I have a Doberman it was less than a year old. They trained it to avoid rattle snakes. It worked if the dog sees a gopher, snake it avoids a gopher snake. I took the dog back the second year just to be sure And the dog remembered from the previous year. The dog is five years old now and still avoid snakes even a baby king snake about two weeks ago we saw the snake and the dog avoided. Highly recommend I think they're very nice people. They do a great job. read more

Fred has trained two of my dogs to stay away from the deadly rattlesnake. The first dog had a chance to meet a rattler & he immediately left the area - the training worked! I will take my pup for a refresher class in the spring. He seemed to understand after the first class but it never hurts to remind. I recommend any dog get this training. My dog ran right up to the first snake - if that snake hadn't had a snake muzzle on, my dog probably wouldn't have made it. This class saves lives. read more

3 weeks ago when I wrote my initial review after completing the training, I was naively quite pleased with the training. However, now just 3 weeks later after coming across a rattlesnake with both of my dogs who took the training, I am dropping my review from 4 stars to 1 star because of the following: I am very very upset and disheartened at the results of the rattlesnake training. They said the training would last a year. Yet, JUST A MERE 22 DAYS after both of my dogs received training, my dogs and I were walking down the street and came upon this large active rattlesnake. The dogs, on leash, were walking ahead of me. ***The first dog came within 1 foot of this rattler before I saw the rattlesnake.*** Fortunately, we were walking on the dirt right next to the curb, while the snake was in the curb below it, and it didn't strike (or even rattle)....however, my first dog was definitely within striking distance when I saw it. At that point, the first dog was about 1 foot away, and the second dog was about 2-3 feet away. Neither of them had any sense that the rattler was there while we walking or after I stopped them once I saw the snake. I took a video of the snake, and then I snapped a couple of photos. While preparing to take the second photo from down on the street, one of the dogs saw the snake moving... instead of my dog running away from the snake at that point (as I had naturally expected from the training), he instead started approaching it out of curiosity. I can't begin to tell you how upset and perturbed I am by this. I mean, if the training doesn't work on either dog 22 days after they received it, how can I ever expect it to work??? If I only had one dog, I could blame it on the dog, but the fact that I had two dogs with me, and that neither of them ran away, I have to blame it on the training..... And at $150 ($75 per dog), plus a 35 minute drive each way to get to the training, I am pretty angry over this situation. I have uploaded 2 of the photos, plus zooms of those photos so the head and the rattler can be seen. As you can tell from the different position of the rattler, the snake was moving while I was taking these photos. read more

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July 7 / Alpine, CA - Rattlesnake Class: 1:50PM -- Ok, 96 degrees ( with a breeze / not bad ) outside, & horrendous '4th of July' traffic going back to Arizona on the 8 eastbound, but I am so glad I did this class with my 6 year old Mix Rescue. These two gentlemen, & staff from Natural Instincts Store ( Alpine, CA ) were OUTSTANDING. The snakes were really great also that is important in this class. I have been to one other Rattlesnake class ( another San Diego Teacher ) and this class was far and above that one. Different stations, different exposures to Rattlesnakes. The class was explained to me before & during, a trained handler walked my girl around, so I was able to view and understand what was happening. My girl passed, and I know she has a better grasp of Rattlesnakes, smell and sound. Take your dog you will not regret this class. I still am on alert when walking and out in the yard for my dogs, but I feel at least one has a better chance of NOT BEING BIT. Thank you!!! Thank you, Thank you. I will take it again and bring my other dog. Ms Nicky and Elisa read more

Greg is wonderful to work with and kind with dogs. I learned a great deal and will become a better partner with our dogs.

