Jim Walkington of ViperVoidance will present a seminar on rattlesnake avoidance training for dogs next month in Fountain Hills.

The local class is set to take place in the Fountain Hills High School parking lot on Feb. 15 and interested parties can reserve a spot ($80) by calling 480-215-1776.

Additional information about rattlesnake training for dogs can be found at viperfoidance.com but, put briefly, Walkington said he can “train the fuzzy to avoid the buzzy.”

Walkington said people usually don’t understand that dogs detect rattlesnakes differently. A person usually doesn’t realize a rattlesnake is present until it lets out a trademark rattle. The problem is that snakes don’t always rattle.

Walkington said that while a rattle may not be heard, dogs can always smell a rattlesnake. Therefore, he said his class is perfect for anyone who has a dog in Arizona, especially if they go for walks or allow the dog to run free in the yard.

“Most dogs don’t have a natural fear of rattlesnakes; they just don’t,” Walkington said. “They hear a rattle and they think it’s a toy, so they walk over to it and probably get bit. Whether it rattles or not, my job is to train them to avoid rattlesnakes completely.”