Question reguarding pets and snakes..... what if anything do you do (Carthage: house, living)

[smd669]

Okay....so the only thing holding me back now is the snake issue. What if anything do those of you living down there with dogs do to protect your dog from being bitten or do you just let them out back and hope for the best??? I have 3 dogs all of which would chase and try to kill a snake. Where I live now we have no poisonous snakes so have never had to worry about it. Does anyone have snake fencing and does it work??? I really want to move but am scared for my pets. I would be moving to Carthage area which I believe definately has snakes.

[bumble1157]

I have lived in Florida for 14 years (moving up there soon and it can't be any worse up there than here) - I live in the country on three acres and in all that time I have only ever seen three poisonous snakes...we have a lot of racers that keep out the "bad" snakes....my three dogs are fine...they kill them somtimes...my one dog caught a coral snake. Keep your grass cut and just keep your eye on them. I think you can get snake repellent at pest stores too....I just never bothered....oh and before I moved to Fla I was terrified of them.....LOL

[NCN]

I have been told that snakes don't like noise, lime, or moth balls. (Be careful with the moth balls they could damage your lungs if you inhale them too much yourself.) I have no scientific evidence of this, just collected information. Maybe someone else knows if this is true. I scared one up a couple of weeks ago while mowing my back yard. I screamed for my husband who came and did nothing. He said it was a good snake and he wanted it around. As far as I am concerned there is no good snake. It was a black racer and according to information I found they do kill other snakes and are not poisonous themselves.

A friend moved to a wooded area and said she encountered a snake every time she left home and came back there would be snakes sunning on her carport. Of course this gave her the creeps and she wanted to get rid of them. Solution: Someone told her to put 2 sided tap down on the cement and when the snakes crawled across it they got all taped up and she took a hoe and killed them. Again this is just collected information. I hate snakes and spiders and fire ants and Japanese beetles and any wasp, yellowjacket or hornet.

[flipster]

Originally Posted by smd669

Okay....so the only thing holding me back now is the snake issue. What if anything do those of you living down there with dogs do to protect your dog from being bitten or do you just let them out back and hope for the best??? I have 3 dogs all of which would chase and try to kill a snake. Where I live now we have no poisonous snakes so have never had to worry about it. Does anyone have snake fencing and does it work??? I really want to move but am scared for my pets. I would be moving to Carthage area which I believe definately has snakes.

In my opinion, it's a non-issue. I have never given a thought about snakes and my pets. It's been several years since I've seen a snake around my house, and I live next to a creek. (We tend to see snakes when they are looking for water as in during a drought) I'm sure they're there, but I leave them alone if I see them, unless it's a copperhead, then I kill it. If it's a black snake or other non poisonous snake, I'll chase it back to the woods or get the shovel and carry it there. Now if it's a big one, I leave him alone. I grew up playing all over the woods and our trusty dog would catch snakes and kill them. He never got bitten that I remember.

Like I said, it's not an issue *to me*, but for people that have not dealt with snakes, I can understand the concern.

[smd669]

Thanks for the replies so far. I am not real sure I want to get close enough to a poisonous snake to kill it.
I have 2 sighthounds (Lurchers) and a Jack Russell and I know they will take on any snake they find which worries me as they have no clue the copperheads are bad snakes. Here we just have garden and black field snakes. They cornered one in my yard here one day and I heard them and went to see what the commotion was and made them leave so he could leave and he was reallly big. I am not so concerned for my horses I think they can take care of themselves, and my barn cat is a good hunter and savy. I am wondering though if I put a snake fence around the house area where the dogs go out (especially for at night ) if this would help keep them safe. I read somewhere it can be expensive to do but if it means my dogs safety I'd do it if it works.

[diddy02]

I really would not bother with the expense of a snake fence. Wildlife will always find a way through if it wants 'in' enough. Some snakes can use bushes and trees to climb.
I have a lurcher, lab mix and an Irish Terrier all originally from the UK and I can honestly say that as long as you are careful they will be fine. Both lurchers and terriers are hunting dogs and have very fast reflexes so try not to worry too much. I believe copperhead bites are not fatal to dogs, and rattlesnakes give plenty of warning which believe it or not even a nosey terrier tends to heed. Keep you grass short, try not to have mulched or lava stoned areas which will encourage snakes to warm themselves on around the outside of your home. I do not let my dogs out after dark as I cannot see whats out there. They soon got used to it.

[cynwldkat]

As a rule snakes tend to be timid and avoid dogs. They can sense a dog in the area and would rather avoid it. Snake bites do happen. My sisters dog got bit by a rattle snake and it took a bit of time before she realized it happened. She finally took him to the vet and he is just fine now. She was walking him in the mountains--it did not happen in her yard. Also many snakes prefer night...so keeping them in after dark wouldn't be a bad idea.

[lorriem]

We have three dogs also and live in FL soon we will be moving to NC.We have a fenced in yard that backs up to a creek and when we moved here we added a small fenced in area for the dogs. I feel safer not letting them run around the half acre we have and the smaller fence keeps them a bit safer.I will do the same in NC.

[J_Lurk]

My sister's dog was bitten by a copperhead about 10 years ago. The dog wound up with quite a swollen nose, but lived to tell the tale. In fact, the dog is still around though now is so old that I don't think she'll be taking on any more copperheads. In general, they are poisonous but not fatal, even for dogs.

Black snakes do often eat copperheads, so they are best encouraged. I grew up in a rural area of NC and we had a lot of black snakes but I never saw a copperhead until this year.

[LilyCat]

Our dog never got bitten and he goes in and out to the backyard as he pleases through his doggie door. Yes there are snakes around here, and yes some are poisonous, but if you have a fenced yard and keep it up well, it should definitely not be a problem. And dogs are smarter than us, they can sense those things before you even realize they're around.

I would be more worried about ticks and fleas, which are a pain in the a** around here! That's really what I hate the most, and it's hurt my dog more so far than any snake. Thank God for Frontline, but still.


edit: even if your dog gets bitten by a poisonous snake, you will definitely have time to take him to the vet and get him treated. Especially since you sound so careful with your pets, I'm sure you would notice a bite right away.