Things You'll Need:
- Non-poisonous snakes (at least 3 varieties, if possible)
- An electronic shock type collar with a variable range of shock levels
- A transmitter to control the collar
- A recording of the buzz of a rattlesnake which can be played in the dog's presence during training
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Step 1
Since most dogs can't tell the difference between poisonous and non-poisonous snakes, snake proofing teaches dogs to avoid any snake. Therefore, you can use harmless snakes in the training. Both you and your dog will be safe, and you can release the snakes back into the wild when the training is over. At least three varieties of snakes should be used so the dog can get the idea that all snakes should be avoided, even if they don't all smell quite the same.
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Step 2
Put the electronic collar, sometimes called a remote trainer, on the dog and set the intensity to a fairly high level. Some dog owners and dog lovers are afraid this shock collar is cruel. It certainly can be misused by idiots. However, it can be a very effective and humane training method in the hands someone whose goal is to teach the dog a potentially life saving lesson.
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Step 3
Teach your dog to avoid any snake he can see. Plant a snake on open ground and allow the dog to approach it from upwind. This will make certain the dog will see the snake before he smells it. Watch the dog's reaction. Be sure the dog has seen the snake and that he is intentionally coming close to it. Let him get very close to it before you press the transmitter button to shock him. A quick pulse is enough.
The dog should jump away immediately.
Try this same procedure several times from different locations and with different snakes. You want to be sure your dog associates the unpleasant, but harmless, sensation of the shock with seeing any snake. Once the dog refuses to approach the snake and deliberately avoids looking at it, he has the idea. You can move on the the next step. -
Step 4
Teach your dog to avoid the scent of a snake. Hide a snake in a small area of cover. Bring the dog to the location from downwind of the snake. You want the dog to get the snake's smell before he can see it. Watch your dog's response. If he goes to the area to investigate the smell, hit the transmitter button when he gets in close to the snake. Your dog may be a quick learner and associate the smell with the sight of the snake from Step 3. If he begins retreating when he smells the snake or refuses to come closer, quietly praise him. Try this several times from several directions and with different snakes. If he shows any curiosity, shock him. If he consistently avoids the hidden snake, praise him and move on.
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Step 5
Teach your dog to recognize and avoid the buzz of a rattlesnake. Using the recorded sound of a rattler, teach your dog to retreat from the sound. Place a snake on the ground and start the recording. Allow the dog to hear the sound and see the snake. Because he is already conditioned to avoid the sight of the snake, he shouldn't approach. The idea here is to get him to put the buzz together with the sight of the snake. If he moves toward the sound, hit the transmitter button.
Take the dog away from the area briefly and then reintroduce him to the buzz and the sight of the snake. When his behavior shows you he has made the connection between the sound and the snake, you won't need the snake any longer.
At the next session, hide the recorder and start playing the buzz. Bring the dog into the area. If he goes to investigate the sound, wait until he is within 3 feet of the recorder, and then hit the transmitter button. Repeat this process with a short period between each session until the dog associates the sound of the buzz with the unpleasant sensation of the shock collar. -
Step 6
You will know your dog is properly snake proofed when he makes a wide detour around any of the training snakes when he sees, smells or hears them. This training will insure your dog's well being in the field, and will give you peace of mind.
Comments
LeightonO said
on 3/15/2009 Good point MarissaIf your intention is aversion to all snakes, then certainly using a variety of snakes does make sense.It does also introduce two more factors: The more you cross train, that is introduce more odors, the more you expect from your dog. We see this in drug dogs that are trained on a variety of drugs. They become increasingly less efficient and in some cases, start alerting on other contaminates.With snake aversion training, as we are dealing with less olfactory abilities in domestic pets, it is hard enough just getting them to alert on one species of snake.Btw, the injuries you refer to are common in dogs trained using defanged snakes.Which is why we use snakes that are not handled or "adapted" in any way.Also, we don't recommend the owners train their own dog, as they will often "cue" the dog unintentionally.Finally, I don't recommend the owners praise the dog. We have fo
esplainer said
on 7/4/2008 Yes, Leighton, using non-poisonous snakes probably will lead to "false positive" reaction, and if you want your dog to avoid poisonous snakes only, you should train them with only poisonous snakes. However, I've seen dogs bitten by non-poisonous snakes that have resulted in injury to the dog and infection in the bite. It's painful and dangerous, especially if the snake bites the dog on the nose or around the eyes.
I'd rather have my dog avoid any kind of snake in the field, so "false positives" are just fine with me.
Eapainer
LeightonO said
on 2/27/2008 I have been snake proofing dogs for about 10 years, and have trained about 9,000 dogs in that time. While this article is good, there are numerous variables in sound and scent recognition that need to be addressed by experienced instructors. Also, it is incorrect to use non-venomous snakes, as their scent and behavior is different to rattlesnakes, and leads to false positives.
Leighton Oosthuisen
Partners Animal Institute
www.snakeproofing.com