A South West resident has taken steps to ensure the protection of her pets this snake season and has organised for other dog lovers to be able to do the same.
Winemaker Cath Oates spends her days in the vineyard where she is accompanied by one or both of her dogs at any given time.
In the past, Ms Oates has experienced difficulties with snakes in the region, nearly losing one of her dogs in an incident at Gracetown beach car park.
She said she is “constantly worried” about their presence and the harm that could befall her pets.
Ms Oates discovered accredited Perth dog trainer Seth Pywell and coordinator Melanie Elizabeth online, with Mr Pywell’s unique approach to training dogs to stay away from snakes seeming to fit the bill.
“It seems hugely effective,” she said.
Intending to take her dogs to Perth, Ms Oates instead encouraged the trainer to come down south with Mr Pywell having previously conducted successful workshops in Albany.
“It snowballed from there,” Ms Oates said.
The pair will be conducting two workshops this month with the first in Capel on October 14 and 28 with a focus on snake scent recognition.
Mr Pywell said the dogs have to be outgoing, happy and enthusiastic in new environments, with his style accessing the dog’s temper.
In this initial workshop, a series of boxes containing venomous snakes are used under the guidance of a reptile handler so the dogs may learn to recognise their scent.
My Pywell said if the dogs are drawn to these boxes they are corrected and when they learn to avoid the smell, they are rewarded with treats.
The second workshop will be conducted on Ms Oates’ farm in Wilyabrup on October 15 and 29.
Reptile movement recognition is the focus of this workshop, where a non-venomous snake is utilised to teach the dog to understand their movement represents danger.
“If the dog approaches the snake there is consequences, while if it successfully avoids the snake it is rewarded,” Mr Pywell said.
"The overwhelming majority of dogs get bitten because they follow their natural instincts to investigate snakes.
"By educating our dogs to avoid both sight and smell of snakes we are dramatically reducing the risk of snakebite and helping to save Australian native fauna."
With only ten dogs allowed in each workshop due to the one on one approach undertaken by the trainers, Ms Oates said she would love to see the workshop filled so the pair can return to the South West in the future.
For more information on the workshops contact Ms Oates at cath.oates@oatesends.com.au.
