How to Protect a Dog From Snakes

How to Protect a Dog From Snakes. Snakes can prevent a danger to dogs, particularly if the snake is poisonous. Dogs can be very curious about snakes that they come upon, which can lead to bites. Although you may not be able to protect your dog 100 percent from snakes, you can take steps to protect your dog in most cases.

Step 1

Pay attention to your dog if you live in an area with poisonous snakes. If he is paying a great deal of attention to one area of your yard or continues to jump back, you should investigate to make sure that he's not having a showdown with a snake. In some cases, you may need to leave him inside when you can't supervise him outside.

Step 2

Eliminate areas in your yard that provide habitat for snake food. Snakes are unlikely to stick around if there's not a lot of food around so get rid of rubbish piles, falling fruit, wood poles that snakes can hibernate around and sheds. Snakes tend to avoid open areas in favor of the edges of yards and habitats.

Step 3

Train your dog to leave snakes alone. You'll want to focus both on the snake and on the sound that rattlesnakes can make. By training her to leave or ignore any snake it comes across alone, your dog is much less likely to experience a bite.

Step 4

Teach your dog a "leave it" command and work on it with him. If you don't have to worry about poisonous snakes, this command may be enough to keep your dog away from snakes. This way, if you come across a snake while on a walk, you can get your dog to leave the snake alone and focus on you.

Step 5

Keep your dog on a leash when you are in areas were snakes are likely. If she hasn't been trained to ignore snakes, a leash can help you keep her from trying to attack a snake. You're also in a position to keep a closer eye on your dog and what she is interested in.

Step 6

Know what to do in case your dog is bit by a venomous snake. Poisonous snake bites will feature fang marks, and if you see one, you'll need to seek treatment for your dog. Keeping your dog quiet, eliminating some of the poison if possible and getting to a vet as quickly as possible raises the chances of survival.