S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

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Jon
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S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by Jon » Sun Jul 10, 2005 9:33 pm

We are getting a GSP puppy this month and one of our main concerns is Snake Prevention Training. Can anyone tell us who offers Snake Prevention Training in Florida ?

Also, is it possible to do this training before 16 wks. of age to make sure the dog has a life long fear of snakes ?

Anything negative that happens to the puppy he will never forget but I don't won't to scare him to death either.

I would really like to find a professional with Snake Prevention Training experience in this area. Names ?

Some people feel you should wait until the dog is closer to 1 yr. old but I don't plan on waiting till the dog is that old to take him in the feild so I don't feel I should wait to snake break him.

If anyone has personal experience with this, I would like to hear your opinion about how earily you can train snake prevention.

Thanks
Jon

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snips
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Post by snips » Sun Jul 10, 2005 10:23 pm

Jon, I definetly would not recommend snake breaking for a pup that age. I don`t think it would be good to do until at least 8 or 9 mo old. You don`t want to stand any chance of confusing a pup of a strange scent giving him the shock of his life. Meaning he may smell a bird later and think it will shock him. You just have to be careful for a few months.
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Post by Dave Gowdey » Mon Jul 11, 2005 12:57 am

Web Parton is a good friend of mine, and perhaps one of the most experienced snake avoidance trainers in the country. He lives in Tucson, and has literally snake broke thousands of dogs. He strongly prefers not to break a dog until it is at least 10 months of age, and absolutely refuses to break any dog younger than six months. Web says that not only is there the higher potential for unintended consequences with pups, but snake breaking at an early age doesn't seem to "take" as well because of their stage of intellectual development -and often has to be repeated to assure success.

My suggestion is that you use caution and common sense with your pup this season - perhaps waiting to take her out until cold weather has put the snakes underground. Then have her snake broke when she is old enough to really take the training well. Good luck.

dhondtm

Post by dhondtm » Mon Jul 11, 2005 7:15 am

I wait a year personally, and I renew every year before it gets hot. If your lucky by the third or forth year you don't even have to shock em anymore and you will see they remember. But, it is good practice to introduce them to a snake every year and make sure they remember.

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Post by kninebirddog » Mon Jul 11, 2005 10:23 am

I will do pups at about 4 months it has to be done on a live milked and defanged rattlesnake ...the snake must be out in an open type area bring the pup down wind so that the pup smells it fist allowing the pup to go in and check the snake out then applying the very strong stimulation of the e collar...this is to be sure that everything thing is directly related to the snake....I would much rather have my pup bit by the e collar then a snake any day and the rattlesnake feeling threatened by a cute little puppy will bit him as fast as a curious older pup...JMHO

Also as an added note this should also only be done with pups that have beeen accustomed to the check cord...DO NOT DRAG THEM INTO THE SITUATION....It has to be done with them being curious about the smell of the snake and/or the sight of the snake and/or the sound....if you have to drag then this is not the time to snake avoidance training as you will or will create other problems there.
When i take the dog I act like we are going for a walk I will walk from a distance down wind allowing the dog to catch the scent cone...look at the check cord this pup smelled the snake and went in on his own accord to investigate.the check cord is down allowing the dog to run away also ..i will then walk around and bring across form the down wind side ..most time as soon as the see smell or hear the snake again they want NOTHING to do with it I have seen a few go back to check out what bit them and yes they will get another application.. WE also do free rechecks for dogs we have done
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Also if you haven't learn this from a person with experience with the proper method of snake avaoidance I highly suggest you do not try this yourself....milking and defanging needs to be done completely.
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Jon
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Post by Jon » Mon Jul 11, 2005 1:31 pm

snips wrote: I don`t think it would be good to do until at least 8 or 9 mo old.

Thank you for all the replies : )

Here in central FL below the freeze line ( I-4 basically) you will see snakes most of the year because it doesn't freeze or get real cold, (most of the time).

I see more snakes laying on the road and trails in the winter getting warm from the sun, than I do in the summer. Prob. because I'm not hunting or hiking in the 95-100+ degree temps in the summer.

I have never had a problem with snakes myself, but I still wear knee high snake boots hunting ( prevention ) and I don't stick my nose in the grass looking for them. : )

Jan. 2006 the dog will be 8 mo. old which would be about the longest I would like to put this training off. Can anybody recommend a pro trainer with experience ? ( In the S.E. )

I understand how it's done but would like to see a pro do it the first time.

