# Cant stop puppy from eating frogs!! Please help!!



## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Title says it all... Yes my puppy seems to find frogs a great desert after or before a meal ?
And yes he is left outside all the time and there's nothing I can do about it... We have a big garden and our previous GSD lived her life there she was only allowed inside the kitchen n pantry at night and so is Kaiser now... We try our best to prevent him being naughty but we can't keep watch over him 24/7.. ?
There areee small animals in the garden (part of the reason we wanted a guard dog but doesn't seem likely now tho lol) n he just chases them most of the time but with froggies he go after them n even eat sometimes which is so gross n ewww ?
Is this even slightly normal??! My previous GSD simply patted the frogs with her paw n left them alone but him... Plz advice me sm1 ?


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## Mei (Mar 30, 2018)

Great lookin doggo! He looks happy! Probably just ate a frog LOL. Sounds like a great snack to me! But the frogs may help with the bugs in your garden so I understand the concern. I wouldn't be worried if mine ate frogs unless it's one of those little bright yellow ones! I swear mine is going to eat the neighbor's cat once she gets a hold of it!


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Supervise. Puppies do what they do and if your pup has now developed a taste for frogs then so be it. Pups require supervision to help them learn what behaviors are undesirable and more importantly desirable. Frogs, rocks, garbage? It all sounds like fun to a pup. If the frogs are toxic then you need to stop the behavior. If they are not then you have two choices, teach or ignore.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Mei said:


> Great lookin doggo! He looks happy! Probably just ate a frog LOL. Sounds like a great snack to me! But the frogs may help with the bugs in your garden so I understand the concern. I wouldn't be worried if mine ate frogs unless it's one of those little bright yellow ones! I swear mine is going to eat the neighbor's cat once she gets a hold of it!


Thx! He's a naughty lil guy lol xD Gosh am relieved I honestly thought this was super weird and concerning Am pretty sure the frogs aren't poisonous at all the poor lil things just pop up randomly and my pup goes crazy! And i totally agree one of these days am gonna have to go apologise to the neighbours about their unfortunate cat... ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> Supervise. Puppies do what they do and if your pup has now developed a taste for frogs then so be it. Pups require supervision to help them learn what behaviors are undesirable and more importantly desirable. Frogs, rocks, garbage? It all sounds like fun to a pup. If the frogs are toxic then you need to stop the behavior. If they are not then you have two choices, teach or ignore.


Thx ? Nope the frogs aren't poisonous tho occasionally his stomach goes a lil haywire (loose stools) - probably due to the emmence junk he eats but he eats really well n is healthy n active so I'll jzt ignore it or attempt to rescue the poor froggy whn possible lol


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

As long as no frog in your yard is poisonous I guess it would be OK. Eventually he probably will decimate the local population which resolves the issue.
Just a word of caution: since you live among other homes, some people use mouse poison. It doesn't instantly kill the mice but they become sluggish and are still able to move around, which makes it easy for your pup to catch and eat them. Then he will ingest that same poison and it can ill your dog. This goes for all urban dogs in back yards.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

wolfy dog said:


> As long as no frog in your yard is poisonous I guess it would be OK. Eventually he probably will decimate the local population which resolves the issue.
> Just a word of caution: since you live among other homes, some people use mouse poison. It doesn't instantly kill the mice but they become sluggish and are still able to move around, which makes it easy for your pup to catch and eat them. Then he will ingest that same poison and it can ill your dog. This goes for all urban dogs in back yards.


Thx for the advice ? I actually didn't think of mice before but now that u mention it its very possible that can happen.. My previous GSD did kill a good no. of mice during her lifetime but she never ate them Sometimes she would be a bit off for a couple days ish but the Vet gav us a tablet for stomachaches n it was nothing major so hopefully the new pup will be fine too ?


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

Frogs are okay, but toads are poisonous. Cane toads can kill a dog, and even the small common toads can make them quite sick!

Just a heads up: if you've got frogs, you likely have toads as well!


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## tc68 (May 31, 2006)

Sorry, I couldn't stop laughing. This was a good one. I have to agree with others...puppies need to be supervised. They can get into all sorts of trouble. Trust me, I know. I've been to the emergency room with mine a total of 3 times in his short 18 months. Anyway, good luck...and btw, he's gorgeous.


