No good consensus on the vaccine that I have found. I think the snake aversion/avoidance training probably works pretty good if you can find someone who still does it.

Had anyone heard from Odysseus. I'm interested in his opinion on the vaccine. 7mm08 you heard from him lately.
Or any other vet can chime in as well. All I know is from an article or 2 I read awhile back.

Kinda interested in snake aversion training, ain't heard much about that either

Here's a quick synopsis that poses the concern for effectiveness of the vaccine with most docs:

"As a veterinarian, you know the purpose of a vaccine is to reduce the time from re-exposure to said agent, venom, or virus to production of antibodies called memory T-cells. The part that seems illogical to some veterinarians is that with a snake bite, you don't have a few days for the production of the antibodies. Anti-venom is so helpful and must be given quickly to be effective. They have not demonstrated that the vaccine will stimulate enough antibodies—and quickly enough-- to neutralize the venom.

Snake aversion works well. My friend has had a few of his bird dogs undergo the aversion training-basically put an e-collar on the dog and bring him to a snake and shock him on a very high setting. After he calms down, they take him back to snake and if he doesn't claw to get away, they deliver another shock. I think the trainer said 1 shock is enough for most dogs. The only concern is if a dog is running through an area and doesn't detect the snake before it strikes, then the training is useless.

Here's a video Paint Rock 00 posted in the Al dogs section recently. I didn't add the negative consequence like they did in this video, I'll probably implement that one day.

I was out in Bankhead and saw a rat snake sunning on a rock. My dog chased it initially, but I was able to call him off before he got to it. I then got out of sight of the snake, and then turned around to pass it again a few times. Whenever he focused on it, I would correct his behavior. He hasn't gone after a snake since, and I've seen dozens, and he's probably smelled hundreds. My dog is very eager to please, so I doubt it would be this easy for other dogs.

I think another thing that helps has been taking him squirrel hunting. He's becoming more focused on them as he matures. A mouthful of warm twitching squirrel is pure bliss for him.

I don't kill snakes when he's with me. I figured that would give him motivation to sniff them out.

I would never trust any dog 100% to not chase a snake. They are domesticated wolves.

Disclaimer: I'm no dog training expert, that's just what I did.

https://youtu.be/j3KwU3F0Mao

My dogs get plenty of exercise and training without going trapping

Ok since this dog died, every posionus snake I see, it's getting it. I got to where I let them go. Not anymore. It's a wonder if mine hasn't been bitten. I worry about it. I especially worry at night when walking.

I don't worry about snakes very much. I've always just killed poisonous ones close to homes and let the rest go. Its not that id worry about my dogs messing with one as much as them just running around constantly increasing the chances of them stepping on one.

Very sorry to read this about your dog.......

Heart breaking reading right here.

So sorry for you all.

One of my labs, the one that belonged to my son before he was killed, got bit on the left leg last night. He's swelled up pretty bad. I've been giving him benedryl so hopefully he'll pull through. I would say he probably won't mess with another snake but I would be wrong because his brother has been bitten twice and hasn't learned yet.

Since most dogs can survive a snake bite I’m guessing that it was a rattler. They can be the most deadly on a dog according to a doctor friend that had a lot of bird dogs in his long life of hunting. He told me one time that the only dogs he lost to snake bite were bitten by rattlers.

To the OP, I'm sure sorry that you lost your pet. That’s never easy. My vet had a sign one times out snake bite vaccines for hunting dogs. I’d look into that by talking to your vet. I would assume it is like small doses of anti venom to build it up in their system.

Well the aldeer hospital ain’t always gonna bat a %1000 sometimes it’s out of our hands. I don’t know how much it cost for dogs but anti venom for people can cost $100,000. Sorry for the little fellow

Our lab, Bailey, got hit on the corner of the mouth a couple of years ago most likely by a copperhead. His face swelled some, but he got over it pretty quick. My wife was freaking out. Don’t think the snake injected much venom. Sorry about your pup Ricky.

Well, we talked to another local vet here in town yesterday and the anti-venom is 500$ per vile, not including other meds, fluids and care. The vaccine is around 25-30$ annually after the initial first dose and second dose 30 days later. We are very confused on vaccine; just a lot of conflicting info out there in the World Wide Web (go figure huh, lol) we are going to get our two pups (9 months old on aug 20) the vaccine; both vets we use/have used recommend it for them.

I did drive my tractor all around the cutover behind the house yesterday evening pushing brush piles and trying to find any damn snake to kill; no luck, but my search will continue.

Hate to hear your dog died. That sucks.