Thanks

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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by fishvik » Thu Sep 08, 2022 11:37 pm

I have a GSP puppy that I got from a rescue group last month. She is about 3 months old now and I am looking for a trainer in my area that can do snake prevention training.

I know that some people feel it's best to wait until the dog is older, but I don't plan on waiting too long. Other than the fact that she doesn't like being picked up, she seems to be doing pretty well with her fear of snakes.

I've been reading a lot of articles on this topic, and most agree that you should start before 16 weeks. But there are also some who say you shouldn't do it at all because it can be destructive to the dog's psyche if they don't get used to it by then.

Any opinions?

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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by Sharon » Fri Sep 09, 2022 9:52 am

LOts of good opinions from experts above and none say sooner than 6 months. I'd give those opinions a good read.
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Steve007
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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by Steve007 » Fri Sep 09, 2022 10:47 am

Depending on what kind of snakes you have there, I would look into inoculation as well. For example, in areas where rattlesnakes are a real problem, people should know that there is a rattlesnake vaccine (not just antivenom) which is effective. Not terribly expensive either. Two initial shots, then yearly boosters before hunting season. Obviously not 100% effective -- the dog can still go into shock, and snake breaking certainly has merit --but it can positively help the dog build some immunity. If you have not done so, I would certainly look into this and get it done.

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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by ckirsch » Fri Sep 09, 2022 12:32 pm

I ran a two year old pointer thru snake breaking before last season and wasn't convinced he really had it figured out, so I signed him up again a few weeks ago. We turned toward the snake and were about fifteen yards out (dog on a leash) and he just about pulled me over trying to go in the opposite direction. Obvious that the training was effective the first time, and well-retained a year later.

It was interesting to watch how different dogs reacted to the snakes. Some were naturally cautious, some showed no interest at all, others roaded right in nose-first to investigate, and a couple terriers tried to attack the snake. All of them got hit hard with the collar, and of the thirty or so dogs I watched, none wanted anything to do with the "proofing" snake that they were exposed to shortly after getting shocked on the first one. I didn't see any pups there, but there were several yearling dogs who seemed to react to the training as well as the older ones. The guy doing the test apologized to everyone beforehand that he was going to hurt their dogs inthe process, but that it was obviously preferable to them getting bitten.

A humorous sidenote; a few years back, this club held their snake break clinic a few miles out of town, but within a mile or so of a small residential area. Someone there saw the collection of vehicles out in a field, then heard the dogs squealing and called the police, reporting that satanic rituals were being performed. A highway patrolman soon came skidding in "Dukes Of Hazzard" style to put an end to the abuse. We still laugh about that, but you need to be prepared to watch your dog perform a triple-gainer back flip after being juiced at a very high setting. I thought maybe it was overkill at the time, but seeing how well my dog retained the training, I don't question it now.

While I'm fairly confident my dog won't get bitten out of curiosity, I'd be curious to know how many dogs get nailed while flying across the prairie and have no idea they've been hit. As Steve recommended, my dogs get the vaccine every year, but that's far from a sure thing, even for the two or three species of rattlesnakes it was designed for.

My hearing isn't what it used to be, and I have a tough time hearing snakes rattle now. Not a reassuring feeling. Hoping for an early freeze.....

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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by jmez » Sat Sep 10, 2022 3:54 pm

Would be very rare for a dog to get bit just running across the prairie. I've never seen it or heard of it.

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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by BigTub » Sat Sep 10, 2022 7:06 pm

Not that the information changes but note that this is a resurrection of a REALL OLD post.

Steve007
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Re: S. E. Snake Prevention Training Q & A

Post by Steve007 » Sun Sep 11, 2022 12:44 pm

BigTub wrote:
Sat Sep 10, 2022 7:06 pm
Not that the information changes but note that this is a resurrection of a REALL OLD post.
Well, yes, but it seems as though fishvik had a question on the same subject and conducted a search to see if it had been previously addressed. It had, but not in the detail he would have wished, so he tacked a more specific question on this one.

That's probably a better choice than starting another post, as we can know what has been previously said on the subject and and add on top of that.

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