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

NO FROG EATING! (And no snail eating either!) People who think it's okay will change their minds once rat lungworms spread to their region. It's a very nasty, life-threatening parasite that's on the move in the U.S., Asia, and Europe.

Frogs (and snails) are an intermediate host of rat lungworm -- and the worms spread to mammals (e.g., humans or dogs) that eat the frogs. This parasite can move into the spinal cord and brain and cause paralysis and symptoms that mimic meningitis, and few vets in the United States know to look for it. It's not "supposed" to be a problem in most of the U.S., but I can tell you with 100% certainty that it's here because our rescue had a dog infected with it (confirmed by lab testing) -- the first known canine case in the state. My vet has since seen several more cases, and used what she learned from our rescue's case to save quite a few dogs. Her theory is that it's been here for a while but was misdiagnosed as meningitis -- she just happened to have a classmate/friend from vet school in Europe who suggested that she look for it when she had this dog paralyzed and not responding to any treatment.

You need to do some research to see if there's any literature regarding rat lungworm cases in any species in your area -- _Angiostrongylus cantonensis._ It's widespread in Asia and even Europe. In the U.S., it's common it Hawaii, but has been found in the mainland too -- I know of cases recently in Florida and Louisiana. You may even want to run the pup through with a full week of Panacur to be safe -- or put it on Advantage Multi (= Advocate, from Bayer in Europe/Asia), which is effective against this parasite (along with heartworms), as well as fleas, when applied monthly. That monthly prevention might be your best option if there's no realistic way to stop the pup from getting the frogs.

_More reading:
__Disease Outbreak Control Division | Angiostrongyliasis (Rat Lungworm)_


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Sithumya17 said:


> Thx for the advice ? I actually didn't think of mice before but now that u mention it its very possible that can happen.. My previous GSD did kill a good no. of mice during her lifetime but she never ate them Sometimes she would be a bit off for a couple days ish but the Vet gav us a tablet for stomachaches n it was nothing major so hopefully the new pup will be fine too ?


This response tells me the OP does not really care and has no intention of either supervising or training.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sabis mom said:


> Sithumya17 said:
> 
> 
> > Thx for the advice ? I actually didn't think of mice before but now that u mention it its very possible that can happen.. My previous GSD did kill a good no. of mice during her lifetime but she never ate them Sometimes she would be a bit off for a couple days ish but the Vet gav us a tablet for stomachaches n it was nothing major so hopefully the new pup will be fine too ?
> ...


No offence intended but ur comment really put me off Am a 18yr old girl with studies to think about I help around with the pup but its not like we can spend 24/7 on him Me or any1 else from my fam dont have enough time to spent on constantly training him I did what I could during holidays but rn am upto my neck with work And no I cant get a personal trainer cause theyr very pricy i dont have the finances to afford it
U might ask me why get a pup in the 1st place if u can't care for him but that's unreasonable (I worry so much about this pup which is obvious from my other threads) cause i want to awoid mistakes as much as possible And after losing my previous GSD i just couldn't bare to live without a dog in tht house She had excellent behaviour n temperament so honestly i didn't expect such a drastic change with this one Theyr polar opposites 
Plz dont judge and call me unresponsible I try my best to my capabilities its not that am neglecting training or supervising him


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Magwart said:


> NO FROG EATING! (And no snail eating either!) People who think it's okay will change their minds once rat lungworms spread to their region. It's a very nasty, life-threatening parasite that's on the move in the U.S., Asia, and Europe.
> 
> Frogs (and snails) are an intermediate host of rat lungworm -- and the worms spread to mammals (e.g., humans or dogs) that eat the frogs. This parasite can move into the spinal cord and brain and cause paralysis and symptoms that mimic meningitis, and few vets in the United States know to look for it. It's not "supposed" to be a problem in most of the U.S., but I can tell you with 100% certainty that it's here because our rescue had a dog infected with it (confirmed by lab testing) -- the first known canine case in the state. My vet has since seen several more cases, and used what she learned from our rescue's case to save quite a few dogs. Her theory is that it's been here for a while but was misdiagnosed as meningitis -- she just happened to have a classmate/friend from vet school in Europe who suggested that she look for it when she had this dog paralyzed and not responding to any treatment.
> 
> ...


