I believe he saw it on the patio and recognized it as looking like the rattlers...he would not go near it. I love it...thanks Jim. Moose is a Cardigan Welsh Corgi
