Ridgerunner
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Not everyone is a dog person and I know you really like your cats Marshall, but have you considered a gopher dog instead of a snake? It would be easier to keep at home than a snake but might plow your garden for you, whether you want it to or not. You could maybe rescue a terrier pup from the pound and train it.
http://www.ehow.com/how_12109532_keep-gophers-out-yard-dog.html
Getting The Right Dog
1 Choose the right type of dog for gopher hunting. To keep gophers out of your yard with a dog, the dog needs to have high prey drive and high prey aggression. Many members of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Terrier group have this kind of drive, but there are also working terriers that are not a part of the AKC. The most reliable way of obtaining this type of dog is to go to a breeder who breeds working terriers specifically for hunting vermin or participating in earthdog trials.
2 Research where to buy a dog. Good gopher hunting terriers can sometimes be found in rescues, shelters and SPCAs because the average pet owner can't handle their extreme drive. Inquire carefully as to the temperament of the dog and what caused it to be given up. "Needs more exercise", "won't stop chasing animals", "killed my last nine hamsters" are all good signs of the kind of dog you need.
3 Pick the right dog. You want the dog who is obsessed with moving things, capturing them and "killing" them. Choose a dog or puppy who shows tenacity in chasing balls, rags dragged across the floor. One that goes absolutely crazy at the sight of a prey animal is also to be preferred.
Training Your Gopher Dog
4 Skin the dead gopher and punch a hole in the middle of the hide. Tie a very sturdy cord to the hide. This is your lure.
5 Encourage the dog to chase and bite the lure during training sessions. You can encourage increased prey aggression by securing the dog with the leash and teasing it with the lure, but ensure that your dog never gets frustrated and always "catches" its prey.
6 Introduce your dog to the tunnel by using treats and the lure to encourage it to explore and later go through the tunnel. Eventually, your goal is to have the dog go through the tunnel to catch the lure at the end. This associates the tunnel with catching prey.
7 Release the dog on gophers when it has attained the training and growth to enable it to carry out a hunt successfully. Reward predatory behavior with treats and praise.
8 Allow the dog to regularly and frequently hunt your property. Enough hunting and killing by the dog will both thin down the gopher population in and around your yard and encourage the gophers to move their efforts to another location.
http://www.ehow.com/how_12109532_keep-gophers-out-yard-dog.html
Getting The Right Dog
1 Choose the right type of dog for gopher hunting. To keep gophers out of your yard with a dog, the dog needs to have high prey drive and high prey aggression. Many members of the American Kennel Club (AKC) Terrier group have this kind of drive, but there are also working terriers that are not a part of the AKC. The most reliable way of obtaining this type of dog is to go to a breeder who breeds working terriers specifically for hunting vermin or participating in earthdog trials.
2 Research where to buy a dog. Good gopher hunting terriers can sometimes be found in rescues, shelters and SPCAs because the average pet owner can't handle their extreme drive. Inquire carefully as to the temperament of the dog and what caused it to be given up. "Needs more exercise", "won't stop chasing animals", "killed my last nine hamsters" are all good signs of the kind of dog you need.
3 Pick the right dog. You want the dog who is obsessed with moving things, capturing them and "killing" them. Choose a dog or puppy who shows tenacity in chasing balls, rags dragged across the floor. One that goes absolutely crazy at the sight of a prey animal is also to be preferred.
Training Your Gopher Dog
4 Skin the dead gopher and punch a hole in the middle of the hide. Tie a very sturdy cord to the hide. This is your lure.
5 Encourage the dog to chase and bite the lure during training sessions. You can encourage increased prey aggression by securing the dog with the leash and teasing it with the lure, but ensure that your dog never gets frustrated and always "catches" its prey.
6 Introduce your dog to the tunnel by using treats and the lure to encourage it to explore and later go through the tunnel. Eventually, your goal is to have the dog go through the tunnel to catch the lure at the end. This associates the tunnel with catching prey.
7 Release the dog on gophers when it has attained the training and growth to enable it to carry out a hunt successfully. Reward predatory behavior with treats and praise.
8 Allow the dog to regularly and frequently hunt your property. Enough hunting and killing by the dog will both thin down the gopher population in and around your yard and encourage the gophers to move their efforts to another location.