Thx for such an informative comment I will inquire about it from my Vet at the next visit I do live in Asia In Srilanka to be specific but I dont think that desease is here or else am pretty sure I would have heard of it somehow but still I will try to inquire about it ?


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

Sunsilver said:


> Frogs are okay, but toads are poisonous. Cane toads can kill a dog, and even the small common toads can make them quite sick!
> 
> Just a heads up: if you've got frogs, you likely have toads as well!


Frogs... Toads... Am sorry it might sound ridiculous but am not sure what exactly he's encountering... ? (my native language isn't English so the translation is a bit confusing hehe) but they are simply garden 'frogs' not poisonous in any way and he doesn't look ill so theyr most likely harmless... Hopefully ?


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## Sabis mom (Mar 20, 2014)

Sithumya17 said:


> No offence intended but ur comment really put me off Am a 18yr old girl with studies to think about I help around with the pup but its not like we can spend 24/7 on him Me or any1 else from my fam dont have enough time to spent on constantly training him I did what I could during holidays but rn am upto my neck with work And no I cant get a personal trainer cause theyr very pricy i dont have the finances to afford it
> U might ask me why get a pup in the 1st place if u can't care for him but that's unreasonable (I worry so much about this pup which is obvious from my other threads) cause i want to awoid mistakes as much as possible And after losing my previous GSD i just couldn't bare to live without a dog in tht house She had excellent behaviour n temperament so honestly i didn't expect such a drastic change with this one Theyr polar opposites
> Plz dont judge and call me unresponsible I try my best to my capabilities its not that am neglecting training or supervising him


We are all busy. We all have lives, and jobs, and responsibilities. None of that excuses putting a pup in a yard and ignoring it unless it annoys you or grosses you out.
I am not trying to be mean or nasty, I am trying to tell you to take care of your responsibilities. At 18 you are essentially an adult and you know better then to respond with "oh yeah, poison. Huh. Hope that doesn't happen". 
I am aware of every one of the dirty looks, dramatic sighs and pouty head tosses that my step daughter threw my way when I told her she needed to walk a dog, clean up after a dog, supervise a dog or help me with whatever BEFORE she socialized, chatted or did her hair. I am also aware that at 25 she thanks me for it. 
Stop making excuses and deal with your puppy. Ten years from now you will thank us.


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Different approach - 

1. What kind of frogs are in your yard?

2. What do those frogs eat?

3. Where do those frogs like hiding?

If you can figure out what attracts the frogs to your yard, you can eliminate (or at least minimize) how attractive your yard is to them - which will give your puppy fewer opportunities to eat them. It won't guarantee none occasionally come through, but it will help!

In my yard I usually find the tree frogs under pots and under the cushions on my patio chair, I find toads near the hose bibs, and I find the bullfrogs and leopard frogs where things stay soggy and large flat objects lay on the ground - like the downspout spreaders, etc. 

If I were trying to reduce the frog and toad population, I'd hang the hose up, pick all the pottery off the ground, remove everything close to ground level that holds water, and remove mulch and leaf debris around the foundation. 

Your frogs will be different depending on where you live, but if your yard is not agreeable for them, they'll spend more time at your neighbor's. Frogs need standing water to spawn, so I would absolutely remove any standing pools of water - trays under potted plants, raised planters, leaky hose bibs, etc.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

tc68 said:


> Sorry, I couldn't stop laughing. This was a good one. I have to agree with others...puppies need to be supervised. They can get into all sorts of trouble. Trust me, I know. I've been to the emergency room with mine a total of 3 times in his short 18 months. Anyway, good luck...and btw, he's gorgeous.


Thnk u he has indeed given a lifetimes worth of trouble already n spend enough money to buy me a few laptops LOL ?


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## WIBackpacker (Jan 9, 2014)

Somewhere to start - 

https://sites.google.com/site/srilankaamphibians/


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

> Frogs... Toads... Am sorry it might sound ridiculous but am not sure what exactly he's encountering... ? (my native language isn't English so the translation is a bit confusing hehe) but they are simply garden 'frogs' not poisonous in any way and he doesn't look ill so theyr most likely harmless... Hopefully ?


