If you are planning on getting another pet, whether you already have a dog and are planning on getting a snake or the other way around, you really should know what are the rules to avoid accidents.
Many people like the idea of a snake/dog combo in the house, and it’s a rather attractive idea indeed. However, dogs and snakes come from completely different worlds, so they will not be the same as getting a dog and a cat, for example.
So, do pet snakes get along with dogs? Dogs and Pet Snakes do not get along together and dogs can’t be friends with snakes. The smell of snakes makes dogs curious and most dogs will try to attack the snake, but you can train your dog to leave the snake alone. You should never let the dog and snake come in contact with each other or even get too close.
Unfortunately, dogs and snakes are more enemies than they are friends, and the best you could wish for in this situation is for the dog and the snake to ignore each other completely, which is doable, and I’m going to explain to you how to do that in this article..
Why Snakes and Dogs don’t get along
While people have an instinctive dread of snakes, dogs do not share this fear. In fact, research shows that when a dog detects a snake, it is aroused and goes to investigate rather than fleeing.
The most recent studies actually confirm what every dog owner already knows: dogs are not afraid of snakes.
If a dog senses that it is being threatened, it will attack snakes. This means dogs are more likely to be bitten than people! While certain breeds, such as terriers, are known for their aggression toward snakes, most dogs are far more intrigued by them than hostile.
Why Dogs Attack Snakes
It’s not so much about the snake itself as it is about the danger it represents. Snakes are stealthy, which means a dog may be startled by them and become aggressive.
Dogs, like humans, are naturally defensive of their personal things, homes, and families. So if a dog notices a snake while you’re nearby or your kids are, it’s likely to quickly categorize the snake as a major threat and turn on its attack mode, resulting in the dog attacking the snake.
This can happen even if you have the snake on you and is perfectly calm; your dog will still try to protect you.
Snakes are also afraid of dogs
The only snakes that are not going to be afraid of dogs are going to be pet snakes that have always been around humans. If you have had a snake that has been with you in your house all their life, it’s likely not going to be scared of dogs.
However, adopted snakes and wild snakes are going to be afraid of dogs naturally.
Snakes are reclusive, introverted animals that prefer not to interact with other species and rarely socialize with their own kind.
They’re a quiet creature that moves silently and doesn’t speak or communicate audibly, so they’re pretty much everything a dog isn’t.
Dogs are undoubtedly loud, visible animals. They’re huge and fast-moving. They have a great sense of smell and hearing as well as several unfair advantages in almost all cases, and wild snakes hate that.
Dogs are not on the menu of snakes, however, snakes are on the menu of dogs, which is quite broad and includes almost anything a dog may cram in its mouth.
And yes, dogs do kill snakes, so the snake has every right to be scared of the dog.
Choosing a dog breed to live with pet snakes
No specific breed of dog has been developed to hunt and kill snakes, yet many dogs will attack and even kill them. They can do so since to their hunting instincts or due to their defensive instincts if they believe themselves or their family are being threatened by the snake.
Some dogs are still worse for snakes than others. Terrier breeds, especially, have been bred to hunt and kill rodents, so they are more likely to try to hunt your pet snake once it lays eyes on it than other dog breeds.
In other words; the breed of the dog you choose can actually make a difference. It’s better to go for a friendly dog that just gets along well with other small animals and doesn’t have strong hunting or killing instincts.
And you must stay away from dogs that have a strong urge to chase and kill prey. You can start by checking out these dog breeds that kill snakes and avoid them.
What are the best dog breeds for pet snakes?
The best dog breeds for pet snakes are going to be the friendly dogs that don’t have strong protective or hunting instincts.
The examples of good dogs for pet snakes will be:
- The Labrador Retriever
- The Golden Retriever
- Beagles
- Boxers
- The Cavalier King Charles Spaniel
- The Havanese
- The Bernese Mountain Dog
- The Maltese
- The Coton De Tulear
- The Japanese Chin
These dogs are the most likely dog breeds to completely ignore your pet snake and leave it be, but you should not expect them to be friends, because, against; dogs and snakes can not be friends.
How can dogs and pet snakes live in the same household?
Here is how you can make your dog and pet snake live in the same household safely:
- Separate them. Your Pet Snake and Your Dog should belong to different parts of the house
- Get your pet snake a safe enclosure that your dog can’t open, and preferably in a closed room that your dog doesn’t get into.
- Do your best to get rid of any smells in your snake enclosure. Dogs will trace any weird smells and will be attracted to the smell of your snake if it has any.
- Never let them interact. Even if you’re there, dogs and snakes should never get in touch with each other.
- Train your dog to leave the snake on its own.
How to train your dog to avoid the snake?
The best way to train your dog to leave the snake alone is to train your dog that the snake is dangerous, this is what is called “avoidance training.
You can use avoidance training services to do that, and it’s probably better for you and the dog to do that. Live, “de-venomed” snakes are used in a number of encounters to quickly develop negative associations in most AT services.
This might be worthwhile if your dog will frequently visit snake areas. It’s less uncomfortable and more harmless than a snake bite, as well as less costly than the medical treatment necessary to preserve your pet’s life.
Conclusion: You can have pet snakes and dogs in the same house
At the end, if you want to have both dogs and cats in the same household, you can, but the key is to separate the two and make sure they don’t come to contact with each other. Dogs and snakes naturally don’t get along well, and some dogs will outright think of snakes as threats and attack them.
However, the experience of owning a pet snake is a unique one, and if you want to make it work, you definitely can, and you don’t need to give up either pet to do so.
Helpful Resources
The nose may not know: Dogs’ reactions to rattlesnake odours
If you like this article, please share it!
