Snake breaking

[Ranger351]

How old should a dog be? Who is the best in Az?

[ohmymy111]

I have done pups at 4 months old. I don't know anyone in AZ, but if you were in Montana I could reccomend someone.

[kninebirddog]

Bob Henson 520-709-1019
As long as the dog is comfortable with the check cord and is confident no problem as everything is related to the snake..I do all mine as soon as the e collar fits

[Nhuskr]

As long as the dog is comfortable with the check cord and is confident no problem as everything is related to the snake..I do all mine as soon as the e collar fits

Do you do this before you've conditioned them to the e-collar? My pup is 6 mos and has been wearing it, but I haven't begun conditioning him to it yet. We were out walking on the check cord when he pulled out ahead of me and grabbed something off the ground. Turned out to be a "thankfully" dead garter snake, but I need to stop that ASAP.

Cheryl

[kninebirddog]

Yes...The snake avoidance is about the snake and as far as the dog/pup is concern that snake bit them

I have a method based on Rick Smith which teaches cues and points of contact so I do not have issues with e collars my dogs go on to Respond well to the e collar for training

[phermes1]

The guy that does the snakebreaking around here requires the dogs to be 6 months old and at least 20 lbs.

[kninebirddog]

The guy that does the snakebreaking around here requires the dogs to be 6 months old and at least 20 lbs.

To bad the snakes don't ask for the same requirements

[Dirtysailor]

Anyone know of people out east doing this? I would love to do it before trying to hunt in the west or south,

[AZ Brittany Guy]

How old should a dog be? Who is the best in Az?

I've been using Bob Henson for 7 or 8 years and he has done all of my dogs. Bob is good and fairley priced. Arlette is the other half of the team and she knows what she is doing too.

[Ranger351]

My pup is 4 months and 20lbs I just think its a good idea with taking him into the feild

[kninebirddog]

How old should a dog be? Who is the best in Az?

I've been using Bob Henson for 7 or 8 years and he has done all of my dogs. Bob is good and fairley priced. Arlette is the other half of the team and she knows what she is doing too.

She knows she doesn't touch the buzz sticks..That's Bobs job

[Ranger351]

So what is the best method for snake breaking a dog? I have heard of using defanged snakes and such or the high burn method as well. Just curious what everyones opinions are.

[kninebirddog]

So what is the best method for snake breaking a dog? I have heard of using defanged snakes and such or the high burn method as well. Just curious what everyones opinions are.

Milk and Defang snake make sure you scrape and check out the top line to make sure the snake doesn't have another set of fangs ready to drop.

I prefer to have the snake in a flat open area as I want everything to be related to the snake and only the snake and nothing else not to bushes bags hay bales glass cages etc

I then check wind direction and like to bring the dog across down wind so that as we are walking along the dog catches scent and then I let the check cord have slack just enough where I do not impede the dog from going towards the snake and get a good snoot full then eye full and hopefully buzz stick will rattle as the dog gets closer then Bob will light them up like a Christmas tree as they are totally fixed on the snake..I will then go away and encourage the dog to leave the scene and pretend like I am checking them over..Like Wow did that snake get you we will then walk around and I will approach the snake from a different direction will get the snake to rattle if the dog elects to check snake out again they will get a second bite goal for me is when the dog gives that look of ___________ you Get me away from that thing.

has worked for my dogs and clients dogs for years

matter a fact last year we were training in a new spot near a desert setting and one of our clients put out his chain gang in the cool of the morning he placed his dogs on the chain gang and all of a sudden his one dog is backed up on the chain as far as he can get there was a buzz stick coiled up under a clump of weeds right under the chain gang..talk about some excitement his two older dogs backing up wanting nothing to do with the snake and his young dog who hadn't been done yet she bouncing wanting to get to the moving thing me on crutches trying to fling the snake further away from the dogs and the guys were out in the field with no clue what was happening Thank God the two dogs that were the closest to the snake were the two that been through snake avoidance

please very VERY VERY careful with Rattlers they are extremely danergous

[phermes1]

The guy that does the snakebreaking around here requires the dogs to be 6 months old and at least 20 lbs.

