How To Teach Dog To Avoid Snakes?

[alecrain]

With the spring coming I realized that soon all the snakes will be active and I need to figure out how to make sure my 10-month old Pointer is safe.

He's still young, really enjoys walks off-leash in the bush- as do we.

Does anyone know if there is a solution (apart from walking the dog on leash in an urban park) for teaching the dog to avoid potential snakes he may stumble upon?

I was thinking of getting a rubber snake from $2 shop and hiding it in various places, waiting for the dog to find it and scaring it with a loud noise or a water gun to build a negative association: snake-shaped thing in the grass = unpleasant experience

Any ideas?

[kiesha09]

Just keep your dog onlead or go to urban parks etc. You can do all the training in the world but if your dog slips up just once then it could be the end for him. Not worth the risk IMO.

[dianed]

I wish someone had the answer?? I,m dreading the snakes coming out this year. I think most dogs have an inbuilt instinct when it comes to snakes, that has been my experience over the years when my previous dogs have come in contact with one. They pointed and had a different bark so I knew there was a snake around but they never pursued it.

The young dog I have now is a different kettle of fish, she has a high prey drive and seems to think she can round them up and I, m very concerned for her. Last year I saw two red bellies strike out at her, she jumped back but then chased them. The first one I called her off but the second one she ignored my calls to stop and I ended up throwing a stick between her and the snake.

I live on a rural property and last year we seemed to have more snakes around the house yard. I now shoot every damn one I see.

Just remember they are more active when they come out of hibernation so I would say be alert and stay away from long grass and places such as dam banks where snakes hunt for frogs. I dont think you can train a dog to avoid snakes as they can be any where.

[Miranda]

An e collar would be the best and surest way to train a dog to avoid snakes.

[Jaxx'sBuddy]

An e collar would be the best and surest way to train a dog to avoid snakes.

i have seen them used for this as well but it was done by an experienced trainer.

maybe call a trainer near you and ask if they do this training.

i would still not rely on it 100% though

[wuffles]

The other thing is, sometimes it's not possible to avoid the snakes. We've seen them just lying on dirt paths or literally just beside the path and they haven't moved until we're pretty much on top of them.

[OSoSwift]

On lead in high risk areas is the only way you can keep away from them, but even that is not 100% foolproof as I have trodden on them and not known they were there until I did step on them.

[Monah]

definately on lead if you are worried. they can be anywhere, if in longish grass, the dog wont even see it. we narrowly avoided a massive red belly last summer when we allowed ours a swim in a creek, the snake was swimming. snakes will also swim in hte ocean(I'm not talking sea snakes either). I was iin our pool last summer with the dogs when a snake appeared, lucky the girls did not see it and I called them out fast, it was a whip snake, not deadly but very nasty painful bite. vigilance is really the safest way.

LOVE pointers ;)

[Nekhbet]

e-collar is the only reliable way to train a dog to leave snakes alone. Steve Austin trains his detection spaniels to leave snakes alone but he too says the only reliable way is with an e-collar.

I have snakes and snake poo workshop time?

[flatchat]

Can I ask a dumb question? What does snake poo look like?? We have heaps of snakes around but I have never seen anything I recognised as snake poo!!

[dianed]

e-collar is the only reliable way to train a dog to leave snakes alone. Steve Austin trains his detection spaniels to leave snakes alone but he too says the only reliable way is with an e-collar.

I have snakes and snake poo workshop time?

With this type of collar I assume you have to be there and sight the snake?

[rubyroo]

e-collar is the only reliable way to train a dog to leave snakes alone. Steve Austin trains his detection spaniels to leave snakes alone but he too says the only reliable way is with an e-collar.

I have snakes and snake poo workshop time?

Each summer I have the opportunity to do a bit of snake proof training with and e-collar. My dogs have become very collar smart and wont even look at a snake whilst wearing it. I think I am pretty intune with their body behaviour and can generally tell if its a rabbit, quail or snake. I have caught my girl twice (no collar and me not in sight) having a go at a brown snake, luckly she did listen and I could call her off. My dog seems to really avoid the area that a snake is in, and wont get too close. But I still dont trust them when I am not around as Im sure natural instinct would kick in and they would defend themselves. Have heard of 4 dogs not surving over the last few days, they are out, hungry and looking for love.

