02/09/2026
Snake Safe: Snake Avoidance Training Program for dogs.
Revised and edited 02/09/26
https://sidneyaarons.com.au/private-lesson/snake-safe-your-trusted-snake-avoidance-training-program/
In 2015, I launched a snake avoidance program called Snake Safe. At the time, I was living and working in rural Australia β a country with a large snake population and the most dangerous snakes in the world. Over the years I received many enquiries about snake avoidance training, largely because snake numbers remained extremely high. I encountered snakes daily on my property and regularly saw reports online and in local newspapers of dogs being bitten and killed.
To address this, I spoke with local reptile experts about their experience of snake training for dogs. I also researched what trainers worldwide β particularly in the USA β were doing to teach dogs to avoid snakes.
I was surprised to find that only a few trainers offered snake avoidance training in Australia. One was on the other side of the country, and another offered it only sporadically.
With that information, I built the equipment I needed, worked with snake handlers, and advertised heavily online. I trained my own dogs and a number of friendsβ dogs, with strong results. If a trained dog encountered a snake, it moved away quickly. Perfect!
At first I received plenty of calls and emails β one or two clients a week. What I could not understand was the lack of interest in the service in my own area, until one particular conversation.
A woman rang whose dog had been bitten the previous year. She had spent $7,000 on veterinary care, and the dog survived. Naturally, she wanted to prevent it happening again. She asked how the training was done. I explained that dogs learn by associating certain experiences with their own reactions.
The aim is to condition the dog to move away from snakes so it treats them as unsafe. To create that aversion safely, we use a remote trainer. When I said that, she asked, βOh, an electric collar?β I confirmed it, and she replied, βOh no, I cannot do that,β then hung up.
That reaction is common. Many people object to e-collars, even though other collar types exist β citronella, vibration, and ultrasonic. Ultrasonic collars are a poor option here: they are not adjustable and do little to actually startle the dog. My results with those alternatives have been mixed. I find the e-collar and a strong vibration collar to be the most effective and reliable tools.
How the training has evolved
Over the years I have changed both the process and the approach. I now train younger dogs with remote collars. Younger dogs are more sensitive to these devices. In almost every case, a properly fitted, strong vibration collar on a young dog is enough to create the avoidance we want.
I still tell every client we must stay open-minded. If vibration does not produce avoidance, we use stimulation β on a low setting, and only for a quarter of a second. If vibration has already been used, the dog is more sensitive to the collar, so any stimulation that follows can be set much lower than it would have been without that first step.
In some cases, dogs desensitise to vibration within one to three seconds, which makes a vibration-only approach useless β especially with high-prey-drive working dogs that have little or no obedience training. Vibration can still help sensitise those dogs to the collar, but the degree of sensitisation varies widely.
Strong vibration works particularly well on toy breeds such as Toy Poodles and Miniature Dachshunds. It is less reliable with Shih Tzus, Maltese and French Bulldogs, which tend to be more robust.
Why βjust lure the dog awayβ does not work
I have also seen poor attempts by people who claim they can bribe a dog away from a snake with food, a toy, or attention. What happens when the owner is not there next time? That method is dangerous and misleading. It depends on the owner or trainer being present to make the dog move away.
All behaviour, especially in dogs, is stimulus-dependent. If the owner or trainer is not there, the avoidance behaviour is not there either.
I have trained dogs whose owners had already tried these methods. In one case, only a few days after βpure positiveβ work, the dog walked almost straight up to a snake. That is what that approach can teach. If the dog shows interest or moves towards the snake and is then rewarded with attention and food, you can create a positive association with the reptile.
Our goal is an autonomous reaction: the dog avoids the snake whether or not a person is present. I have heard too many stories of owners coming home to a dead dog and a snake in the backyard.
Around 70% of dogs bitten and killed by snakes are bitten in their own backyard.
During the warmer months, the risk of dogs roaming unsupervised rises sharply. Research commonly cited in Australia estimates that around 6,500 dogs are bitten by snakes each year, and around 20% of those dogs do not survive.
Training usually needs to be refreshed. My own dogs have a session each year.
Since 2015 I have trained more than 1,000 dogs in snake avoidance. Owners regularly tell me their dogs not only stay away from reptiles but also alert the family when a snake is present.
Why rubber snakes and snake skins do not work.
I was told that training on rubber snakes or shed skins was an effective method. I was sceptical, so I tested it.
The theory is weak from the start. Real snakes move, and they do not smell like rubber or plastic.
I trained a dog to avoid a rubber snake toy. When that dog later met a live snake, its behaviour did not change. That makes sense given how dogs identify the world. Even if they see something first, they use scent to confirm what it is and to form a memory. A rubber snake does not smell like a living snake.
Shed skins are no better. A skin is dead tissue, and dead tissue smells very different from a living animal. Visually it is also a poor match β flat, lifeless, and only moving if the wind blows it. I tested both methods. Neither taught dogs to avoid real snakes.
We use non-venomous snakes
Is training with venomous snakes useful? No.
A local snake catcher once brought an Eastern Brown Snake. The dogβs reaction was the same as it was to a python. Venomous and non-venomous snakes smell alike, move alike, and strike alike. Size and colour vary, but dogs generalise well.
Early on I used multiple snakes, thinking variety was essential. I soon found it was not. After limited exposure, dogs generalise the key features of snakes, so venomous snakes add risk without adding value.
Effective snake avoidance training teaches dogs to recognise the core traits of snakes β scent, movement, and behaviour β in a safe, controlled way. That is enough for them to avoid snakes of any species.
What a snake bite actually does
It is important to understand how severe a bite is. From everything I have seen and been told, it is excruciating. A bitten dog will often collapse and writhe as the bite site swells rapidly. Vomiting and seizures are common.
The pain is horrific. Death can occur in as little as an hour, or after as long as 48 hours of decline. To my knowledge, the dog remains conscious through much of that ordeal.
We train all breeds, all sizes, and all ages.
A recent message from a client
Hi Sidney.
You trained our 3 dogs in snake avoidance in November. Just wanted to let you know we had a tiger snake in our backyard a week ago and our dogs took one look and backed away from it. They then ran inside the second I called them. I was so relieved, it was amazing to see. Especially with how obsessed with reptiles they were prior to meeting you and Bruce. They're more respectful around lizards now too. Thanks so much, money well spent!
β Angela
Expert dog training with Sidney Aarons in Canberra, Australia. Offering private lessons, group classes in Flynn and courses for government departments and vet staff, plus nationwide seminars and training with the innovative Straight-Line System. Book now!