To bad the snakes don't ask for the same requirements

I think a little earlier is fine, he just tends to err on the side of caution and doesn't want someone trotting an 8 week old puppy out to one of his clinics.

[phermes1]

Milk and Defang snake make sure you scrape and check out the top line to make sure the snake doesn't have another set of fangs ready to drop.

I prefer to have the snake in a flat open area as I want everything to be related to the snake and only the snake and nothing else not to bushes bags hay bales glass cages etc

I then check wind direction and like to bring the dog across down wind so that as we are walking along the dog catches scent and then I let the check cord have slack just enough where I do not impede the dog from going towards the snake and get a good snoot full then eye full and hopefully buzz stick will rattle as the dog gets closer then Bob will light them up like a Christmas tree as they are totally fixed on the snake..I will then go away and encourage the dog to leave the scene and pretend like I am checking them over..Like Wow did that snake get you we will then walk around and I will approach the snake from a different direction will get the snake to rattle if the dog elects to check snake out again they will get a second bite goal for me is when the dog gives that look of ___________ you Get me away from that thing.

That's pretty much what our guy does, too, except he tapes the snake's mouths as well. Lather, rinse, repeat until the dog gets it. Although I have seen very few dogs need more than 2 shocks, and most get the message after 1.
I get mine reproofed every year or so and they all remember the lesson quite well and haven't needed to be reminded.

[kninebirddog]

Milk and Defang snake make sure you scrape and check out the top line to make sure the snake doesn't have another set of fangs ready to drop.

I prefer to have the snake in a flat open area as I want everything to be related to the snake and only the snake and nothing else not to bushes bags hay bales glass cages etc

I then check wind direction and like to bring the dog across down wind so that as we are walking along the dog catches scent and then I let the check cord have slack just enough where I do not impede the dog from going towards the snake and get a good snoot full then eye full and hopefully buzz stick will rattle as the dog gets closer then Bob will light them up like a Christmas tree as they are totally fixed on the snake..I will then go away and encourage the dog to leave the scene and pretend like I am checking them over..Like Wow did that snake get you we will then walk around and I will approach the snake from a different direction will get the snake to rattle if the dog elects to check snake out again they will get a second bite goal for me is when the dog gives that look of ___________ you Get me away from that thing.

That's pretty much what our guy does, too, except he tapes the snake's mouths as well. Lather, rinse, repeat until the dog gets it. Although I have seen very few dogs need more than 2 shocks, and most get the message after 1.
I get mine reproofed every year or so and they all remember the lesson quite well and haven't needed to be reminded.

Over the years I have had a few dogs which took more and one dog a big pointer that all he did was get pissed off at the snake and wanted to eat it..we tried putting on 3 collars three people holding the button..I think that was when California had a brown out

the other two were they kept going back with the "were you what bit me?" curiousness to them they took about three times

but yes normally one good dose and the dogs do not want anything more to do with it.


Bob doesn't do anything else to the snakes as the more you mess with the snakes the more different smells you add to the snake also he doesn't ever want to feel comfortable around a snake and let his guard down

we had a guy Brent from North Rim retrievers he would staple his snakes well he had a snake which he got that he didn't have stapled shut when he was doing his snake avoidance he reached into his snakes and he got nailed on the arm and was rushed to the hospital he going fast and they put him in a medically induced coma for a few weeks ...He was never that same after that he got pretty hateful towards life...Last I heard of Brent he left his family moved to Montana where he made the papers he killed a cop sped away then killed himself ... http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/02/mo ... -shooting/

Bouldin's ex-wife, Debra Bouldin of Camp Verde, Ariz., told The Associated Press in a telephone interview that he was a dog trainer and that she had not spoken to him since he left Arizona in January 2006.

The year before, he nearly died from a rattlesnake bite. Debra Bouldin said that experience left him a changed man.

"You know how when people have trauma they either become so thankful about everything about life or else they become bitter against life? Brent went to the bitter side," she said. "That was a very life-changing thing for him. What happened after that, I honestly can't tell you.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2010/12/02/mo ... z1LOUnBhMg

I know quite a few people that were brents friend in person I mostly only had internet dealings with him he did come to the preserve but he was always out working dogs but After the snake bite everyone noticed the bitter change in him

Anyways Please be careful when dealing with snakes Brent was anything but a beginner when it came to snake avoidance

[asc]

My EP went thru it last summer and it seemed to take. 4 weeks ago I caught her killing a coral snake(very bad snake). Going to get a refresher soon.