[dianed]

e-collar is the only reliable way to train a dog to leave snakes alone. Steve Austin trains his detection spaniels to leave snakes alone but he too says the only reliable way is with an e-collar.

I have snakes and snake poo workshop time?

Each summer I have the opportunity to do a bit of snake proof training with and e-collar. My dogs have become very collar smart and wont even look at a snake whilst wearing it. I think I am pretty intune with their body behaviour and can generally tell if its a rabbit, quail or snake. I have caught my girl twice (no collar and me not in sight) having a go at a brown snake, luckly she did listen and I could call her off. My dog seems to really avoid the area that a snake is in, and wont get too close. But I still dont trust them when I am not around as Im sure natural instinct would kick in and they would defend themselves. Have heard of 4 dogs not surving over the last few days, they are out, hungry and looking for love.

Rubyroo, I agree you can tell by the body behavior if your dog has a snake bailed up and I have noticed the bark is more high pitched. I haven't seen any this season but I am sure they are out and very hungry.

What type of collar do you have as I think I may have to invest in one??

[Nekhbet]

get yourself a dogtra collar and someone who knows how to use it, contact Pet Resorts (one at Terrigal and Dural)

snake poo looks like segmented dog poo, usually has hair chunks in there too and a VERY distinctive smell.

Rubyroo you need to start putting dummy collars on your dogs. No point training them to ignore snakes if your dog ends up knowing it cant touch them only at certain times.

[JulesP]

Are snakies out and about in Vic yet? It is still sooo cold.

[idigadog]

It's still really cold here of a night too but the snakes are definately out and about. My worst nightmare they are.

We lost one of our young pups last year to a baby Tiger (he's the one on the left in my avatar) and nearly lost one of our yearlings to the same snake. A Brown almost claimed another yearling two months prior to that. Our vets said that it was the worst summer ever for snake bites and it seemed to be the babies doing most of the damage.

We are vigilant, we don't let our dogs into the paddocks, we have snake proofed as much as we can but they seem to still get into our dog yards. I am truly dreading the next 7-8 months

Edited September 22, 2010 by idigadog

[griff]

Are snakies out and about in Vic yet? It is still sooo cold.

Snakes are alway out , it is just that you see them more in Spring and Summer .

[noisymina]

Fortunately, most of our snakes are harmless. I'm sure there are others around, but they seem to stay down in the thicker mess next door.

Kaisie seems to know now that we are happy to be told one is there, but she also knows I will call her off - and she now leaves them before I even do that. When we appear, her job is done. She's pretty savvy - as she is with all apparentnt threats - and never goes close enough for them to have much chance of striking her. If one started to come after one of us, I think she would attack it.

[rubyroo]

Rubyroo, I agree you can tell by the body behavior if your dog has a snake bailed up and I have noticed the bark is more high pitched. I haven't seen any this season but I am sure they are out and very hungry.

What type of collar do you have as I think I may have to invest in one??

Hi Dianed, I use innotek. Since the original ones were replaced they are great, mind you I am a little sceptical about the 400m range?? I like being able to operate 2 collars off the 1 remote.

[rubyroo]

get yourself a dogtra collar and someone who knows how to use it, contact Pet Resorts (one at Terrigal and Dural)

snake poo looks like segmented dog poo, usually has hair chunks in there too and a VERY distinctive smell.

Rubyroo you need to start putting dummy collars on your dogs. No point training them to ignore snakes if your dog ends up knowing it cant touch them only at certain times.

Thanks for that, had thought about it but have a dog that has to chew everything that is around my girls neck ;) he is a real pain in the butt at times. Whilst Im home they are generally on, the initial putting them on in the morning is starting to drive me crazy as aparently it means that we are going somewhere really exciting and cant controll ourselves!!