Snake Breaking/Avoidance

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SouthernTied
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Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by SouthernTied » Thu Mar 30, 2017 10:36 am

How do y'all go about this process or do you send your dogs off to have it done/

fishvik
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by fishvik » Thu Mar 30, 2017 11:39 am

I have used a large gopher snake and an e-collar. I light the dog up when it comes in contact with the snake or they catch a whiff of it. I never figured my dogs would be good herpetologists so I wanted them to avoid all species of snakes. This seems to work, they avoid all snakes not just sleazy vipers. There are some that say this doesn't work, that you need a poisonous variety for training. I've trained 6 dogs over 30 years and hunted them in some snakey country in S. Idaho, Utah and Nevada and never had a snake bite.

Steve007
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by Steve007 » Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:06 pm

Worth noting that rattlesnake vaccine now exists. Also useful against copperheads. if those are the snakes you're concerned about, it's likely a good investment.

SouthernTied
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by SouthernTied » Thu Mar 30, 2017 3:15 pm

We have 6 venomous species here. 3(technically 4) species of rattlesnake, copperhead, cottonmouth, and coral. I have the rattlsnake vaccine but I want to cover the bases of avoidance.

mask
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by mask » Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:14 pm

In my experience most dogs are hit running by. The vaccine is a good investment and I use it. Any avoidance training is a good investment. Fishviks method works as good as any. I kill every rattlesnake I find and porkies too. I just try to give my dogs the best possible chance to avoid a wreck.

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Tooling
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by Tooling » Thu Mar 30, 2017 6:38 pm

fishvik wrote:I have used a large gopher snake and an e-collar. I light the dog up when it comes in contact with the snake or they catch a whiff of it. I never figured my dogs would be good herpetologists so I wanted them to avoid all species of snakes. This seems to work, they avoid all snakes not just sleazy vipers. There are some that say this doesn't work, that you need a poisonous variety for training. I've trained 6 dogs over 30 years and hunted them in some snakey country in S. Idaho, Utah and Nevada and never had a snake bite.
I did the same thing w/a black snake (rat snake)..seemed to have worked, kind of..

Anytime my dog happens upon one, he keeps his distance and barks at it. Fortunately he doesn't make any attempt at the snake and part of me thinks this isn't so bad considering I get a tip off to steer clear as well, but I'm not so sure. We deal w/Copperheads in the area and fortunately not much else.

What is the typical behavior for a dog that has been "properly" trained when they randomly encounter a snake?

**Forgot to add: Dog does respond to me when I call him off.

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oldbeek
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by oldbeek » Thu Mar 30, 2017 8:18 pm

My dog has been trained with a real rattler. She will not go into an area where she scents one. Her actions are so distinct that i know a snake is there. Even so, i am having her go to a tune up class this year. We have Mojave greens in my area. Vacine does not work on them.

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Tooling
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Re: Snake Breaking/Avoidance

Post by Tooling » Fri Mar 31, 2017 8:45 am

Thanks oldbeek - like you, I can easily recognize the dogs behavior when he happens upon a snake. He also reacts the same way with Turtles, oddly enough. All scented. Although he doesn’t dive in, he does tend to brave it a little close trying to get a visual..I’m not very comfortable with that. Guess the vaccine will go in the possibles kit..

As a rule, I leave the Copperheads be b/c their just being the Copperhead that they are. The only exception is if they are found on the property along with the adjoining property (kids around). Sometimes I’ll take care of business and sometimes I’ll catch and relocate them in isolated area’s nearby.

I’m not sure what the availability of snake training is here in the mid-atlantic.

I’m wondering if I were to kill one..would it have the same effect if I used it to take a dog to school? Anybody??

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