Snake Sensors

[owned by toys]

Thank you Alpha Bet - like others you make a lot of sense.

I think it is the fear of the unknown for me, city meets country.

The dogs have gone for a few long weekend visits and the best thing has been to let them move freely, they have a ball. This was also one of the reasons for the move and I don't want to keep them locked up 24/7, might as well have stayed in suburbia.

We don't have running water near us, the dam dried up long ago.

I guess it just comes down to common sense, keep everything cleared and keep your eyes down this seems to be a common point in the replies.

[justnikky]

Am moving to rural Vic soon and have concerns about snakes. Thought about getting snake sensors for the dogs yard and wanting thoughts and advice from those who already use them and who are the best suppliers to contact.

Just not sure whether they do actually work Hi

I live in a rural area and guinea fowl are the best snake detectors followed closely by geese. Guinea fowl are famous for their stop snakes behaviour and they ae cheap!.

[snake catcher]

Snakes wont bite a dog unless the dog initiates the confrontation.

The only time a snake will bite a large predator,dog/human is when they fear for their lives.

Using bluetongue lizards in a controlled environment, dogs have been trained not to go near reptiles.

If your dog has killed a bluetongue,it needs to be watched as the chance of snakebite is increased in these dogs.

Bluetongues are not differentiated by dogs and to them they are the same as snakes.

Now, im not an expert in the field of dog training but

I think the combination of your training collars and the use of live tame reptiles

and even shed snake skins will keep your dog safe.

FYI do not rely on the electronic snake repeller, they do not work and yes, we have tested them on wild tigersnakes.

Cheers

Edited February 20, 2010 by snake catcher

[spottychick]

I live in the bush with a creek over the back of me and snakes use my property as a shortcut to the creek. I'm sort of used to them and just keep a close eye out when the dogs are let outside. I almost walked into one in the back yard once and the dogs were running around nearby. So I just called the dogs to me and grabbed them and told them to stay very still - which we did while the snake looked at us and went on it's way.

For a while I also used to have a large snake that lived under the concrete slab near my back door. I could tell he was there because there is a strip of gravel next to the concrete and there was a hole at the edge of the gravel (next to the concrete) and a snake trail through the gravel leading from the hole. I used to check there every morning to see if the snake trail was there and if it was I'd know he'd gone for the day. Then I'd smooth it back over and check later in the day to see if there was a return trail. Then smooth it over for the morning check LOL It worked! He didn't hang around the backyard -not when there was that lovely creek just down the road a bit. I used to be able to see his trail travelling all the way from the back gate, weaving all through my back lawn, then through the gravel to the hole.

If I didn't see a trail in the morning I'd let the dogs out for a quick wee and then bring em back in. If I did see a trail I knew the snake would be down the creek for the day and we'd be safer.

But I always scanned the entire yard before letting the dogs out anyway, kept an eye on them while they were outside and never left them out for long in the "aggressive" season (Feb/March here). I was in the process of having the snake removed and relocated by a professional but sadly a neighbour saw him when he was outside my yard and killed him before I could get it organised.

If I wasn't trying to sell the house and move I would install colourbond fencing that's dug deep into the ground at least for one area of the back yard. Snakes don't dig under fences and can't climb colourbond fencing (apparently) so I'd use this fenced area as a run for them when I'm not home. It would be too expensive to fence the entire property like this tho.

[snake catcher]

Great post spottychick,

Its good to have a resident large snake on your property as he will keep other large snakes out.

'Better the *devil you know than the *devil you dont' I always say, and now your rid of him, the next tennant may not be as agreeable.

To bad about his demise.

Snakes have different personalities and some are laidback while others are flighty and scared.

I spose it depends on what experiences they had as to how their attitude is.

The tiger snakes and copperheads of Tasmania are the most beautiful of all and on my youtube channel i have footage of some of my captive bred tassie pets.

They certainly cannot climb colourbond fencing and is the best,if not the most expensive, way to snake proof an area.

Cheers

*I dont really think of them as devils

Edited February 21, 2010 by snake catcher

[goldchow]

Have to agree with alot of what alpha-bet has said. I grew up in rural Victoria on a farm with workings dogs and don't ever remember losing any of them to snake bite.

Have been in regional Qld for 20 something years, have had a few brushes with snakes who as alpha-bet mentioned are territorial and often it is the luck of the draw as to how bad the snake problem is in your specific area.

We also have a boarding /breeding kennels here and in 14 years have not had any major problems although my own dogs are kept in runs around and close to the house where I can keep an eye on them. We have a huge mice problem here with a small feedlot 500 metres cross country and the snakes periodically come in around the chook yard for the mice so we are very consciencous about keeping the vermin down. We run geese and guinea fowl, both great snake deterrents and we always make sure there are several strategically placed large containers of water outside the boundary fence because snakes get thirsty too and I don't particularly want them looking for water anywhere near the dogs and their water buckets.

We have a red bellied black living somewhere in the large cracks in the ground under the house for the last 3 years, hasn't been a problem and of all the snakes to be in residence that would be the one I would prefer. They usually keep well out of the way and aren't likely to attack unless cornered plus they supposedly keep the eastern browns, browns and taipans away and we haven't seen any of these snakes since the black moved in.

I always think there is a danger in trying to make yards snake proof. Snakes are amazing creatures and can get through the smallest of holes so if a snake does happen to get inside a supposedly snake proof yard and is attacked, the snake is trapped and can't get away which is what most snakes will instinctively try to do.

The keeping yards mowed and no rubbish being allowed to accumulate has already been mentioned

Like others, have heard good and bad reports about the snake sensors and I think the only way you would know is to give them a go but ultimately you have to learn to live with and be aware of snakes and if all precautions are taken you shouldn't have any problems,

[spottychick]

Great post spottychick,

Its good to have a resident large snake on your property as he will keep other large snakes out.

'Better the *devil you know than the *devil you dont' I always say, and now your rid of him, the next tennant may not be as agreeable.

To bad about his demise.

Snakes have different personalities and some are laidback while others are flighty and scared.

I spose it depends on what experiences they had as to how their attitude is.

The tiger snakes and copperheads of Tasmania are the most beautiful of all and on my youtube channel i have footage of some of my captive bred tassie pets.

They certainly cannot climb colourbond fencing and is the best,if not the most expensive, way to snake proof an area.

Cheers

*I dont really think of them as devils

Yes, I was devastated that he was killed - he really didn't harm anyone and was just going about his own business. The only reason I wanted to relocate him was that he was just a bit too close to my back door LOL But otherwise I didn't mind him at all.

And yes they are beautiful snakes around here. The one I almost walked in to was a gorgeous black creature with a red stripe up it's belly. It had the most beautiful shaped head and was very calm and cool. I think I was more fascinated and in awe (almost hypnotised) by his/her beauty than scared.

[Erny]

Just a wee problem with the collars, I have a few more than one dog and they are toys that have only worn show leads and wouldn't know what a colour was so I think we are all beyond help for training.

That's the point - the dogs aren't supposed to know what an e-collar is. They are meant to associate the stimulation with the proximity/presence of a snake. But it needs to be done with thought and structure, as the stim could just as easily be paired with something else in the environment that the dog glances at just at the time of the stim. E-Collar I think would be one of the only and best ways of teaching your dog through operant conditioning that snakes are a no-no to go near.

Edited February 21, 2010 by Erny