Snake Aversion Training Programme

Snake bites are one of the leading causes of death among CCF’s LGDs in Namibia. These dogs are vital to the protection of livestock and play an essential role in reducing human-wildlife conflict – yet their work often places them at risk of encounters with venomous snakes such as puff adders and cobras.

To address this challenge, CCF developed a Snake Aversion Training Programme designed to teach LGD puppies to recognise and avoid snakes in the wild. The initiative began in 2023 as part of CCF’s wider commitment to improving dog welfare, training, and survival rates.

Training Approach
The original concept was based on a proven methodology developed by Australian researchers, which uses scent- and sight-based training to condition avoidance behaviour in dogs.
CCF’s training team’s approach is to ensure both safety and scientific integrity. The training involves:

• Exposing puppies to the sight and scent of toy and frozen snakes in a controlled training area.
• Pairing these exposures with mild negative stimuli (such as a water spray or loud noise) to build an instinctive aversion response.
• Gradually reinforcing this behaviour over multiple sessions until the puppies show a consistent avoidance of snake cues.

By using both scent and sight triggers, the training replicates natural encounters as closely as possible while maintaining full safety for the dogs and staff.

Implementation and Results
To date, three complete snake-aversion training regimes have been conducted, involving:

• One mixed-breed litter, and
• Two Kangal litters from CCF’s breeding programme.

Early behavioural results are highly promising – by the end of each training cycle, puppies displayed clear avoidance behaviours, choosing to back away or ignore snake cues altogether.
The research team also observed notable differences in responses between breeds, which will be explored further in a forthcoming academic paper. These findings could help refine species-appropriate aversion training across Africa’s conservation dog programmes.

Research Collaboration
CCF’s genetics laboratory has been incorporated into the project to support the scientific foundation of the training. Under its opportunistic research permit, the lab collects and preserves snake specimens found deceased on or near CCF land, which are then used safely as part of the aversion training process.

This integration of field ecology, genetics, and behaviour science is helping CCF establish one of the first structured snake-aversion programmes for working conservation dogs in Africa.
Find out more, here