BethG Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 We have 11 acres and my kids tromping around on it worries me as far as snakes. Anyone know of a good breed of dog for snake alerting/killing/protection? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nakia Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 What kind of snakes do you have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Truscifi Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 A friend's 2 Anatolians cornered a cottonmouth yesterday. One kept it penned in a corner while the other ran back and forth from there to the house barking to get her attention until her dh went out and killed it. She has them as livestock guardians though, they wouldn't be happy without a job to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 Our bloodhound/golden retriever(we think, she was a stray and I do not plan to pay for any DNA analysis) mix alerted us to the rattlesnake that was within 100 feet of our back door. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Denise in Florida Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 My dog (mixed breed) will bark at snakes but he is super cautious about them. My cats on the other hand ... have brought dead snakes to the door. The cats have also killed centipedes and scorpions. I don't know how they keep from getting bit. :confused: They must be super sneaky. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BethG Posted September 25, 2011 Author Share Posted September 25, 2011 Nakia, we live in deep south so all kinds -- copperheads, moccasin (cottonmouths), rattlesnakes, coral (rare), -- you name it, we've likely got them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kile529 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I'll ask my Papaw next time I see him. He grew up in Eastern Kentucky - back in the hollers...and I know they had a dog that was very protective of them. It might've been a pit pull.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simka2 Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I actually askecd this question a few weeks ago. I ended up deciding to get an aussie (I wanted a herding type). For the snakes I am getting cats and chickens (maybe a couple geese) Terrier types have an instinct to hunt small game, so I have heard they are good. I really wrestle with the risk to the animal. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
celticmom Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 We had a dachshund when I was a child with a very strong hunting instinct who would go down and investigate any burrow she found. My dad always worried that she would encounter a snake and it would bite her. However the dachshunds that I have now and have had in the past as an adult have not had nearly as much of a hunting instinct so you might have to search for a "working" line rather than show ancestry. And I am not certain that anyone hunts with dachshunds anymore. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laurie4b Posted September 25, 2011 Share Posted September 25, 2011 I think rather than dog protection (which I am going to assume is dog-specific more than breed specific, though some breeds may be better at it), you teach your kids snake protection--especially good footwear, knowing where they are most likely to encounter snakes on the property, taking proper precautions. We have a ton of copperheads on our property. Some are docile and others quite aggressive. (I've seen them stand up in strike position waiting for you to walk into them from several yards away--others just lie there and don't really move. I had one son step on one that just moved a little under his foot--but he's kind of charmed) We see them most often at twilight or evening and I never get out of the car at night without a flashlight. If you have real little kids, I'd consider restricting them to areas that you have groomed to remove all the typical feeding/hiding places--no brush piles, leaf litter, etc. Not fool-proof but it helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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