(136) There Once Was a Frog...

There Once was a Frog
That Sat on a Log
Along came a Dog
And ate it….

When I was a little kid, I made up this poem. Later when ever someone asked me to write a poem, or when I was put on the spot to recite a poem I would call up this little whit and recite it with self depreciation. Well, today I can say with pride… “It happens you know!”. You’ve seen pictures of the dogs run area, filled with pea gravel. It’s been working great for the dogs and for letting them out when it has just rained. The ground does not wash away like it use to and it’s easily “picked up”. You can see by the pictures that we’ve covered the cable/telephone wires coming into the house with a culvert type window covering. I don’t believe the dogs would chew the wires but more likely bump up against them or dig around the area so its best to keep them away from the area. That said there are still problems with the area.

Brad had not been out of the house for more than 20 minutes when Max came a calling, breathing his heavy breath in my face. This is his signal that he wants to go outside. I put down my book and put both dogs outside in their run. I left them outside maybe only 10 minutes tops. I got more coffee, I went to the bathroom, figured out breakfast, you know all the early morning essentials. Then I heard it. Beeks barking. Okay, that probably isn’t anything unusual but Max wasn’t barking and usually when one starts the other one is sure to follow. So….I went to the back door, opened it and Beeks came right in. This is also not unusual. I shut the door, and give Max time to realize he’s been left behind. He doesn’t come. So….I go back to the door and go out on the little back step and see Max scratching at the pea gravel like it’s dirt. I call to him and he doesn’t even look at me , he’s so intent on scratching at the rocks. I call again to him then I see it. The window covering has been ripped off and there’s dirt all over. Damn! I go and get my shoes and get to Max realizing that he has gotten another TOAD! The toad isn’t moving. I pull Max inside by his ear because he is not fazed by my calling and is trying to get back to the toad. He’s foaming at the mouth. He’s spitting and flailing foam all over the place like a rabid dog. UGH! When I have him secured in the house, I go back to see if there is any part of the toad left. The now traumatized toad is bleeding but only its right paw (flipper? flange?) has been injured, probably when Max was pulling it through the rocks. I pick it up and move it to where I have placed three other toads in recent weeks. This is the first one that Max has caught in the dog run. I can’t figure out how the stupid toads get to the culvert covered area. Yes, its moist near the cable box, there are no rocks. But the area is in the middle of the wall, far from the woods or any other vegetation. What’s with that? This must be a band of masochistic toads. Is it the same toad? Continually trying to get back to its home under the dirt? And God forbid, are there more yet to come?

I go inside, and find Max, foaming like a rabid…well dog. I see he is flipping his mouth, trying to rid himself of the toad poison. He had foam all over the kitchen floor and on the window seat. I put him in the laundry room to keep the foam in one area. He’s drunk a lot of water to get the toad poison out of his mouth. I’m hoping that he didn’t lick too much of it.

I looked on line to see what other people do about toad/frog and dog interactions. What I find isn’t too encouraging. Most responses say that toads are more poisonous to dogs than frogs. It’s the froth that toads secrete from their skin when they are traumatized (like being eaten). Great! Some responses say that toad froth can kill dogs in as little as 15 minutes. I’m thinking it has something to do with size of dog and type of toad. Let’s hope. Max has a hankerin for toads. He has done this before. I would think that he would learn. He likes to watch them hop and to chase them, but he first tries to catch them in his mouth. I could tell the minute I was Max foaming at the mouth that he was the culprit. Beeks was the sentry not the military force in this instance. No foaming coming from him. We will watch Max, to be sure he is Okay, does not get lethargic, although how do I tell with a Newfoundland? Isn’t that the definition of a Newfoundland?

I placed the injured toad under a bush outside the fence. (where I put the others). Its fairly far from the fenced in area (for a toad). I’m hoping it survives, but then again, Gracie has three babies to feed. I wonder if toads are poisonous to hawks.

Speaking of the hawks... Yesterday morning, Beeks was playing with Chez. Really wrestling and having a great time. Chez was attacking Beeks, and rolling around with him, when Beeks abruptly stopped and focused on the deck outside our bedroom sliding doors. His tail went straight out, and he started a slow low growl, then barked three times. All low and fairly quiet barks. I got up to see what the racquet was and there on out deck were the three juvenile hawks. One on the bench and two down on the deck. They were not three feet away from me. Of course we scared them away, but they didn’t fly far, just to the edge of the woods and yard. I loved seeing them this close. Kind of like Gracie brought the little ones for a visit.