Snakes can be your dog's worst enemy, especially if a dog ends up getting bit by one. The bites may not always be fatal, but they will be costly to treat. Dogs do not know by nature to avoid the venomous reptiles and will sometimes view them as playthings or prey. You can break this habit and keep your dog safe by enrolling him in snake avoidance training.
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Live Snake
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The only effective way to train a dog to avoid a snake is to use a live one. The snake will be the real deal, but be unable to inject its venom since the snake's fangs are removed. Trainers who head these classes are often expert snake handlers as well. The snake still retains its venom glands, but has no way of injecting the deadly toxin into the dog.
Shock Collar
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While some may argue that a shock collar may be cruel, it's a lot less painful than a snakebite would be.
Routine
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The dog is led up to the live snake in at least two different scenarios. The snake is first placed freely on the ground, usually on a mat of some sort, where the dog is led on his leash. Once the dog gets the sight, sound and smell of the snake, he is taught to avoid it. The second scenario relies on mainly on the dog's sense of smell. The snake is placed in a cloth bag, hidden from the dog's view. Dogs who learned their lesson well from being shocked when they approached the snake in the open will remember the smell and want to avoid the cloth bag as well.
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