Bufo Frog Threat to Your Dog

As we start to get more rain down here in South Florida, I am seeing more and more baby frogs under bushes, by the back gate, and even sitting in the middle of the street. Some of my friends say they are really bad, but arent they just frogs?  They just hop away when you walk by and eat flys.  Right?

You couldnt be more wrong!  Bufo frogs in South Florida are incredibly dangerous to our dogs and other pets! 

This is the first time that I have ever used red, bold lettering in one of my blogs, but I am really serious on this one.  If your dog gets into a tussle with a Bufo frog, he could be dead in a matter of hours!

Like many of the other "out of control" animals and plants in South Florida, Bufo frogs were introduced with poor foresight and zero planning.  They were originally introduced in Palm Beach County in 1936 to try and control sugar cane pests and were reintroduced near the Miami Airport through 1955.  They generally range up to nine inches in width, but can grow larger and can live up to ten years.  They have very few natural enemies and are quickly replacing the native (calm, timid, perfectly safe) toads in South Florida.

Here comes the problem.  Bufo frogs secrete a toxic fluid that can kill your dog in a matter of hours.  The fluid is located in glands that are behind its head and that also coats its skin.  It can also shoot this toxin from its glands in the form of a white, thick venom.  They can attract dogs to them by making short, fast hops when they move and do not jump away when the dog comes to investigate.

If your dog has come in contact with a Bufo frog, you will first notice listlessness, foaming a brown substance from the mouth, heavy drooling, falling down, and even seizures.

So, what do you do about these horrible, little green monsters?  Walk your yard on a regular basis, looking for them.  If you find a Bufo, remove them from the area.  Always perform a "Bufo Patrol" at night before you let Wolfie out to do his business.  Watch him when he is outside.  Immediately investigate if he gets excited over something.

If you see that Wolfie has encountered a Bufo or you think that he might have encountered a Bufo:

• Wash his mouth out immediately with a hose.  Dont by shy, really give it a good wash.  
• Keep him as calm and quiet as possible.  
• Watch him like a hawk for the next several hours and make sure you have the address and phone number of your 24 hour vet.  
• Call the vet for any advice.
• If you see any signs of vomiting, stiffness of the body, or listlessness, get him to the vet NOW!
• If, for any reason, you arent sure about his condition, get him to the 24 hour vet!

As you can see, I am really serious about this.  The next time you visit your regular vet, please talk to them about Bufo frogs.  I am sure that they can provide you with more detailed information about these nasty Bufos.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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The Mad Dash at the Start of the Walkies

I know that I am probably doing something wrong, but when I take Wolfie out for a walk, he is already crazy because all my other dogs are barking and jumping.  It takes all I can to hold him to get the front door open.  Then he bolts out and the rest of the walk is nuts!

I was out at a client a few weeks ago that I hadnt seen for over a year.  She told me that the reason she hadnt called me for so long was that everything with the training had been great, but that her dog recently started to go nuts anytime he would go for a walk.  This started to happen when they added a new dog to the pack (they now have 5 dogs!).  The new dog had a tendency to get the other dogs crazy and it always happened when a "walkies" was involved.

The problem was really quite simple.  Her dog was at full adrenaline as soon as the door was open and she couldnt regain focus of her dog to maintain the control needed for the walk.  We had to set up a new "exit strategy" that allowed for a calm and focused start of the walk.  What we did was quite simple.

We placed the leash on the dog and everyone went nuts.  That was OK because we then took the dog into the garage (with the garage door closed) by way of the laundry room.  The rest of the "crazy dogs" were left in the house with a family member keeping them busy.  We had the dog sit and stay for the client.  We walked the dog in a circle once or twice and then had him sit again.  He was calm and still and the client had complete control and focus.

Next, while the client firmly held the leash, we opened the garage door.  The dog began to loose focus on the client in favor of "everything outside".  We redirected the dogs focus back to the client with some simple obedience exercises until we again observed that the client had complete control and focus.

Now, we slowly walked the dog to the driveway.  We had him sit and observed his focus.  It was still on the client.  We now began the walk slowly and calmly.  The dog was perfect.

The client exclaimed "Wow!  This is a different dog!".  I explained that he wasnt a different dog, we simply provided the appropriate environment to allow him to give us focus and respect.  We became the leader and he became the follower.  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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