Your dog and snakes
Scroll below to find my advice and tips on the following topics:
1. Training to avoid snakes through the use of e-collars.
2. What you can do to minimise snake altercations with your dog.
Dog training to avoid snakes through the use of e-collars
Teaching your dogs to avoid snakes through the use of e-collars. Please read in full.
The weather's warming up. Snakes are being sighted. Fear increases about the risk of a bite to our four legged friends. It's here that training dogs to avoid snakes usually enters the conversation.
As a result, I would like to share my journey with you before you sign up to a course (no matter who it's run by). If you're considering having your dogs do a snake avoidance course through the use of e-collars I'd ask you to read this first.
So here we go:
At the end of 2022, I looked into training to run a course which taught dogs to avoid snakes through the use of e-collars. I signed up, learnt the method, and was feeling ready to implement the course. It was being run by a vet nurse and a team of dog trainers with a snake demonstrator on site. I figured it was a pretty legitimate, effective and beneficial training to complete considering the effects of dog snake bites can be fatal.
I came back to my hometown where I talked to our local vets. They had VERY strong opinions regarding snake avoidance training through the use of e-collars. They suggested that I do more research into the effects that it can have on some dogs that do the course. They were also strong in purporting that in no way do they endorse the training.
I was surprised, to say the least.
I started to call vet centres across our state where they have dog vs. snake training e-collar courses on the regular. I wanted to know whether they saw the troubling effects my vets disclosed to me, and, if so, how frequently they occurred. What I can say is I was continually met with the same concern my hometown vets had outlined to me. Namely:
While it is a minority of dogs that do the course which come away from the training with negative repercussions. It is (in their opinion) too high of a minority for it not to be a substantial risk to any dog that undertakes e-collar training for the purpose of snake avoidance. They also suggested was no way you could tell prior to course completion how your dog was going to respond to the training.
Among other effects, the common observations the vets reported to me included;
Dogs could become:-
* unpredictable;
* nervous;
* anxious;
* refuse people to touch their heads and necks;
* can snap for no apparent reason whether they are triggered or not;
* can become aggressive; and untrustworthy toward their owners, strangers, and/or around children.
The veterinarians I spoke to suggested that many of these effects appeared immediately (within a few days/weeks of the training), though sometimes they didn't fully manifest until several weeks post training.
Of course, not every dog will develop these outcomes, however, what was important to note is the overwhelming confirmation from each vet centre that there is no way to know if your dog will or won't be the dog to change post course. It's also not as rare as you might think. I know of 4 dogs in the last year (2023) that have experienced negative effects after completing an e-collar based snake training (to be fair though, I am in the industry where I'm more likely to hear from people as they're looking for help with their dogs). And while the vets varied in their estimates of the considered risk level of the training, all agreed it was a minority that wasn't minimal, and, which caused the majority of the vet centres I contacted to be uncomfortable with endorsing snake avoidance training through e-collar use.
I do need to balance this by saying some vets that I spoke to were happy with the risk level IF the dogs were farm dogs (as they were less likely to see other people etc) but *most* (there were a handful who said they didn't mind the courses) were not happy with e-collar snake avoidance courses for dogs that were in town as there were higher chances of negative interactions with people and other dogs as these dogs are walked in town, often have visitors over, etc.
In talking to many snake avoidance trainers since discovering this information and asking them specifically about it, most are aware of the implications and have seen it at least occasionally, but also most hold to the vice: a dead dog (from a snake bite) is worse than an unpredictable one...
Personally, I'm not entirely sure I'd agree with this - as, in my opinion you need to be able to trust your dog around kids and other dogs, even around yourself, and if you can't, then I'm not sure it's safe to keep them.
But, each to their own.
I might be going a bit harsh on the topic here- but a few years ago when I signed up to do the course to expand my business, I had no idea I'd be writing this instead.
If you've got this far reading, thank you. I'd encourage you to just look a little deeper into snake avoidance courses, to contact your local vets, and, especially if you're considering therapy dog training- please don't participate in snake avoidance training through the use of e-collars, as it's not worth the risk to your dog's temperament.
Read below for what you can do instead.
Your dog and snakes:
A guide on what you can do to minimise the risk of a negative snake altercation with your furry friend.
I posted above on the topic of training dogs to avoid snakes through the use of e-collars. If you haven't read this, please scroll back up and have a read, for now enjoy some tips on how to minimise your pet's risk of a negative interaction with a snake:
1) Make your yard less snake attractive.
This includes:
- Keeping grass cut short.
- Removing debris, tin, wood piles, rubbish, rocks etc. Anything that could be used as a snake shelter.
- Making sure all paths are clear so you can see where you are walking.
- Keep in mind certain plants are great for snakes- particularly those that provide low to the ground coverage (ie an agapantha bush). A snake could be living here, or passing through and your dog's nose is not seen as a welcome intrusion for the snake. Again try to minimise the amount of coverage snakes could like/use.
- Store any firewood away from the house.
2) Minimise access to water.
Snakes need to drink. Your beautiful outdoor pond, or dog's water bowl can be a source of water for snakes which bring them into your yard.
3) Reduce food sources outside (i.e. chicken eggs, compost piles etc).
