The One Training Command That Could Save Your Dog From A Deadly Snake Bite

Many owners believe they have a functional ‘Leave It’ command. Their dog might drop a sock or back away from a piece of food on the floor. However, the command required to override a dog’s primal instinct to investigate a novel, moving creature like a snake must be on an entirely different level. It must be reflexive, immediate, and reliable under extreme stress.

Understanding the Psychology

A life-saving ‘Leave It’ command operates on two psychological principles:

• Inhibitory Control: This is the dog’s ability to consciously stop itself from acting on an impulse. We are conditioning the dog to suppress its instinct to sniff, paw at, or engage with the forbidden object (the snake).
• Differential Reinforcement of an Alternative Behavior (DRA): We are not just teaching the dog not to do something; we are teaching it what to do instead. The correct response to ‘Leave It’ is to disengage from the object and immediately orient back to the owner for a high-value reward. The owner becomes more interesting and rewarding than the snake.

A powerful ‘Leave It’ cue transforms a moment of dangerous curiosity into an opportunity for positive reinforcement from you. The dog learns that ignoring the ‘thing’ on the ground is far more profitable than investigating it.

This is why training must be structured, consistent, and proofed against increasingly powerful distractions. A casual ‘Leave It’ trained with kibble in the kitchen will not hold up against the sights, sounds, and smells of a living creature in the wild. The command must be absolute.

Before you can expect your dog to ignore a snake, you must lay the groundwork in a controlled, distraction-free environment. The goal of this phase is to teach the meaning of the command without any pressure or punishment. Your success hinges on making the training sessions short, fun, and highly rewarding.

Essential Tools and Preparation:

• High-Value Treats: These should be special rewards reserved only for this training. Think small pieces of cooked chicken, cheese, or commercial training treats that your dog loves.
• Low-Value Treats: A handful of your dog’s regular kibble or a less exciting biscuit.
• A Quiet Space: Begin training indoors in a room with minimal distractions.
• A Clicker (Optional): A clicker can be used to mark the precise moment your dog makes the right choice, but a verbal marker like ‘Yes!’ works just as well.

The core principle is simple: the dog is rewarded for ignoring one item in favor of a better item from you. You are teaching a choice, and you are rigging the game so the dog always makes the choice you want.

Follow these steps methodically. Do not rush to the next step until your dog is successful in the current one at least 90% of the time. Keep sessions to 5-10 minutes, once or twice a day.

1. Step 1: The Closed Fist. Place a low-value treat (kibble) in your hand and close your fist. Present your fist to your dog. They will likely sniff, lick, and paw at it. Ignore this. The moment your dog pulls their head away, even for a second, mark the behavior (‘Yes!’ or click) and reward them with a high-value treat from your other hand. Repeat until your dog is no longer mugging your hand and is instead looking at your face expectantly.
2. Step 2: The Open Hand. Now, place the low-value treat in your open palm. If your dog dives for it, simply close your fist. When they back off, open your hand again. The moment they hesitate or look away from the treat in your palm, mark and reward from your other hand. This teaches them that the treat in the open is off-limits.
3. Step 3: The Covered Floor Treat. Place a low-value treat on the floor and cover it with your hand. Repeat the process from Step 1. When your dog ignores your hand on the floor and looks at you, mark and reward.
4. Step 4: The Uncovered Floor Treat. This is a significant step up. Place a low-value treat on the floor. Be ready to cover it with your hand or foot if your dog lunges for it. The goal is for your dog to see the treat and immediately look to you. Mark and reward this choice lavishly.
5. Step 5: Adding the Verbal Cue. Once your dog is reliably ignoring the floor treat, you can add the cue. As you place the treat on the floor, say ‘Leave It’ in a calm, neutral tone. When they ignore it, mark and reward. You are now associating the action of ignoring the item with the verbal command.

A ‘Leave It’ command trained in your living room is not a ‘Leave It’ command that will work on a hiking trail. ‘Proofing’ is the process of systematically increasing the difficulty and adding distractions to make the command reliable in any situation. This is the most critical phase for snake avoidance.

Generalizing the Command

Start by practicing with different objects (toys, tissues, shoes) and in different locations (backyard, front porch, quiet park on leash). The goal is for your dog to understand that ‘Leave It’ applies to everything, everywhere. Gradually increase the value of the ‘leave it’ items, but always ensure the reward they get from you is even better.

Simulating Snake Encounters

Once the command is solid with inanimate objects, you can begin to simulate a snake encounter. Use a realistic-looking rubber snake for this phase. Never use a live, defanged, or dead snake, as this is dangerous and can create unpredictable associations.

Always keep your dog on a leash during these advanced sessions to ensure safety and control. The goal is for the ‘Leave It’ command to become an automatic, reflexive response, overriding any instinct to investigate.

Training is rarely a linear process. It’s common to encounter setbacks. Understanding why a problem is occurring is the first step to fixing it. Here are some common issues and their solutions:

• Problem: My dog keeps grabbing the item before I can say ‘Leave It’.
  Solution: You are moving too quickly. Go back a step in the training protocol. Use a lower-value item or manage the environment better (e.g., keep your hand closer to the item to cover it). The dog should be set up for success, not failure.
• Problem: My dog ignores the item but then doesn’t look at me for the reward.
  Solution: Your reward or your marking may not be exciting enough. Make sure you are marking the exact moment they look away from the item with an enthusiastic ‘Yes!’ and delivering a super high-value treat immediately. You may need to lure their head up toward you with the reward at first.
• Problem: The command works indoors but falls apart outside.
  Solution: The difficulty gap is too large. This is a classic proofing failure. You need to bridge the gap with intermediate steps. Practice in your garage, then your driveway, then your quiet front yard, before moving to a park or trail. Each new environment adds a layer of distraction that must be worked through.
• Problem: I find myself repeating ‘Leave It, Leave It, LEAVE IT!’.
  Solution: You are poisoning the cue. A command should be given once in a clear, neutral tone. If the dog doesn’t respond, it means the training is not yet solid enough for that situation. Do not repeat the command. Instead, use your leash to gently guide your dog away from the object, and make a note to practice at a lower difficulty level later.