Testimonials

“This training really works. My Mini Australian Shepherd named Macy and my terrier mix named Molly have both been through Ma & Paw Kennel’s Rattlesnake Avoidance Training. Macy had her first session on May 29th, 2021. 6 weeks later, I heard Molly alerting me to something in the backyard. Macy went out to check what was going on with Molly. Macy absolutely did everything she was supposed to do. She started barking at something ( a 2.5’ rattlesnake) that was under our gas BBQ. Neither dog would go near it. This behavior alone told me that it was probably a rattlesnake. My husband confirmed my suspicion as I quickly got the dogs back in the house. I can’t thank you enough. Macy was the dog who initially walked right up to the rattlesnake and sniffed it on the head. Without your training, I am sure we would have had a far worse outcome than just my jangled nerves.

-Susan Baunsgard

“Hello! Just a quick note to say thank you so much for providing the RAT training. My dog, Miles, just pulled me away from a snake. Miles almost never wags his tail because he is a rescue and is still recovering from trauma, but today his tail was wagging with pride. I am so grateful we are both safe. Thank you! Bless you!”

-Jodie Walker

"Gina, Moze and I just want to give you and everybody working the Rattlesnake Avoidance class in Victorville, CA today. A HUGE THANK YOU! I know Moze got the message today. Thanks!

-Tim N. and Moze

(The Smart One)

"Our golden retriever doesn't usually catch on things quickly. Let's just say at age 6, he's still trying to understand the dynamics of fetch. So when, at the beginning of rattlesnake training, he walked right up to a muzzled snake, we figured it was going to take a lot of sessions to make any progress. But I will tell you, we saw a baby rattlesnake on our walk last night. I took him close enough to recognize what it was and as soon as it started to slither, my dog bolted in the opposite direction! It was pretty incredible after just one session of avoidance training. I can't wait for him to get even more training under his belt."

-Monica Delgado

"My hubbie was sitting on our back deck on the swing and Bowie was laying near him. All of a sudden Bowie jumped back about 6 feet and so my husband knew from the training, this was his reaction, so he jumped up and just about that time, the rattlesnake behind the swing began to rattle. We keep a "snake pole" and sorry to your snake guy, we caught it and killed it. Thank you for your classes and experience to train dogs for such a valuable skill and for us people to learn to trust our wonderful pups! We are grateful for all to be well, thank you again very much."

-Tom and Tracy Francis

“I am certain that your avoidance training saved Soccer’s life as he would have charged the snake otherwise... I put a bundled lavender down next to the house. While talking on the phone, out of my other ear I hear a sound close to running water. Bella the mini Dachshund was exploring the sound. Bella did not go through the rattlesnake avoidance training, she's 13 and has a heart murmur. I realized it's not running water but rather the high frequency rattle of a rattlesnake. I shouted for Bella to get back which she did. Soccer did not want to even see the snake. He's a Jack Russell Terrier and basically lives to hunt. I am certain that your avoidance training saved Soccer’s life as he would have charged the snake otherwise. Thank you!"

-Jon Q.

"Leroy ran across the driveway towards me (opposite direction from where we were traveling) and barked. When I looked closer it looked like a dark branch ( it was past 10pm and really dark!) When I walked closer I realized it was a gopher snake, thank goodness for the handy flashlight on my cell phone! I was so proud of Leroy, he not only avoided the snake, ran away fromt the snake to me for safety, and then he barked & alerted me of the snake in our path. Yes, thanks to you I'm a proud mommy. Thank you so much for the clinic, it really worked! Thanks again for guiding Leroy to make good decisions!"
-Janet & Leroy

"As the Humane Society of Ventura County we have a great concern for the well being of all animals. We recognize the importance of rattlesnake training in Ventura County because we know that Rattlesnakes can be active in our area all year long. Gina Gables at Ma and Paw kennels provides an invaluable service to dog owners across Southern California. We have been fortunate to have her train owners at our shelter and adoption on several occasions and hope to continue having her provide such services."
-KATE NELSON
Volunteer Coordinator
The Humane Society of Ventura County

"Gina I just wanted to thank you and Dawn for the training you guys gave our K9 Units. I thought it was great training and found it very interesting. You can tell that you and your staff know a lot about what you are doing. I think all of us were very happy with the training."
-Sergeant V. Camou
Ventura County Sheriffs Dept. K9 Unit

"Ma and Pa Kennel is fantastic. I first heard of them when I was looking for a Rattle Snake Avoidance class for my Chocolate Lab, Bigsby in 2012. The big B did great for being only 7 months old. The preceding months I had a dozen or so one on one dog obedience classes with Gina. Bigsby shaped up just fine, he listens and follows directions.This year I had a refresher RAT class for Bigsby and also a new edition. CJ , Bigsby's half brother and almost one year younger to the date. They both did very well I highly recommend Gina and Ma & Paw kennel."
-Scott F.

"Ma and Pa Kennel is I just wanted to let you know that I had an encounter with a rattlesnake yesterday while hiking. Milosz started barking and went crazy when he saw the rattlesnake and heard the rattle. I'm sure that the training saved him from getting bitten.
-A. Sabouri
Owner of K9 Loft

"Dear Gina, I was walking near my house yesterday with Dahlia, my Border Collie. We were on a dirt path and she was on a long lead. Ahead I saw her stop, arch sideways, and take a wide berth around a spot in the trail. When I got there I saw a gopher hole with a piece of curled reddish brown material circling the hole. No snake but I feel certain she was remembering her training. Thought you’d like to know. I was pleased to see her reaction." -Bev M.

