Strange Behaviour

[Lankyrob]

Just an observation over the last two days.

We have had our corns for two months or so and our Jack Russell is interested and excited when they come out of the viv.

Our royal python has started getting quite settled and moving around in the last few days and last night the dog saw the python in its vivarium and pretty much freaked out. tonight again he saw it and was obviously concerned although not freaking out so much.

Anyone else had similar reactions from dogs? Could it be that there is some primal thing that he realised that a full grown python could potentially kill/eat him whereas a full grown corn couldnt? Or am i just being daft and he just reacting to something he hasnt noticed before?

[Nafun]

I think it probably comes down to breed. We have two dogs, a golden retriever and a german shepherd/jack russell mix. The golden views every snake (and everything else) as something interesting that might play with it. The jack russell mix views everything smaller than it as something that should be killed and eaten.

Terriers were bred to kill small animals, I wouldn't trust mine around snakes.

[infernalis]

I would never call you daft mate, but your dog is just responding to something it never saw before.

My dogs will flip out at inanimate objects that "suddenly appear" where they previously were not.

A couple weeks ago I bought a new water pump, we set it in the living room overnight, the dogs went psycho over it being there.

[marvelfreak]

My dog see me get any of the snakes out he heads for the other room. If it my big jungle he'll lay there an watch her as long as she doesn't get to close. Then he's gone. It's my wifes cat (shadow aka snake food) that i have to make sure he outside or down stairs.

[Lankyrob]

Just seemed strange that he has totally different reactions to the python compared to the corns - maybe he is just as daft as i am!!

[emseeKAY]

Originally Posted by Nafun

a german shepherd/jack russell mix.

lol that is the weirdest mix i have heard of do you have pics of it? id love to see it!

I would also have to agree with you where terriers are bred to kill small animals. you should see my girlfriends 2 terriers with all 5 of her pet rabbits lol her shorthaired pointer just likes to lick them, the other two get a little over excited when they see them though

[shaunyboy]

i would say although dogs have been domesticated for thousands of years they will not have lost their basic animal instinct.that being to survive,pretty sure your right rob that he see's the corn as something he could kill if he needed to.where as the python wouldnt be such a push over in the dogs eyes.just my opinion so i take it that makes me,you and the dog as daft as each other rob,haha
cheers shaun

[Will0W783]

I wouldn't worry too much about it; like the others have said, dogs sometimes react to animals they haven't seen before. My dog is pretty thick-headed and she just wants to paw at and sniff the snakes so I have to make sure she is locked in her crate whenever I have a snake out. My cats however, wail and bug their eyes out and dart around in a stalking behavior when they see a snake. But if the snake moves towards them they run away, tails and back hair all fuzzed out..lol.

[shaunyboy]

there was a case just a few weeks ago on a uk forum where a cat managed to knock the lid of a tub then it mauled the young ball python that was in it.i would be very wairy of cats and snakes in the same room.imo either the cat or the snakes (depends on the size of snake involved) going to die if they end up having a fight.
cheers shaun

[Will0W783]

Yeah I shoo my cats out of the room if I have a snake out. I also keep my snakes in a room that is sealed off from the rest of the house so that my cats and dogs cannot get in to bother them.