These bring mice, mice bring snakes. So too with ponds that bring frogs. Frogs bring snakes. Clean up any spilled food, fruit or bird seed, which also attract mice and therefore snakes.
4) Walk your dog on a lead during summer and minimise the amount of sniffing time you allow on your walks.
Dogs are most often bitten on walks when they are sniffing around in bushes etc. The snake sees them as a threat, the dog sees or sometimes doesn't even see them, but their nose poking in the snake's business isn't welcomed and is often met with a bite to their face or limbs.
5) Limit outdoor time in the evening.
Snakes are most active at the end of the day when the weather has started to cool. Also limit outdoor time at night as a lot of snakes prefer to be active at this time rather than during the day.
6) Get some Guinea Fowl.
These birds aren't a magic formula to having no snakes, instead what they can do is alert you to their presence, and help you to know to keep your furry friends inside. (They shriek and carry on, running over to the snake and often pecking it until it leaves/dies).
7) This one is a bit sceptical. Some trainers encourage not playing with rope toys- or other snake-like toys.
I'm not sold on this advice- I believe dogs are smart enough to know the difference between a rope and a snake. Nevertheless, erring on the side of caution is never a bad thing.
8) Teach your dog to follow your commands.
This can save their lives in more than just a snake scenario. When Pauley had a brown snake in his mouth a few years ago (yes, you read right- in his mouth), he was thrashing it around his head like a whip. I yelled “Pauley, leave” at the top of my lungs, at which point he let go of the snake - which then flew through the air. I then yelled “sit”, to which he did. I inspected the snake- it was dead- then disposed of the snake (be aware, just because they’re dead, doesn’t mean they aren’t deadly! They can still kill your pet and you if their fangs scratch them etc). And then promptly took him to the vet. He was fine and luckily wasn't bitten. I have also received several messages of thankful owners after attending my 3 day obedience course who saw a snake and were able to call their dogs back and away.
9) If your dog was near a snake, and you’re not sure if they were bitten or not- TAKE. THEM. TO. THE. VET.
Better safe than sorry. At the very least they’ll keep them for observation. Waiting for a dog to show symptoms is akin to waiting for your dog to start the process of dying. Bear in mind, many of our snakes cause delayed symptoms in dogs (ie the dog doesn't show signs until hours later); many also cause the dog to crash, then "bounce back" as though they have recovered, until to crash again later. It is important to take your dog to a vet if you even suspect a snake interaction has occurred.
10) Don’t suck the wound.
11) If your dog isn’t with the snake, but they’ve seen it and won’t leave it alone- get your hose.
Douse the dog in water to break its attention and get them away from it. Do not do this if your dog is with the snake as it can cause them to lose focus and get bitten, but if they're not physically near it yet, this is the time to use the hose.
12) You don’t need to bring the snake into the vets!
They now have a one size fits all antivenom. If you wish (and it's safe to do so) you can take a photo of the snake, but don't risk yourself just to get the photo.
13) Do not let your dog examine dead snakes as they still have venomous fangs.
Also, the snake may not be dead. Some snakes can stay extremely still even when danger is nearby.
14) Know the symptoms.
You may not have seen the snake, or seen the interaction between dog and snake. You may only see the results. Know the symptoms:
Severe lethargy
Collapse
Shaking or twitching
Dilated pupils or difficulty blinkning
Vomiting
Loss of bladder or bowel control
Blood in urine
Ataxia (loss of function of body movements) which could be seen as difficulty walking
Breathing difficulties (rapid and shallow)
Excessive salivation (drooling)
Bleeding from snake bite wound
Paralysis or Collapse
Coma or death
"Bouncing back" (as mentioned above the dog goes downhill rapidly, then seems to recover. During this recovery period is it crucial you take them to the vet. If it is a snake bite they will collapse again and this time likely die).
15) If your dog has been bitten:
A) Most importantly, keep calm yourself and control your own emotions.
B ) Make sure it’s safe. Snake is dead or gone. Dog is with you.
C) Keep your dog still and calm as possible and reduce stimulus around him. Lift him up and carry him to the car. Put him in the car. This restricts movement. Don't like him walk to the car. If you can, have a passenger hold him in the car also to stop any unrequired movement.
D) Remove people who will make the situation worse.
E) Do NOT wash the wound; Do NOT apply a tourniquet, Do NOT apply ice or alcohol or bleed the wound. These approaches do not work and you are just wasting time.
F) NEVER try to catch or kill the snake yourself. If you can SAFELY get a photo of the snake, then do so, otherwise leave it.
G) Call the vet as you are taking them to it. Let them know you’re coming and that you think your dog has been bitten.
H) Get them to the vet. Carry them - rather than walk them- inside if you can.
16) A pretty drastic measure is to only allow your dog outside on lead during the spring/summer months.
Bear in mind, this is a fairly extreme method.
17) It goes without saying, do not try to touch, pick up, remove, relocate or kill a snake.
Call your local snake catcher. Put your pets and children inside/away from the snake, try to keep an eye on where it goes, but don't chase or try to stop it. Most people are bitten when they try to interact with a snake rather than calling a professional.