"The property was an ideal real-life scenario for what we experience when hiking with the dog in/around Simi (natural rocks, dirt paths, plants, etc). Gina worked repeatedly to ensure our dog “passed” each of the training sections – communication to us during the entire process was very clear – we understood what each section was, what we should be looking for in how the dog responded and what she did to correct the response. We learned quite a bit about animal behavior during the session and I really think our dog had “fun” going through the training. Gina made sure to give positive praise after each exercise. Also we never felt like our dog was threatened by the snake – process felt very safe and controlled."
-M. & T. Diaz

"I took my nine-month old lab to a rattlesnake avoidance training session conducted by Gina Gables. The training was very well organized to cover sound, smell and sight exposure to rattlesnakes. My lab is very energetic, wanting to explore anything that moves. Through this training he learned to avoid the snakes. To me, this training is not only helpful it is an absolute necessity."
-R. Asquith

"Guido alerted to two snakes at the Golden Valley Trailhead. He took a very defensive stance and came right to my side. Unbelievable! Thank you." -Greg V.

"Just wanted you to know my dog Amber went to Rattlesnake school during the summer in Riverside. She passed that class and saved my husband two different times from Rattlesnakes where we live. I am so glad Amber took your class and she will go to the refresher class also. Thank you."

- Robert and Ann A.

"Gina, I thought you would be interested to know that our dog Greta got her rattlesnake "refresher" course the natural way this year. We had a huge rattler get in our vineyard somehow, even though we have snake fencing all around it. Greta must have gotten near it and it started rattling and she scurried to the far corner of the vineyard in less than a second. She clearly remembered her rattlesnake training!!! Thanks for your good work!"
-G. Oldham

"A few weeks ago, while walking on the trail in Chesebro, a few mountain bikers alerted me to a freshly dead rattle snake on the side of the trail. Once they proved to me it was really dead I tested the rattlesnake avoidance training my dog, Tyrone, had last summer. We casually walked down the trail and as soon as he smelled or saw the snake he bucked backward away from it.
He truly recognized it and jumped back. I am so grateful! Great job! Thank you so much."
-L. Bright

"We ran into a rattlesnake on the trail in July and Aunt Gertrude behaved exactly as she was trained to do. We are so proud of the way she handled the situation. She avoided the snake by making a wide radius around it. Afterwards, she was visibly upset and she kept her head and tail down for most of the way home but we were all so glad she knew what to do."
-S. Relles

"Layla just completed RATTLESNAKE AVOIDANCE TRAINING. She is no longer curious about snakes - she completely avoids them now!!!"
-A. Colombero

"Thank you for the training that Jake, Buddy, and myself got yesterday. Very professional, friendly and worth every dime!" -Steve H.

"My dogs chase lizards at my house all day long. Then one night about 10 pm, my husband was outside sitting on a chair, I had just let my Weimaraner outside and she walked over towards my husband and about 3 to 4 feet from him, was this rattler and a dead Rat that it had killed. The rattler had not made a noise until my dog got close and she just stood there and did not go towards the snake. My husband killed the Rattler. I know had she not had the class she would have gone right after that snake. Both of my dogs got bit by a rattler two years ago so I know that this class was the reason why she stayed away this time. Thanks."

-M. Vaughan

"The entire experience with you and your group was comprehensive, educating, and fun. You and your staff were most helpful and considerate. It was our third rattlesnake avoidance class, the first one with your group. Your session was far superior to the others and we will return next year. Luci and I appreciated your caring and congenial manner personality."
-B. Harmuth

"I cannot recommend Ma n Paw Rattlesnake Avoidance Training enough! While we haven’t come across a critter as yet, I’m confident my dog will immediately run the other way! The whole thing took about 10 minutes but within about 2 minutes Bubba figured out he wanted nothing to do with the snakes. I had never used shock therapy on my dog before so it got his attention quickly & effectively. And while it is not something I would do regularly, I think for something as important as his safety it is worth it. Gina had a huge team of helpers there to keep everything running safely and efficiently. And to see my dog go to such lengths to avoid that last snake at the end – well quite honestly made me laugh!
Thank you, Gina for helping me keep my Bubba safe this summer!"
-M. Martinez

The entire experience with you and your group was comprehensive, educating, and fun. You and your staff were most helpful and considerate. It was our third rattlesnake avoidance class, the first one with your group. It was far superior to the others and and we will return next year. Luci and I appreciated your caring and congenial manner and personality. Thanks for everything.
-Bob and Luci H. & Mimi the little German Shepherd.

" Thanks Gina. As I mentioned to you at the clinic, I had been to another RSA clinic in Orange County a year ago. This was Zuri's second time. I was extremely impressed by the set up you had compared to OC. While they only had one station per type of contact (scent, sight and sound) you had multiple stations giving the dogs a number of different experiences. The natural setting was also very helpful as it was more relevant to what the dogs would actually experience on their own. I also liked how you took Zuri and her friend Dean for a second loop through the course together - brilliant! Thanks so much!"
-J. Enholm

"This is the first time our dogs have attended rattlesnake training and I must admit I was skeptical. Gina handled the dogs like an expert and showed us how to react when they had the right response to the rattlesnake smell, sighting and sound. I was convinced at the end of the training that my dog will probably avoid rattlers and may save me from a rattlesnake in the future, now that I know what to watch for in their behavior. Thank you Gina."
-R. Nitka

"Hi Gina, Our dog, Rocco, attended the training in Atascadero back in June (I think it was June...). Anyway, I just wanted to let you know that he has been in the presence of at least two rattlesnakes in our backyard since the training and he did exactly what he was trained to do! He backed away and gave the snake a wide berth. I have also noticed he has the same reaction when we are out walking in our neighborhood and sprinklers come on. To me, there's a similarity in the sound of the sprinklers and a rattle, so perhaps he is responding to the training in that instance as well. Thank you again for what you do, we very much appreciate it! We will look forward to a refresher course next year with you! Thanks again."
-Patty B.

Testimonials

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