September 2024

🐍 Snake Avoidance Without Shock: Empowering You & Your Dog 🐕

Dear All,

Welcome back to the Snake Avoidance Without Shock Newsletter! It's been a while since our last correspondence, and we're thrilled to reconnect with you.

Life is indeed dangerous, as our opening quote highlights. Every day, we face risks that range from the mundane to the extraordinary. It's easy to feel overwhelmed and vulnerable, especially when there are those who seek to profit from our fears.

However, knowledge is power. Our mission with Snake Avoidance Without Shock is to empower you and your furry companions with the skills and understanding necessary to navigate the dangers posed by snakes. Over the past three years, we've continued to help countless dogs and their owners learn safe, effective techniques to avoid these misunderstood creatures.

In this edition of our newsletter, we'll be exploring:

🐍 Common myths about snakes and the truth behind them.

🐕 Real-life success stories from our readers.

🌿 Tips for creating a snake-resistant garden.

📚 Sneak peeks of upcoming content.

Thank you for being a part of our journey to make life safer for dogs and their humans. Together, we can navigate the dangerous moments and enjoy the many beautiful ones.

Stay safe and curious,

Jamie Robinson

P.S. Do you have a snake avoidance success story or question you'd like to share? Email us at keepingk9ssafe@gmail.com we'd love to hear from you!

Eight myths about snakes

... and some common misconceptions

There are many species of snake in the United States and it is therefore natural that we receive a lot of enquiries about dealing with pesky snakes.

In amongst these general enquiries are questions or statements that drift into the realm of myths, of which there are many. We've compiled the most common myths and misconceptions about snakes, along with some tips on keeping snakes away.

#1: A bowl of milk will attract snakes

This is one of the more widespread beliefs, possibly originating with the Milk Snake (Lampropeltis triangulum) of North and South America. Locals saw snakes disappearing into barns in search of rodents and believed that the snakes were drinking the milk from cows’ udders.

In fact, reptiles can’t digest dairy products and even if they could, it’s unlikely cows would stand idly by whilst being milked. If dehydrated enough, snakes will drink milk, but if thirsty enough they will drink just about anything.

#2: Blue-tongue Lizards and Shinglebacks will discourage snakes in your garden

Snakes eat frogs, lizards and even other snakes. Some, such as the Orange-naped Snake below, specialize in feeding on skinks. Newly hatched snakes of various species may fall prey to Blue-tongue Lizards, but as the snakes grow the reverse is usually true.

#3: If a snake’s head is cut off it will stay alive until sundown

This myth seems to be particularly popular in rural America. It may be based on the fact that a snake’s body will continue to writhe for some time after decapitation, but this story is not even remotely true.

#4: A mother snake will swallow her young when threatened

Although the now-extinct Gastric-brooding Frog (Rheobatrachus species) and mouthbrooding fish do appear to swallow their young, any snake ingested by another snake will immediately succumb to digestive juices.

#5: Snakes always travel in pairs

In general, the only time two or more snakes are in the same place is during courtship and mating. Otherwise, the larger snake will usually kill and eat the smaller one.

#6: If you kill a snake, its partner will come after you

Snakes do not have any sort of social bond, nor the intellect nor memory to recognize and remember an assailant. Apparently Bollywood may be partially responsible for this myth.

#7: The Hoop Snake bites onto its own tail, forms a circle and rolls down hills

Another myth common to in the USA and Canada’s rural regions, but unfortunately no such snake exists. The story is also widespread where records appear from as early as the 1700s. It may be based on the ancient Greek symbol ouroboros which depicts a serpent eating its own tail, representing constant re-creation.

#8: Snakes are deaf

Although they lack eardrums, snakes possess inner ears which are able to pick up not only ground-borne vibrations but low frequency airborne sounds. They do have difficulty with sounds at a higher pitch.

And now a few common misconceptions...

Snakes are cold and slimy

In fact, snakeskin is dry and, depending on the surrounding temperature, can be quite warm and soft.

All snakes are poisonous

Technically snakes are venomous, not poisonous. But not all of them are venomous by any means. Australia has the highest proportion of venomous native snakes of any country in the world (100 out of the 140 species of land snakes), although only a handful can give a fatal bite to humans.

Poisons must be ingested, inhaled or absorbed through the skin, whilst venom must be injected into the bloodstream.

Snakes are out to get you

Humans are larger, generally faster and stronger than Australian snakes. Snakes have a number of predators, of which humans well and truly qualify.

When you encounter a snake it is usually caught off guard (as you are), but the vast majority of encounters are avoided by a snake vanishing as soon as it hears you coming.

A surprised snake will pick the nearest escape route and aim to disappear as quickly as possible, particularly when faced with a potential predator 50 times its own size. However, snakes in general have poor eyesight and don’t always pick the best route out of trouble. If a snake feels cornered, it will often stand and defend itself as a last resort.

🐕 Real-life success stories from our readers.

“I do not think I would have been brave enough to let her off leash to start but the ghost game let me know she was going to be ok.”

