Reptile & Amphibian Forums

If you do have one or know someone who does I would appreciate any info you may be able to provide me. Getting a couple Lab puppies and since they can train dogs for drugs/bombs etc I thought I would see if I could try it for snakes!

Scott

I have been training pointing dogs for more years than I care to think of.
I have seen bird dogs trained to avoid snakes like the plague.
And the training actually works.
I am absolutely sure the dog can scent the snakes from long distances.
I have also seen dogs hold point on turtles for what seems to be forever.
If the dog can be trained to avoid snakes, if the dog can scent and point turtles, I see no reason why this could'nt be done in reverse.
Train the dog to find snakes.
All it takes is a lot of contact with snakes, and a training reward. Something the dog can relish for a job well done.
Something as simple as a sock or rag to play with.
Now for the matter of continual exposure to snakes...
You're on your own with that one.
I have quail and pheasant pens. I dont think snake pens are going to work quite well.
Good Luck.

how are you going to teach the dogs the difference of venomous and non-venomous snakes? seems like you would be putting your dogs in danger.

I promise to only go looking for snakes in Ireland.

Seriously though,

You don't seriously think that a dog trained to track for snakes would be the only dog trained to do something dangerous do you?

Do you think working cow dogs is inhumane?

I know several people who use dogs to hunt wild hogs...

Racoons can also hurt dogs... There are thousands of coon dogs around...

Thanks for your opinion though...even though I discount it. I am responsible enough to understand when I am putting a dog at too much risk.

Scott

P.S. It was just something I thought would possibly be fun to do (for me and the dogs both) I am going to talk to some guys around here who scent train their dogs for hunting and see what they say.

Thats kind of funny you said that about turtles....

I had a border collie a long time ago (when I was a kid)
that absolutley went bonkers for turtles!!! I had a BB gun and would take the dog in the woods trying to scare up "big game" like rabbits... Sam (the border collie) would invariably find a turtle and proceed to try and tree the poor thing...

He would occasionally scare up a wascilly wabbit, but his first love was definitely turtles!!!

(Best dog I ever had.... I had him for 18 years... I cremated him when he passed away and am saving the ashes to be mixed with mine when I die)

Thanks for the info!

Scott

One of the western pacific islands (Guam?) has been trying to keep cat eyed snakes off of their island by using dogs. So it is possible, but you train them to find them, not to kill them.
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Current Collection:
0.1 Antherystic elaphe guttata guttata - Corn Snake
1.0 Elaphe vulpina gloydi - Eastern Fox Snake
0.1 Elaphe obsoleta obsoleta - Black Rat Snake
0.1 Leucistic elaphe obsoleta linheimeri - Texas Ratsnake
1.1 Morelia spilota cheyni - Jungle Carpet Python
0.1 Tiliqua scincoides intermedia - Northern Blue Tongue Skink

The snake you are referring to is Boiga irregularis, or the Brown tree snake.
Brown tree snakes are an evasive species to Guam, estimated 13,000 specimens per square mile on the island.
The US Air Force has employed the use of Jack Russell Terriers to locate specimens, which stowaway on aircraft and ships, so the use of dogs to locate snakes has been in place for several years, to this regard..

Jeff