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Would a ball python harm a small dog? I want one but I'm afraid if it got loose it would hurt my chihuahua.

Please don't make fun of me too badly for asking I just want to find the right snake.

Can't just about everything hurt your ( dog )?
OK sorry! I have 3 dogs and 100 snakes . They don't mix. The dogs are companion animals. They have the run of the house. Except the snake rooms. The snakes are cool animals. I enjoy raising them, breeding and watching them thrive. But they are kept apart for there own safty.

The dog would win that battle. I think if a ball python was starved for food he may strike the dog, but would let go as soon as he realized the dog was not a food source. The bite would not harm the dog at all. Chances of this happening is minimal. I have been struck by balls mistaking my hand for food, they have never tried to coil my hand, they know instantly it is not food and it's just a strike. The best idea is that od Claude's, supervised visitation!!
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Agreed. I think the largest Ball Python might get a few hits on a small dog, but I still think the dog would win by far. I would consider my cat more of a danger to my ball pythons than the ball pythons a danger to it.
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Cheers!
• Chelsea Lynn Gardiner
(and Frank M. Wood)

Not a silly question at all. Good to see you are doing your research BEFORE you get a BP. A full grown BP could never eat something the size of even the smallest dog. (then again, I've seen some pics on here of some pretty bigguns!) Of course thats not a gaurantee that your dog won't get bit in an encounter that causes your snake to think its his only defense. BPs are pretty picky feeders, so I think the risk of it thinking your dog is food is pretty minimal.
I'm no expert on this one though, so definitely wait for some more opinions.
I seem to remember Robyn being pretty knowledgable about BP agression. Hopefully you will get a reply.....
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James.....
"Curiosity killed the cat, but satisfaction brought the beast back."

>>Would a ball python harm a small dog? I want one but I'm afraid if it got loose it would hurt my chihuahua.

If it got loose, the chances of it hurting the chihuahua are slim to none unless the chihuahua manages to corner it and harass it somehow - in which case, it'd be defending itself and still more likely to be damaged by the chihuahua than vice versa.

Basically, the chihuahua will be fine if the snake gets out. I wouldn't let them 'play' together, or take the snake out while the dog is within reach, but with a little common sense it's not a big deal.

I have pet rats - the animal these snakes EAT - and I have never had a problem with an escaped snake actually making it to the rodent cages and hurting one of my rats.

The only time I have had one of my snakes escape and interact with one of my other pets was when a male escaped from a poorly closed cage and decided that the rabbit's cage would be a good place to hide. My bunny knows how to throw around her food dishes, so I was quickly awoken by the bunny banging the dishes in her cage and couldn't figure out why until I found the snake hiding in her hay bin. Bunny and snake were both perfectly fine - snake ate a few days later, bunny continued to be her usual self, and I just lost some sleep.

So, your chihuahua should be fine.

~jenny
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"Polysyllabism in no way insures that what you're saying is actually worth being heard." - Blake (an e-friend of mine)

"I have never made but one prayer to god, a very short one: "O lord, make my enemies ridiculous." And he granted it." - Voltaire

hahaha!!!

I have german shepherds so i dont worry much about that...

Don't think its going to be a problem like other said-- common sense and i think if you're asking questions BEFORE you bring the snake home-- you have pleanty of common sense!!

good luck with your BP

Beth
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The rescue site: www.freewebs.com/okreptilerescue