I can not say enough about Fred. He is amazing and has so much knowledge! This isn't the first time we e used him. The first experience we had was at a clinic some years ago. This is the first time he has come to our home to do rattle snake aversion training for my dogs. He was prompt, quick setup, super respectful of your animals and his trade. I feel confident that my dogs now have knowledge that they didn't before he was here. We will forever use him. Well worth it! read more

We took our 2 dogs April 24th to the rattlesnake aversion training in Agoura. What a disappointment! Our 7year old German Shepard has been through the training with a different company 5 times and our 14 month old chihuahua was going for his first training. The Shepard did fine she remembered here past training except the guy holding her was extremely rough. Now the 5 lb chihuahua had a horrible experience. First they did not have the proper sized shock collar and lead. They were literally dragging him toward the snake. He was so upset with being pulled with this oversized shock collar that he could not begin to focus on the snakes after a few minutes the handler shocked him ?just because? Not sure why but it was more then we needed to see. With each dog they were only working with them for 5 minutes at best and didn't appear to really care about the training just getting them out quickly. Don't take your dogs to them! read more

My dog didn't need rattlesnake avoidance, puppy training, or bird dog training. He needed major "you come when you're called no matter what you're doing" training. In a million years, I never thought I could be without my dog for 30 days (he went through the rigorous 30 day training with Greg and Ruth Weiss at the Santa Ysabel facility). I still can't believe it happened. I would do it again in a heartbeat. The hardest part: you can't visit for the first two weeks. A part of me was worried they'd "break him" but he's the same happy colt he was before. A part of me was worried they were going to do something awful the first week and he'd need the second week to heal and that's why I couldn't see him for the first two weeks. Of course my mind was spinning out of control, this is my dog and we hadn't been apart for more than five nights for the 4 1/2 years we've known each other (he's five). But all my fears were ridiculous and unfounded. He's not the least bit afraid of either of them, and if anything he has a special bond with them. They were worried that my dog, being so stubborn, would need a bit more time so they kept him five extra days at no additional cost. They took him with them everywhere and fell in love with him a bit :) And he definitely enjoyed being with them. It was the most horrible 35 days and also totally worth it. He's the same dog he was when he left but now he comes when he's called/minds/doesn't chase cattle/isn't Cujo when on a leash. I can't recommend them enough. read more

Hi Readers I spent some time at High On Kennels a year or so back and I had some fun dog training experience previously. Not much but with one dog elsewhere and I thought Hi On Kennels trainers were great - Ruth and Greg. I did the rattlesnake avoidance with High On Kennels and previously with Singleton. Training seemed similar. To one reviewer comments that his trained two dogs did not respond as expected when coming upon a rattler. I wonder how obedient his dogs are? We all know that once a dog is trained they follow the rules and behave as trained. No reason to be concerned about how head strong the dog is or how much MORE training might be needed - yep one and done! Anyway - I don't think the "other" post is very fair. read more

Pros: friendly, kind and professional and highly effective Cons: none We have seen several rattlesnakes in our neighborhood and decided to consider rattlesnake avoidance training for our border collie mix who is 1.5 years old. We already had the rattlesnake venom vaccine done by our veterinarian, who also suggested we look at training if we do hiking or let our dog run around the yard (we do both). We drove to a beautiful location in Murrieta where the The Santa Rosa Plateau Riding Club is, and were totally impressed by how kind, professional and effective the High On Kennels team was. They walked us through the entire course before hand, explained everything in great detail (purpose/intent, process, and desired outcome...etc). It became clear very quickly that our dog is in good hands with dedicated professionals. Our dog "got it" during the first run through the course, but they like to run dogs through twice to ensure successful implant of both the scent of a rattlesnake and the desired reaction/response from the dog. I have to admit that we were very apprehensive to do this as we had heard that they use shock collars, and just did not like the idea of our puppy getting zapped and possibly traumatized in order to learn how to avoid rattlesnakes. We actually decided to do our own research beforehand, and bought and tried a popular shock collar on ourselves to see what it feels like before we subject our dog to it. At a setting of 3 out of 8 against my bare index finger it was sort of like the shock of a 9v battery hitting your tongue but 1.5 - 2 times stronger - a big jolt, no pain, but not something I want to do too often. So it is a definite attention getter. I can tell you with 100% confidence that High On Kennels cares greatly about dogs, and that it was as non-traumatic and uneventful as possible. We were so relieved, and watched everything within yards of our dog. They know how to calibrate the level shock so that it gets the dogs attention and is something they don't want to experience again, but nothing more and it is only for a brief moment. Our dog needed a total of just two quick corrections, and got it. That was it. I was very worried about doing this with our dog, but I came away totally impressed... it is probably the most gentle and effective way of training your dog to avoid a rattler. The other option is vaccination and being ready at anytime to take your dog to the vet for treatment and injections of anti-venom ($$$$). There were over 150 dogs signed up when we went, so High On Kennels has a great reputation. This was obviously our very first time, and had never heard of them. If you live in Southern California, and your dog is not always indoors or with you on a leash outdoors, you owe it to your furry friend to get this life saving training for him/her. Highly Recommended! read more