“Jamie , I want to thank you for this class. You have helped me relax and trust my dog. Like you said prey is harder than avoidance but the games you showed us and the work we have put in has really really helped my dog (and me)

I am not sure if i will be silver or bronze in prey 1 (as per our discussion ) but I shall be there working on the sidelines. I hope the snow does not interfere. “

“Speaking of the randomness of life, some issues cropped up at home that demand most of my attention this week. However, I have worked through Wk 6 Games 1-3, some of which are familiar to him. And I especially like game 4, the drunken walk. I have a whole lot of distraction toys tucked away that he's never seen and I love the idea of confronting him on a winding walk, around each turn.”

“I want to thank you so much for the detailed steps you've taken to give the dog the skills needed to make good choices, and to respond quickly when choice is not an option. We will keep working away and I have no doubt Deacon will become very trustworthy around snakes.”

“Love the approach to teaching avoidance based on fundamental skills that have already taken us far. I am confident that applying these skills will serve us well and I will have a dog who understands what to do when confronting a snake. I also look forward to applying these principles to add other things to avoid.”

I really had fun, even though I had some set backs to keeping up with the games each week due to my busy schedule and then illness. I really enjoyed it, and more importantly my pups really enjoyed it. Would take it again any time. Highly recommend it. Learned some very fun games that taught my pups just what they needed in rattlesnake avoidance. sharon california

🌿 Tips for creating a snake-resistant garden.

Most people’s fear of snakes stems from the worry that they are venomous. Most won’t want to be close enough to tell, but venomous snakes have a pupil that resembles a cat. It has an oblong shape with peaked ends that look like a slit in the center of the eye. Non-venomous snakes usually have round pupils. The snakes most people are likely to see in their yards will be non-venomous, such as the garter or gopher snake.

If you encounter a snake in or around your home, keep calm and follow these tips.

· Mow grass often and keep it fairly short. Snakes are less likely to reside and move through short grass because it increases their exposure to predators such as owls and hawks. Shorter grass also makes snakes easier to spot.

· Avoid overwatering your lawn. Too much landscape water may attract prey species such as worms, slugs and frogs, which in turn may attract snakes seeking a meal.

· Keep trees and shrubs trimmed and away from your home and garage and keep branches off the ground. Creating a 24-to-36-inch space under trees and shrubs will help keep snakes away and will make it easier to spot them if they do slither in.

· If you feed birds, keep the feeder away from the house or consider not feeding them. Birds are messy eaters and often leave seed scattered below the feeder. Seed on the ground attracts rodents, which may also attract snakes seeking a meal. Store bird seed in a metal can with a tight-fitting lid.

· Feed pets inside. Feeding them outside can attract insects and rodents which, again, attract snakes. If feeding outside is necessary, be sure to clean up uneaten food promptly. Store pet food in a metal can with a tight-fitting lid.

· Store firewood, excess lumber and other types of debris away from your home. These provide prefect places for snakes to hide.

· Think before you landscape. Avoid using mulch and large rocks in your landscape, as they attract snakes and their prey and can create breeding and overwintering habitats. Instead, use smaller, tight-fitting rock such as gravel or river rock. Also avoid landscaping with water gardens and Koi ponds.

· Seal cracks and crevices on sidewalks and foundations and consider getting an energy audit. These can be a great way to identify places that allow air conditioning and heat to escape the home. These same cracks and crevices may be used as an entry point by snakes and other small creatures.

· When all else fails, consider fencing. Use 1/4 inch or smaller rigid mesh or solid sheeting and bury it a few inches into the ground. Include a bend at the top to prevent snakes from climbing up and over.

· Do not use snake repellents or sulfur, as they are ineffective. Do not use mothballs because the active ingredient is naphthalene or paradichlorobenzene – chemicals that are toxic to insects and mammals but are not effective against snakes. Using mothballs outside your home also violates product labels and puts your family and pets at risk. Do not use sticky traps outside. Traps placed outside capture all sorts of non-target animals and result in a slow, agonizing death.

· If you have issues with snakes in your chicken coop, avoid using ceramic eggs or golf balls. Snakes that eat these artificial eggs die a slow and painful death over many weeks, and new snakes will show up to take their place. Instead, focus on improving your coop to prevent snakes from entering and follow the deterrents recommended above. If using ceramic or other artificial eggs to encourage a brooding hen to lay, glue them down to prevent snakes from eating them.

· Do not bring out the guns, shovels or other weapons. Discharging a firearm toward the ground can result in bullet ricochet. If needing to get a snake to move on, use a water hose to spray the snake, which will encourage it to find a new place to take up residence.

📚 Sneak peeks of upcoming content.

"The Role of Confidence in Snake Avoidance Training" - Confidence is key when it comes to successful snake avoidance. Learn how to shift your mindset and that of your dog's from fear of failure to focusing on successful encounters, building trust in the training process.
"Overcoming Setbacks in Snake Avoidance Training" - It's normal to experience setbacks during the training journey, but dwelling on them can hinder progress. Discover strategies to turn failures into learning opportunities and keep moving forward.
"Building a Success-Oriented Training Plan" - A well-structured training plan can set you and your dog up for success. Learn how to create a plan that emphasizes positive reinforcement, incremental progress, and celebrating milestones.

Keeping Dogs Safe

Wednesday, August 28, 2024