I’ve been walking in the hills a lot with the dog and was wondering about snakes in the warmer weather. Maoman and I were discussing this yesterday-should I be worried about my dog encountering a snake. She’s often off leash and I’m concerned she would try to play with one. Anyone have any experience with this? She’s a great mountain dog so I would hope by instinct she would avoid snakes. But being a puppy her curiosity sometimes gets the better of her.
Any comments would be appreciated.
A friend’s dog was recently attacked by a snake. No one saw it happen so we don’t know what kind of snake it was. The vet said it’s common for dogs who live near green areas.The dog got bit on the neck and a lump swelled up to over six inches in diameter around the wound. It was huge. Poor dog survived but it took four weeks for the swelling to go away with medication.
i have one dog “Moody” who knows when there are snakes. i get a lot of snakes in my garden during the summer months and Moody will smell it and then start barking, he won’t go near it, he just stands at a distance and barks at it until i come out and either catch it or scare it away. My other dogs have no idea. I worry about them constantly. I believe if a dog knows there is a snake he/she will stay away from it. the problem arises when they are bounding around in long grass or mountain roads and accidently step on or near one, this is when they get bitten.
All i can say is be vigilant and make a lot of noise when walking so as to give the snakes plenty of warning. They will usually scarper.
Snakes Vs Dogs It would have to be the snake 
My pup is like a freakn’ kangaroo around them snakes. Jumping up in the air, going in for the sniff, and backing off just out of reach.
Would it be a good idea to put a bell (or a rattle) on the collar?
Unfortunately the sad demise of dear, faithful little Rani might be illustrative here.
Many years ago I stayed at my uncle and aunt’s place in rural south India. Being alternatively minded, their toilet was an outhouse providing methane for cooking and otherwise aiding the universe, aside from the awful trek through long grass to get there. I was there in summer and had never seen so many snakes in all my life. Mostly kraits and cobras.
My cousin had this faithful little terrier that enjoyed gamboling through the long grass accompanying me on my morning ablutions, and I hoped, scaring off any snakes in the process. One morning, dear little Rani, protecting my path, leaped high and happy into the underbrush and then reared back with a gut wrenching yelp. She seemed okay, until we found her a couple of hours later dying on the kitchen floor with two now very swollen and obvious puncture marks in her neck. From that day on, I walked alone.
As a footnote, do you have any idea how difficult it is trying not to shit on a diet of south Indian vegetarian food?
HG
Utterly charming your last sentence! 
[quote=“GRC22”]Snakes Vs Dogs It would have to be the snake
My pup is like a freakn’ kangaroo around them snakes. Jumping up in the air, going in for the sniff, and backing off just out of reach.
Would it be a good idea to put a bell (or a rattle) on the collar?[/quote]
Jack Russells and other Terriers with attitude and speed win 7/10 lol
Labs and other fat cumbersome breeds no chance
Problem is that 3/10 will always be around the corner
Just joking of course so don’t test that at home folks 
[quote=“Huang Guang Chen”]Unfortunately the sad demise of dear, faithful little Rani might be illustrative here.
Many years ago I stayed at my uncle and aunt’s place in rural south India. Being alternatively minded, their toilet was an outhouse providing methane for cooking and otherwise aiding the universe, aside from the awful trek through long grass to get there. I was there in summer and had never seen so many snakes in all my life. Mostly kraits and cobras.
My cousin had this faithful little terrier that enjoyed gamboling through the long grass accompanying me on my morning ablutions, and I hoped, scaring off any snakes in the process. One morning, dear little Rani, protecting my path, leaped high and happy into the underbrush and then reared back with a gut wrenching yelp. She seemed okay, until we found her a couple of hours later dying on the kitchen floor with two now very swollen and obvious puncture marks in her neck. From that day on, I walked alone.
As a footnote, do you have any idea how difficult it is trying not to shit on a diet of south Indian vegetarian food?
HG[/quote]
Sorry to hear about the Terrier. My favorite family of dogs.
As for the diet in India well I may make a trip as I get constipation in Taiwan so it may help.
