Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I am thinking about getting a dog. Obviously, I wouldn't have the snakes out with the dog in the room. Here is the part I worry about. I have about a dozen snakes housed in the living room. Will the scent of the dog throw the snakes off of feed? Is there anything else that you folks have gone through that I am not thinking about?

thanks
DenverTom

I have two dogs and a cat. The snakes don't seem to mind most of the time. But when feeding, some are resistent when the dog walks up to the cage and puts her nose against the tub. It is rare that my dog does this as she is used to the snake racks.
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Jay A. Martin

Hi,
I had my BP home with me this summer while I was home visiting the family this summer for a few months and the dog didn't cause any problems for the BP. The dog is so stupid that it actually came up and sniffed me a few times when the snake was out and it didn't even pay any attention to the snake. As for the snake itself, it didn't even seem to react when the dog did come running up to me. The dog was obviously never around when I fed my BP, but they didn't cause any problems for each other either.

Chris

My dogs never bother the snakes. In fact it is the cat who is more curious about them.
However, depending on the dog, you may want to watch for a while anyway. If the dog is interrested in the snakes, they can have an uncanny ability to break into or knock over just about any kind of enclosure. If the dog shows interrest in the snakes, discourage him by distracting him with something else. And be sure to not leave him in the room with the snakes until you feel sure he won't try to get into them.
Like I said, though, I've never had a problem with any of my dogs and snakes.
Good luck to your growing family!
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GratefulFred

Most dog experts say that the only real limitation to training a dog is communicating to the dog what you want.

We have 4 dogs and 3 cats. Our cats are "inside" cats, as we really prefer them to not end up as "sailcats" on the street outside, nor to end up with parasites, diseases, wounds, etc. from mixing it up with stray cats in the neighborhood. Occasionally, though, one of the cats will bolt for the back door when it's open and run into the backyard where the dogs are. Our dogs will play with the cat when it enters the back yard, but none of the dogs will attempt to hurt the cat at all. Really, it seems like the dogs think it's a big fun game to try and get the cat to go back into the house. Let a stray cat enter the back yard, though, and it's another story altogether. The dogs know which cats are part of our family, and which are not.

If the dog you're getting is a puppy, it's a simple matter of taking the time to pay attention to how the puppy reacts to the snakes, and training the puppy accordingly. Discourage unacceptable behavior (such as aggressively lunging at the snakes through the enclosure glass, etc) with a sharp "NO". Encourage proper reactions with plenty of affection and praise. Most dogs are VERY "approval" oriented, and respond well to consistent training.

That said, though, pay attention to the type of dog you're getting. Different breeds have been developed for different purposes, and those purposes are manifested as very strong "instincts" in the dogs. I've watched Australian Shepherds that have NEVER had a day of "herding training" in their lives instinctively perform herding moves on other animals. Hunting dogs, correspondingly, will exhibit a higher degree of that trait even without training, and trying to "train out" that trait is a long, uphill battle. It's been bred in over centuries, so it's not easily subverted by training.