Nothing like asking advice after the fact, but here goes. While mowing the lawn this afternoon my husband saw a large snake curled up in an old log, after getting a closer look he realized it was a harmless grass snake and left it alone.

Wanting to teach Buddy to stay away from those things, I took him with me to where the snake was. The snake was gone, but the scent must have been pretty strong because Buddy went directly to the spot where the snake had been and stuck his nose right in the hole. Soon as he did that I hit the cont button on his e-collar, I didn’t say anything to him as he jumped in the air. As I stood talking with my husband, Buddy tried to lean in again to smell that spot and I let him get pretty close and hit the cont one more time. That was enough for him, Buddy headed for the house.

Ten minutes later I took Buddy with me walking into the field, when we got near that spot Buddy wouldn’t come within 30 feet of that area. My hope is that he will associate that bad experience the next time he comes across the scent of a snake.

I don’t want to repeat any mistakes on my part so my question is, given this situation was it a mistake to do this since the dog couldn’t see the snake or since the snake had just been in that spot do you think the scent would be enough to act as a deterrent?

Thanks,

It probably will. This same technique that you used is how I got my dog to stop chewing rocks.

Out here in So. California, I've had a couple rattlers in the back yard before. My dogs didn't get bit, but don't know if that would have held true if I hadn't intervened. Took my dog to snake avoidance training last year. They trained with an e-collar for sight, sound and smell with live rattlers.

I don't know if a grass snake smells like a rattler but your training probably won't hurt, assuming he picks up the scent right away. I would question whether it would be effective against a different/poisonous snake, tho. The trainer suggests a yearly "refresher" course, but I think I'm going to wait til next year. I think Nettie still remembers getting zapped.

Mike

A friend of mine had 2 rotties that loved rocks! I'm talking softball sized rocks! You could throw them into the woods and those dogs would bring back the exact same rock, it was really cool! They weren't the friendliest dogs though and I'm sure could smell my fear when they would approach me and drop a rock on my foot. Big, dumb, dopie, goofy dogs.

Mike, I sent a PM to you.
Lynn

Question though .........

Dog's don't generalize too well and I am not sure if the odor of a poisonous snake and that of a non poisonous snake are that similar - I know when they snake-proof dogs they usually use poisonous snakes that are prevented from biting the dogs........

We don't bother with snakeproofing the team dogs - like most people here - dog riles up the snake running past it but is gone before the strike - if anyone gets bit it is the handler - certain places you wear snake gaiters.

A lot of people do out west though.

I think you're right, Nancy.

Here's one quote from
http://www.snakeproofing.com/Pages/SnakeFAQ.html


QUOTE: We use Diamondback rattlesnakes for snake proofing. While this means dogs will thereafter avoid most species of rattlesnakes, it does not deter dogs against ALL snakes, as the odor and behavior of snakes differs by species.END

 Quote: Nancy Jocoy

We don't bother with snakeproofing the team dogs - like most people here - dog riles up the snake running past it but is gone before the strike - if anyone gets bit it is the handler - certain places you wear snake gaiters.

A lot of people do out west though.

YEPPERS....we wear them hear and require them for training and for people that are helping or bring their dogs here to train.
We have Prairie Rattlesnakes.
We do not bother snakeproofing here either for the same reasons Nancy stated.

I guess rocks are a lot easier for the dog to generalize... :laugh:

Great, to me a snake is a snake is a snake and can’t say I care for any of them. Then maybe I taught Buddy to think twice before stuffing his nose is a hole or grass snakes are a force to be reckoned with.

Have never found a rattlesnake here, grass, rat, water moccasin are what we have seen along with a couple of vipers (not sure what they were but had hoods like a cobra). Been here 13 years and never had a dog bitten, though one of my last rotts did attack them. I think he only did it when we were trying to get it, but somehow he seem to know how to get them without getting bit or was very lucky.

I know the best bet would be to take Buddy to a snake avoidance class, to be honest I cringe at the thought of someone else stemming my dog. Guess I’m going to have to get over it, had Buddy come across that snake on his own his reaction would probable of been the same and he would have been bitten.

Thanks for the feedback -