[quote=“UKbikerchic”]
All i can say is be vigilant and make a lot of noise when walking so as to give the snakes plenty of warning. They will usually scarper.[/quote]
Maybe i am wrong on this one, but can snakes hear? i think they cannot…
unfortunately as i understand and since i had one before for about 4 years, snakes are guided by temperature with their tongues and also vibration and the sense of “smell” or maybe i should said taste that they use with the tongue as well… i walk my dog on a mountain road 3 times a day and in summer and i see plenty of snakes, maybe 2 or 3 every week, and my dog is kind of careless about them, he has even ran over them, stepped on them and passed by them and the snake will ignore him just because he goes too fast… but maybe when he does his “escapades” into the bushes, then the danger is there… i just dont think about it because then i would never let him off leash and he really needs that time to play and run… i just call him as soon as i see a snake so i have control of where he is and where the snake is, and also i wont allow him to run too much inside the “jungle” maybe 1mt, which is the least that he needs to do his things…
[quote=“omerojs”][quote=“UKbikerchic”]
All i can say is be vigilant and make a lot of noise when walking so as to give the snakes plenty of warning. They will usually scarper.[/quote]
Maybe I am wrong on this one, but can snakes hear? I think they cannot…
unfortunately as i understand and since I had one before for about 4 years, snakes are guided by temperature with their tongues and also vibration and the sense of “smell” or maybe i should said taste that they use with the tongue as well… i walk my dog on a mountain road 3 times a day and in summer and i see plenty of snakes, maybe 2 or 3 every week, and my dog is kind of careless about them, he has even ran over them, stepped on them and passed by them and the snake will ignore him just because he goes too fast… but maybe when he does his “escapades” into the bushes, then the danger is there… i just dont think about it because then I would never let him off leash and he really needs that time to play and run… i just call him as soon as i see a snake so I have control of where he is and where the snake is, and also i wont allow him to run too much inside the “jungle” maybe 1mt, which is the least that he needs to do his things…[/quote]
Yeah they have no ears but they can pick up vibrations in the range that most large animals make. That is what she meant probably.
They feel vibrations through the ground (by placing their jaw on the ground even very small vibrations are detected by the eardrums) so, if you feel you must do anything, give your feet a good stamp.
… it could be risky putting a collar on a snake’s neck…
To train dogs to stay away from a snake is simple. You need a snake in a wire cage. Then you need an e-collar or shock collar for your dog. Put the collar on the dog, set it to its highest setting. Put the caged snake in the garden, let the dog out and watch. Timing is everything here. As soon as the dog sees there is something in the cage get ready, when it gets close to have a better look zap him long and hard. Repeat as necessary. It may sound harsh but the alternative is worse.
Or I could beat her with an old chain. 
That actually gave me a great idea-I’m going to use one of those wooden snakes you see at the toy store. I could also beat her with that. (not really)
Or I could beat her with an old chain. [/quote]
Bubba’s right. You don’t need a fancy collar. Or even a chain, really. You could just kick the dog as hard as you can, or hit it on the head with a rock. Rocks are cheap and convenient.
My dog worries me, as he doesn’t seem to recognize snakes as animals at all. Just totally seems to ignore them. I even saw a gueikehua strike at him once and he was oblivious.
Or I could beat her with an old chain. [/quote]
Bubba’s right. You don’t need a fancy collar. Or even a chain, really. You could just kick the dog as hard as you can, or hit it on the head with a rock. Rocks are cheap and convenient.
My dog worries me, as he doesn’t seem to recognize snakes as animals at all. Just totally seems to ignore them. I even saw a gueikehua strike at him once and he was oblivious.[/quote]
the same happens with my dog… is that bad or good?
Good in that he won’t chase them. Bad in that he won’t get out of the way of them.
I have this awful image of a well trained dog spotting a snake and copping a strike while looking back at it’s owner sheepishly wondering when the rock or boot’s going to hit it in the head. 
HG
I have this awful image of a well trained dog spotting a snake and copping a strike while looking back at it’s owner sheepishly wondering when the rock or boot’s going to hit it in the head.
HG[/quote]
yep that is exactly what will happen
My dog recognizes snakes and gets ready for the action. I just simply say no leave it and he walks away with me while still being wary of the snake. Reluctantly as he wants to kill it but he obeys. No need for sticks rocks or the like. perhaps cause I had it as a puppy not sure but I’ve never needed extreme training. The call command is a command I train repeatedly in any circumstances and make sure any dog I’ve had obeys that. However I guess if you re-homed a stray they may take more training.
Let dogs know by simply voice commands to leave it alone but for feuks sake don’t distract it just at the time it needs to concentrate.
That is like having a scrap with some red neck and his fat tatted wife keeps hitting you over the head with her hand bag to stop you scrapping lol. Very distracting
I think it strongly depends also on what kind of dog you have and what it was originally bred for. My dog is a scenter, so it will naturally try to follow any track from mice to boar. This presents a problem as it is mostly nose to the ground all the time and will just track off without really looking. Other dogs rely on a different ratio of sensory cues and therefore their behaviour will be different.
It also depends on how your dog behaves in the event of a snake encounter and whether it perceives it as a threat or quarry. I’m always worried. I’m constantly keepng an eye out and can’t be more cautious. It only takes the wrong kind of snake to win once.