[kninebirddog]

My EP went thru it last summer and it seemed to take. 4 weeks ago I caught her killing a coral snake(very bad snake). Going to get a refresher soon.

coral snakes do not smell the same as rattlers and I have dogs that will avoid rattlers like the plague but go to nebraska and they think garter snakes and I think the other was the black rat snake are the greatest things on earth. :roll:

[jcorcoran]

Here in SoCal I have gone to a snake break clinic put on by Natural Solutions, http://socalrattlesnakeavoidancetraining.com/ for the past 2 years. I have only been to their clinics so I don't have anything to compare it with, but I have been impressed. I just went again on Sunday. They use a few different local rattlesnakes of all sizes and colors with their jaws double banded shut so the snake looks and moves naturally. They also used a tiny baby rattler only 12 inches long and some recent skin sheds. So they dog sees different things.
They do a good job of bringing the dog in on different snakes from different all directions, up and down wind. They are professional and very knowledgeable. Erick said that all snakes smell a little different, but rattlesnakes are all similar. He said that you should not use a bloody dead snake because once you break the blood skin barrier the snakes smell totally differently and the dog might think it is something to eat.
As you would expect they are good with the dogs and spend a little time with them before they introduce the snakes. They won't move onto the snakes unless the dog is relaxed. Last year they did the clinic at a hunt club with a trap range and there were a few nonhunting dogs that were nervous with the sounds of the guns, they didn't work with them at that time.
They will work with pups younger than 6 months, but their form says they need to evaluate the pup first. I didn't ask what they looked for.

As a matter of fact Arlette, I met two guys out here in San Diego with 6 month old Britts from your Chuck/Yotie litter and they came along to the snake break with me. Good looking dogs.

[asc]

My EP went thru it last summer and it seemed to take. 4 weeks ago I caught her killing a coral snake(very bad snake). Going to get a refresher soon.

coral snakes do not smell the same as rattlers and I have dogs that will avoid rattlers like the plague but go to nebraska and they think garter snakes and I think the other was the black rat snake are the greatest things on earth. :roll:

Yeah, I was just hoping that she would jump back at the sight of a garden hose. I've killed several coral snakes around the house over the years and a couple of pygmys, got some rattles off of a good size snake, I can give them a little shake and she starts walking on eggshells.

[kninebirddog]

As a matter of fact Arlette, I met two guys out here in San Diego with 6 month old Britts from your Chuck/Yotie litter and they came along to the snake break with me. Good looking dogs.

Thank You ...Are they doing good?

[Ranger351]

Only snakes I've ever seen in Az was bull snakes and different rattlers but I seem to encounter them more often than I like. I'm sure there's more I've just never seen them.

[kninebirddog]

Only snakes I've ever seen in Az was bull snakes and different rattlers but I seem to encounter them more often than I like. I'm sure there's more I've just never seen them.

My favorite snake is the king snake..They are cool looking

Snakes don't bother me ..not that I am going to pick up a rattler but other snakes I actually try to move them near our feed bin area where the mice like to hang out

[Byrdgirl]

Hello,

We ran into some snakes this past weekend during training. Can anyone on here suggest someone in Eastern Pennsylvania/New Jersey area that snake breaks? Any info would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

~Robyn

[kninebirddog]

The guy that does the snakebreaking around here requires the dogs to be 6 months old and at least 20 lbs.

To bad the snakes don't ask for the same requirements

I think a little earlier is fine, he just tends to err on the side of caution and doesn't want someone trotting an 8 week old puppy out to one of his clinics.

Our rules are E collar has to fit properly and the dog has to be complete comfortable about the check cord...If the dog is concerned about anything else then the experience becomes about everything that dog is having issues with and not just the snake.

[Dirtysailor]

Byrdgirl if you find anyone in the east that snakes breaks dogs let me know too. I asked earlier and have not got any info yet.