This company is great. I have 2 Labs and hike year round in Agora, Malibu, and Calabasas areas. Every summer I really worry about Rattlesnakes. I heard about these guys from a friend and decided to try them. I've used the venom vaccine for 2 years but it only made sense to put them thru rattlesnake avoidance training. They come to Calabasas the first weekend of every month during the summer. They were so busy that day but found the room to fit me in. Both dogs didn't do well the first trial so they had to go thru the a second time after a water break and rest period. Well...... the second time they would not go near the rattlesnakes. Wow!!! They put a rattlesnake between the dogs and me and had me call to them to come. They would not budge... I will for sure go back early next summer to take a refresher course. read more

We sent our 10 month old Bernedoodle to work with Chip for 4 weeks. We realised she needed training after she kept running off and completely ignoring our calls to come back. We had a few lucky escapes with her almost being hit by cars. We decided it was a good investment to send her to High On Kennels and we couldn't be happier with the results. That month away gave us a really solid foundation of basic training that we've been able to build on. We now have a very well-behaved, obedient dog that's a pleasure to be around rather than a constant source of stress and frustration. I can't recommend Chip and the High On Kennels team enough! read more

We enrolled our 7 month German Shorthaired Pointer girl with High On at their rural Santa Ysabel facility for a 1 month obedience course (Jan 2015). I can fully recommend Ruth, Greg, and the owner Fred. Here's our experience below if you want to read details, but a phone call or a visit is the best way to know if their training or boarding is right for your dog. Though we trained Maggie a great deal at home and took her to obedience classes, we couldn't seem to make her pay attention to really important commands like "come" when she was distracted by other dogs or birds. This led to some scary incidents when she ran across the road. I felt we had to do some serious training in order to keep her safe in the future. She also pulled constantly on the leash, which made taking her out with us not as much fun as it should be. She is young and the GSP breed is known for high energy, but we hoped they could get through to her in a way that we could not. They completely succeeded. We visited after the first 2 weeks. I was worried she wouldn't recognize us or have somehow changed in personality, but I was so pleased when she was thrilled to see us and was just as cheeky and cuddly as before. After 2 weeks of training she was heeling, sitting, staying and laying down with much more ease than before. Importantly, she had stopped fidgeting so much. She looked to Ruth for direction and actually paid attention. Before, she was like a hyperactive child with no concept of focus or learning. Ruth and Greg have literally taught her how to learn (and taught us to be patient, consistent, and persistent). They had us take turns training her to reinforce that the commands are the same even when "mom and dad" are giving them. After 30 min of training she was exhausted from the effort of concentrating and went straight to sleep! When we visited during weeks 3 & 4, we could see how they introduced the recall/come command. In addition to positive reinforcement, they did use a few training tools that I wouldn't have been trained to use myself. Maggie gets so distracted that sometimes a collar that pinches a bit when she pulls or employing an e-collar will remind her of the command. I realize that people have strong opinions about e-collars, and I'm not trying to engage in a debate about them here. In our situation, Ruth and Greg used the absolutely lowest settings possible to get Maggie's attention - it is like a light vibration (I tried it on myself). It was the only way to get her attention when she is chasing a bird and train her to come back to us. It wasn't a punishment, more like a reminder. And if given a choice between the e-collar and a potential accident with a speeding car, I will take the e-collar any day. Maggie came home after a month, and the change is remarkable. She is so much more responsive and easier to be around, but still as cuddly and playful as before. We still need to reinforce the training on a daily basis as she matures, but at least we have a good chance of getting and keeping her attention. Most importantly, all three of us now know the rules. Ruth drove over an hour to do a home visit within a week of our return so that Maggie could connect her learning at the kennels with what is expected at home. Maggie was delighted to see her! Ruth and Greg are very kind and clearly love their 6 pointers and all their clients' dogs. Though they are disciplined gun dog trainers, they understand that we don't all take our dogs hunting and will train in a manner that suits your lifestyle. If you have a high energy dog of any breed that is hard to handle or train, you should seriously consider the High On obedience program. Dogs are for life, and an investment in their future early on will give you a much happier relationship with them in the long run. We're very glad we did. A note on the Facilities: Each dog has their own indoor/outdoor kennel. They close the outdoor portion at night and put a heater on inside so that the pups are all cozy. Our gal is really spoiled at home - sleeping in our bed and on the couch - so I wasn't sure how she would adjust to "boarding school" conditions. It didn't seem to faze her at all. They have a large outdoor fenced play yard and all the dogs take turns for playtime to run around and blow off steam on a daily basis. Ruth and Greg pair up dogs that play well together so that they make friends, and they never put aggressive or un-neutered dogs together. I think Maggie misses her buddy Tessa! We brought her own food, bed, and toys. They are happy to administer any meds your dog might be on. It's a beautiful mountain setting with lovely, warm and knowledgable dog trainers who focus almost exclusively on high energy dogs like ours. We are considering taking her back for the 3 month gun dog training course. She seems to have the ability, but we're unsure if we want to become hunters ourselves. We'll definitely use them for boarding in future. read more

