Patrol dog sniffs out toad and lizard

Freddie looking for trouble.

The temp on this Oct. 2 morning was a delicious 68 degrees and Freddie the dog was looking for something to chase.

Then in one spot she found a lizard and a toad. What luck!

However there was no chasing because the reptiles just ignored the dog. So the dog just stared at them.

Generally Freddie's dog brain thinks one of her humans should inspect intruders she finds. 

So I got up, documented the suspicious characters and told Freddie she was a good dog.

Then when I reached down to pet her, I realized the hair around her neck was stiff and smelly because she had been rolling in something nasty. Ick! Bath time.

Watchful anole isn't in a hurry to jump to the next plant.

This Gulf Coast toad was not impressed by a sniffing dog.

The dog finds a large snake

I was not thinking reptile when I peeked under the deck's steps to see what Freddie wanted me to see while she barked, barked barked.


I thought Freddie had cornered one of the neighbor cats that like to wander through our yard. It is one of Freddie's favorite games.

When we say "cat," Freddie runs to the door ready to go outside to chase the interloper over the fence.  I think the cats like the game too.

When the barking didn't stop, I used the water hose to spray under the steps. That is a surefire way to get the cats to leave. Still, no cat dashing.

The barking continued, so I thought maybe it was an opossum. Freddie has found them before much to her dog-brain delight.

So not wanting to face the teeth of a cornered possum, I was cautious when I looked under the steps.

Snake! Big snake!

I prefer my snakes small and fleeing.

This was a stand-your-ground snake.

My best guess from a quick snapshot is an Eastern Yellow-Bellied Racer.

We made Freddie stay indoors the rest of the evening. 

A possum playing possum

 

Good dog, Freddie. Now leave your new friend alone.

They are Virginia opossums, but I grew up calling them possums.

They come into our yard occasionally to raid the bird feeders and give the dog something to worry about.

Freddie the dog goes crazy when she sees one. Freddie usually spots a possum in a tree at night. The animal freezes and refuses to move. And the dog goes into crazy barking mode until we drag her indoors.

This time Freddie found an opossum at her level on the ground. 

Dog joy!

She was so pleased when I finally went out in the dark to find out what was distracting her dog brain. 

She was circling a small opossum rolled into a ball. It was baring its teeth, and with a flashlight I could see its little tongue. 

With a towel I lifted it over the fence. Dog party over.

It didn't seem to be injured and it hissed when I picked up with a towel to put it outside the fence.

Dog and toad are not friends

Toad's hole. The blue splotch is from slopping paint on a trellis.

The toad eyeballed me when I pulled away the St. Augustine grass and weeds to make way for new planting beds. I eyeballed the toad.

I went back to work, and the toad stayed in its hideaway.

Then Freddie the dog, who had been on squirrel patrol, found the toad. And although the toad disappeared underground or through another exit, for the next hour that hole was the most fascinating hole in the world for Freddie. -- Lana b

Where did it go?