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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Wolfie Likes to Rip Out My Plants

It is so strange.  I love to plant my new flowers and plants at this time of year and Wolfie likes to go after them.  Normally, he could care less....

This is an interesting topic that I came across in the last few years, and the stories I have been told about this are somewhat funny.  Let me recant two stories that I have been told and then step back and try and explain what happened and the simple fix.

One of my clients had just been to Home Depot the prior weekend.  He purchased a flat of turf to extend the grassy area of his back yard.  He had all the turf delivered to his back patio right outside his sliding glass door and family room.  His dog loved to sit by the glass door and stare out into the back yard and golf course beyond.  Also, many nights he would let his dog stay outside because the dog loved to sleep on the patio furniture.

So Saturday comes and my client begins to lay out all the new turf in the new lawn area.  It took him most of the day.  During that time, his dog was inside, laying by the glass window staring out at him and whatever else was going on.  That night, he lets his dog out to sleep on the patio and he goes to bed.

The next morning he wakes up to find almost half of all the pieces of turf back on the patio...

Another client of mine had purchased about thirty plants from Home Depot (always great sales around this time of year) and spent the afternoon digging holes and planting them in his back and side yards.  His doggie was out with him while he was doing this. 

The next day when he came home from work, almost all the plants were pulled out of the holes and sitting neatly next to each hole...

Luckily, neither of my clients got mad at their dogs and thought the whole matter rather funny.  They did come to me to ask what had happened.

Heres the deal.  Dogs learn through repetition.  Dogs learn through observation.  In both instances, the doggies watched as the client performed a repetitive and somewhat easy task.  The client simply taught the dog to dig.  In the example of the turf, the client cleared the area and placed the turf.  The dog reversed the process and put the turf back where it came from.  The client with all the plants taught the dog to dig and place the plant.  The dog simply removed the plant.

So here comes the bottom line.   When you are working in the garden and are digging or planting, keep Wolfie out of site.  Enough said.  I hope your garden looks great this Spring!  For more information, please contact The Best Dog Trainers in South Florida.

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