Fred is very professional and knowledgeable about his business. Very kind, lots of experience, I highly recommend him for dog training as well as snake aversion training. read more

Rattlesnake aversion training: We took our dog to HOC's rattlesnake avoidance training class, and they were excellent. Last year, our dog was trained by another outfit: sniff a baby rattlesnake, sniff a skin, hear a rattle, and meet an adult snake, and that's it. Finished. 4 stations only. Further, it was windy, and that other outfit partly had our dog approach the snakes from upwind. And we'd waited an hour for our turn. This year, we took our dog to HOC for the 1st time. There was no wait when we arrived. Compared to the other outfit, these guys were much better: -- they had an additional snake (adult, but with the rattle taped silent), -- after a "cooling down break," they allowed our dog a second "tour" through the snake circuit, and -- they approached each snake from downwind, so our dog could get the scent. Great job by HOC. My only complaint is that they don't allow taking video of their training. read more

These are the only people I trust to properly train our dogs to avoid rattlesnakes. It's all about timing and the proper use of an electric collar. Fred from High On Kennel is expert at that process. Don't do this training with just anyone. read more

Rattlesnake avoidance training was very effective. My dog immediately learned to avoid snakes after initially sniffing the snake.

They did what I asked them to do. Dog is happy and healthy. All of the dogs there were in good spirits, and seemed friendly and healthy. Beautiful location. I highly recommend. read more

We took our 11 month old Labrador, Stanley, in mid-February 2020 to be obedience and water fowl trained in a three month long program. Stanley worked mostly with Chip, who we saw Stanley was very bonded to. Stan also worked with H.O.K owner Fred, and trainer Ruth. These trainers are top notch, and we would highly recommend High On Kennels for larger dog training. There is many acres of training space..fields and a pond. Chip, Ruth and Fred are very accommodating if you want to go up and visit/train with them. Due to lots of rain and Covid, they kept Stanley three weeks longer free of charge, and Fred threw in rattlesnake training. (Which I would recommend for trail runners or hikers).We look forward to working with Stanley here at home and visiting High On Kennels for "tune-ups" down the road. Thank you Chip, Fred, and Ruth for taking care of Stan, treating him well, and training our family/working dog. Annie and Jimmy Hines read more

