In light of my just completed ordeal as a snake wrangler for a "major" motion picture I would like to run something up the flagpole and ask for opinions.

Could a small (mainly for ease of care and transport) pointing breed be trained to locate and point snakes?

You could teach a dog to hunt for anything if it has the drive. They train dogs to sniff out all kinds of stuff I don't see why it would be a problem but if your going after poison avoid growing fond of the little fellow

I know dog trainers who train dogs to avoid snakes. So wouldn't see why it wouldn't be possible to train them to find snakes as well.

Nathan, that is my concern as well. Even though I know that dogs have an amazing resistance to the ill effects of snake venoms, I've had several bitten over the years some multiple times and never lost a one with good supportive care, I do know the potential for lethal consequences plus the purposely putting a dog at such a risk doesn't weigh well with me. I was wondering if a pointing breed could point from far enough a distance away to provide some measure of safety and/or if some sort of protective gear can be used like a the cut vests for hog dogs.

The reason I ask is that I was recently tasked with providing snake removal and protection services for a large property with a large number of people active on it and I felt that one man with only visual capability could not adequately provide even a measure of safety. Fortunately, I know that the odds were greatly in my favor but the what ifs scare the bejeesus out of me.

Again, just playing the odds this dog would be locating non venomous species most of the time with the copperhead (least toxic of our pit vipers) being the most common venomous species that could be encountered.

Don't know about snakes but my English setter would point skunks far enough away that we could turn around, leave, and never get sprayed.

Jack russels terroirs is the snake dog . That's what them hunting guides take along in Africa so they don't get snake bit