Anonymous wrote:We recently moved to our dream home on a heavily wooded property on the Occoquan. Tonight we found two copperheads right outside our front door, within 10 minutes of each other.

Now I'm terrified for my two dogs. I've read that copperhead bites are not necessarily fatal for most dogs -- but I have a toy poodle who is only 8lbs and a mutt who is under 30lbs. I'm especially terrified for the toy poodle. We will be clearing all brush, and there are rock gardens right up against the house that will probably need to go. And we'll keep them on the leash and be especially careful at night. But aside from that -- I have read that there is snake aversion training for dogs. Apparently hunting dogs are often trained on this.

Is there anywhere around the DMV to get snake avoidance training for my dogs? We are in VA, but could go anywhere. Google isn't helping me with this.

Ugh. I'm not particularly phobic of snakes, but I am terrified for my dogs, especially the tiny one.

So you decided to buy a home in a rural setting that is a natural habitat for snakes and then you want to kill all of the plants and wildlife right away? You are a jerk. And a fool.

BTW you probably saw a common and harmless garter snake rather than a copperhead but you are too fearful to consider that you may be wrong.

I live in Arizona and there are a lot of rattlesnakes around, obviously. We’ve had a dog for years and no issues with the dog and snakes.

Things that work for us and I would recommend: fenced backyard with added snake fencing (for us, the snake fencing is just part of the backyard gates as we have a solid wall). You can google it & see what I mean. We have never had a snake in the backyard and I would definitely recommend the snake fencing- it is not expensive or unsightly. We do get snakes in the front yard all the time but our dog does not go in the front yard unsupervised and is always leashed when walking through. Trim all shrubs, bushes etc up and away from the ground to reduce hiding places. Don’t allow dog to sniff under bushes etc on walks especially if you cannot see fully underneath. We generally walk in well traveled areas (where snakes don’t hang out).

Our dog has actually never done the rattlesnake training but understands and obeys “leave it” command very well. We haven’t had any problems so have not bothered.

The answer to this is simple. Don’t let your dogs outside.

There's online training available: https://www.confidentcaninesdogtraining.com/rattlesnake-training

But honestly? Just teach your dog "leave it". It's much more useful. Snake? Leave it. Squirrel? Leave it. Cat? leave it. Gross dead thing? Leave it.

Shock-collar "aversion training" is often more of a problem than a solution

I know it's a big thing in Southern California but no ideas about resources in Virginia.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dogs don’t want to be bitten by snakes. I have lived on a farm with copperheads, rattlers, and dogs for 43 years now and never had a dog bitten, and I have smallish dogs (feists).

It does happen, though, and you can imagine that it happens more to dogs who aren't used to snakes.

You might imagine that but you don’t have much experience. Dogs are highly instinctual animals. OP needs to calm the f down or move back to a city. Her kids are much more likely to accidentally step on a snake because dogs can smell them.

All true!

But I don't think OP has kids. She polluted another thread by explaining that she had moved to this new property to get away from two elementary school neighbors who were ruining her existence with their noise. She added that now she has a killer commute due to being so far out. So the level of cognitive reasoning and emotional regulation isn't very strong in the first place with this one...

She probably just saw a juvenile black racer or rat snake anyway.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dogs don’t want to be bitten by snakes. I have lived on a farm with copperheads, rattlers, and dogs for 43 years now and never had a dog bitten, and I have smallish dogs (feists).

It does happen, though, and you can imagine that it happens more to dogs who aren't used to snakes.

You might imagine that but you don’t have much experience. Dogs are highly instinctual animals. OP needs to calm the f down or move back to a city. Her kids are much more likely to accidentally step on a snake because dogs can smell them.

All true!

But I don't think OP has kids. She polluted another thread by explaining that she had moved to this new property to get away from two elementary school neighbors who were ruining her existence with their noise. She added that now she has a killer commute due to being so far out. So the level of cognitive reasoning and emotional regulation isn't very strong in the first place with this one...

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Dogs don’t want to be bitten by snakes. I have lived on a farm with copperheads, rattlers, and dogs for 43 years now and never had a dog bitten, and I have smallish dogs (feists).

It does happen, though, and you can imagine that it happens more to dogs who aren't used to snakes.

You might imagine that but you don’t have much experience. Dogs are highly instinctual animals. OP needs to calm the f down or move back to a city. Her kids are much more likely to accidentally step on a snake because dogs can smell them.

Anonymous wrote:Dogs don’t want to be bitten by snakes. I have lived on a farm with copperheads, rattlers, and dogs for 43 years now and never had a dog bitten, and I have smallish dogs (feists).

It does happen, though, and you can imagine that it happens more to dogs who aren't used to snakes.

Dogs don’t want to be bitten by snakes. I have lived on a farm with copperheads, rattlers, and dogs for 43 years now and never had a dog bitten, and I have smallish dogs (feists).

Not sure this is DCUM's forte, OP. We're a rather urban bunch. Separately you knew this was going to be a problem when you were looking at rural and wooded properties, right? Small dogs aren't the best free range pets to have on such properties, because they'll encounter much more than snakes. There will be coyotes, bobcats and bears.

Anonymous wrote:You’re joking, right?

We live in nature. Nature comes with snakes.

Snake avoidance training is a thing. Many hunting dogs get it.

Anonymous wrote:You’re joking, right?

We live in nature. Nature comes with snakes.

No, I am not kidding. And I know what "nature" is. There are many copperheads on the property of my new house -- as I said there were literally two of them at my front door last night and I have an 8lb dog. If my dog were larger and less curious, I wouldn't worry about it. I do not want her to die from a snake bite.

You’re joking, right?

We live in nature. Nature comes with snakes.

We recently moved to our dream home on a heavily wooded property on the Occoquan. Tonight we found two copperheads right outside our front door, within 10 minutes of each other.

Now I'm terrified for my two dogs. I've read that copperhead bites are not necessarily fatal for most dogs -- but I have a toy poodle who is only 8lbs and a mutt who is under 30lbs. I'm especially terrified for the toy poodle. We will be clearing all brush, and there are rock gardens right up against the house that will probably need to go. And we'll keep them on the leash and be especially careful at night. But aside from that -- I have read that there is snake aversion training for dogs. Apparently hunting dogs are often trained on this.

Is there anywhere around the DMV to get snake avoidance training for my dogs? We are in VA, but could go anywhere. Google isn't helping me with this.

Ugh. I'm not particularly phobic of snakes, but I am terrified for my dogs, especially the tiny one.