Ruth and Greg have done wonders with Buster. He never paid attention or came when called. After 3 visits with Ruth our problem was solved. He comes when called and no longer jumps on people. The obedience Training worked great. He has also had Rattlesnake Avoidance Training as we live in the desert. We highly recommend their training . read more

This was the worse service we have received. We were referred her by a friend and my husband met with Ruth and was excited to have our dog trained to follow instructions. 6 weeks later we get our dog back and she had learned nothing. We contact Ruth who said she will come to the house. She misses the appointment and reschedules for another day. She stops by for 5 minutes and doesn't really do anything. This was the whole relationship with emails not returned and not being around when she said she will be available. We recently took our dog to an event and she tried to bite two other dogs. She had never done this before. When we contacted the owner regarding this, he called us and told us how we failed in our jobs as dog owners. When i apologized for being overseas serving the country, he told that it had nothing to do with it. Customer service horrible, dog trainign horrible. it is cheaper to buy a shock collar than wasting time with these losers. read more

I just took my 3 dogs to Rattlesnake Avoidance Training by High On through MRT for the second year in a row. The High On Kennel crew are enormously kind and patient with the dogs and it's obvious that their priority is seeing that they are adequately sensitized. They do not rush the process. They are likewise patient with owners and take time to educate. One of my dogs is quite elderly and the trainer pointed out that she needs special handling and why. My dogs clearly remembered their training from last year, the true test of High On's training! I live in the mountains and this is the best money I spend to protect my dogs all year. I highly recommend these knowledgable, kind trainers. read more

My husband and I just attended the rattlesnake aversion training in Topanga Canyon with our two 9 year old Labradors. We moved here one year ago from western Washington State where our dogs worked and protected our farm for 8 years. I successfully trained our dogs to retrieve duck eggs out of the water without cracking the shell, protect our lambs, ducks, and chickens from coyotes and bald eagles, as well as the very basics ("sit," "stay" and "come") all with single commands. I am their pack leader (along with my husband), yet the trainers from High on Kennels treated me like an insignificant tag-a-long. They spoke only to my husband, and only asked for my husband's involvement. Aside from being very annoyed by this disrespectful and old-school chauvinism, I am not convinced my dogs understood the training. If I had walked them through the snake course (mimicking our daily walks in SoCal), my dogs would have presented a natural response to encountering a rattlesnake. Instead, both of my highly intelligent dogs were very confused and nervous, which consequently made them disinterested in the rattlesnakes. One of my dogs was inadvertently standing on top of a snake while looking at me. She was more tuned into me than the sight, smell, sound or FEEL of the snake coiling under her feet. After two trips through the snake course, my dogs apparently passed their tests, but I am not sold. I plan to do more research on rattlesnake aversion training and seek out more female customer oriented trainers in the future. read more

Highly recommend High on Kennels for rattlesnake avoidance training. The crew is very knowledgeable about rattlesnakes and dog behavior. We fully trusted them with our "babies" due to their high satisfaction marks, competent dog handling, and professionalism. read more

Made my dog enjoyable and love able as opposed to how he used to be - a terror (ist),,

If these people come to do a "Rattlesnake Avoidance" Training DO NOT LET THEM TOUCH YOUR DOG!! Don't waste your money with them. They came up to Big Bear and did a clinic and you only got to go through with your dog twice! When you asked the lady a questions or you questioned her she was VERY RUDE! I don't think a dog understand when they only allowed them to go through twice. They even were wetting the shock collar prong on one dog then shocking them. Poor dog didn't even know why he was being shocked. You should use the longer prongs for dogs that have more hair. I don't see how these people have been in business for so long. Also if you don't change out the rattle snakes and just keep using them, then loose their scent. Every time my dog went through ( The two time ) he was shocked repeatedly. Then they said "oh look at that, your dog gets it", he passed! So before you do this type of training look into the company, people. read more