This evening I was walking Darwin (in my slippers, foolish me) when he stopped and started growling a strange growl I've never heard before. He was staring off into the hills and at first I thought he'd seen a jackal or a fox. I couldn't see anything and he kept growling and wouldn't move on. Then I saw it: a viper, not huge, but large enough. It was about a yard from my foot. It soon slithered backwards into the bushes and disappeared, but it was a lucky escape for me.
OK, so I'm very thankful to Darwin and everything, and very relieved, but how should I deal with this? Obviously, I don't want him to go chasing snakes. I don't think he would have done, because he seemed pretty scared himself (he accidentally sat down on my foot, and jumped up in fright), but how can I teach him not to? Clearly I can't wait for us to meet another snake. Has anyone else had to deal with dogs and snakes?
Janice Jarman Webboard User Reg: 04-19-2005
Posts: 505
Loc: Mid Missouri USA
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I think there have been many discussions of snake avoidance training on this board. Have you tried searching for "Snake Avoidance"?
I can't offer any advice as I've not had to deal with this particular issue.
Mike Armstrong Webboard User Reg: 08-06-2005
Posts: 615
Loc: San Diego, CA
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Dogs apparently don't make the connection between the snake bite and the pain that arrives later, so they don't necessarily take the sight, smell and sound (if it's a rattler) as something to avoid. There always seems to be at least one rattler in my yard or neighbor's yards in the spring in Southern California. My two dogs have alerted to them and barked at 'em, but not been bitten. I took my current dog to snake avoidance training a couple times. It's done with an e-collar and live snakes. $70 a session vs. about a $1000 vet bill.
I don't know anything about how deadly your variety may be.
Sandy Moore Webboard User Reg: 07-25-2006
Posts: 2665
Loc: AZ
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Cool dog, Arik. Good to hear you (or Darwin) weren't bitten. Having to walk home with the poison of a viper snake in your blood stream would have been disastrous. Good job Darwin! And good job, Arik, for listening to your dog.
A US military K9 handler trainer told me that they train their dogs in Texas to jump up into their arms when they yell "SNAKE!" and use the trick to amaze/scare new trainees in their first week of dog handling. LOL
Maybe Darwin had experience with snakes before you rescued him?
Umm I think the dog responded just right. It's the dogs that go right at a snake that you need to worry about. I wouldn't encourage your dog to NOT be afraid of snakes unless you have lots of money for vet bills. Or you're a vet yourself and just want to experiment with anti venom's.
I live in Montana and do a snake break on all my dogs. So if I ever see them running though a field and they stop and get out the other direction like the devil is on their ass and constantly looking back. I know where a snake is.
I do think he was scared, and it sounds like that's the natural reaction for a dog (and a human!). But he was straining at the leash - I don't know what he would have done if I had released him. I suspect he wouldn't have attacked it - maybe he was straining because he wanted to circle it or something like that. Come to think of it, I've noticed behaviour like that when he's been frightened by other dogs - I'm going to post that in the Animal Aggression forum...
I'm sure we don't have any snake avoidance training here, except maybe in the army. It's illegal to keep Vipera palaestinae in captivity anyway. Yes, it's pretty poisonous; it can be fatal to humans if untreated.
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Darwin saved me from a snake, but what now?
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