Where do you live? That will say a lot about the danger your dog may be putting himself in. In S. America, many frogs are deadly poisonous. Same with the cane toad that is found in California, Florida, Mexico and S. America.

Toads are brown and have dry, warty skin. Frogs are smooth-skinned and the skin is moist.


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## Sunsilver (Apr 8, 2014)

https://www.petmd.com/dog/conditions/toxicity/c_dg_toad_venom_toxicosis


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## crittersitter (Mar 31, 2011)

Well if you stick a young pup outdoors and leave them alone and expect them to do only what you wan them to do you are going to be very disappointed. Maybe you can re-home him.


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## dojoson41 (Oct 14, 2018)

Here in the USA Frogs are normally green/black and skinny inthe middle; they like and live in water. Toads are the greenish grey/brown white warty guys who prefer dirt, your dog’s water dish and your patio at night. Toads they secrete toxic substances, their effects are much less severe than the toxins secreted by the cane or Sonoran desert toads Try an e-collar to train him to stay away from frogs/toads like we use to keep dogs away from snakes


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## wolfy dog (Aug 1, 2012)

dojoson41 said:


> s Try an e-collar to train him to stay away from frogs/toads like we use to keep dogs away from snakes


That requires a lot of insight and experience, more than what the OP shows at this point so I completely disagree with that. Please do not randomly advice on e-collars when dogs are not trained or supervised.
To the OP, you asked for help. What advice did you use so far? I sense a lot of 'yes, buts'


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## Sunflowers (Feb 17, 2012)

Sithumya17 said:


> I Am a 18yr old girl with studies to think about ... Me or any1 else from my fam dont have enough time to spent on constantly training him ... I am upto my neck with work ..And no I cant get a personal trainer cause theyr very pricy i dont have the finances to afford it
> U might ask me why get a pup in the 1st place if u can't care for him but that's unreasonable ...I just couldn't bare to live without a dog in tht house ... its not that am neglecting training or supervising him


I am at a loss for words.


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## Clare (Feb 6, 2005)

Magwart said:


> NO FROG EATING! (And no snail eating either!) People who think it's okay will change their minds once rat lungworms spread to their region. It's a very nasty, life-threatening parasite that's on the move in the U.S., Asia, and Europe.
> 
> Frogs (and snails) are an intermediate host of rat lungworm -- and the worms spread to mammals (e.g., humans or dogs) that eat the frogs. This parasite can move into the spinal cord and brain and cause paralysis and symptoms that mimic meningitis, and few vets in the United States know to look for it. It's not "supposed" to be a problem in most of the U.S., but I can tell you with 100% certainty that it's here because our rescue had a dog infected with it (confirmed by lab testing) -- the first known canine case in the state. My vet has since seen several more cases, and used what she learned from our rescue's case to save quite a few dogs. Her theory is that it's been here for a while but was misdiagnosed as meningitis -- she just happened to have a classmate/friend from vet school in Europe who suggested that she look for it when she had this dog paralyzed and not responding to any treatment.
> 
> ...


My guys don't eat frogs or snails or anything like that - but i will absolutely no longer even consider ordering escargot anywhere at anytime ever again!


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## Magwart (Jul 8, 2012)

Clare said:


> My guys don't eat frogs or snails or anything like that - but i will absolutely no longer even consider ordering escargot anywhere at anytime ever again!



While you're at it, check your raw salad greens carefully. Sometimes there are little tiny snails that can hitch a ride. They need to be washed off. There have been some human cases that transmitted that way.


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## 4K9Mom (Jun 19, 2019)

Hi. I just read a lot of comments about frogs and toads...and a comment about e-collars, but I don't think I saw any helpful advice. May I?


Here's what I do with dogs that try to eat something they aren't supposed to (for me, it's always puppies that like to eat dirt/sand/leaves. They get super expensive kibble, then try to snack on dirt. Sigh...) 



Get your training pouch. Get two (at least) actually. Fill them with the very best treats you can find. Try to make the treats as different as possible, like dehydrated salmon and then Real Meat chicken or beef. Fill the pouches. Don't mix the food. One pouch per food. Now put these (I hang them) next to the door where the dog goes out to where the garden is. EVERY SINGLE TIME YOU GO OUTSIDE, you're going to snag one of the training pouches of food 



Foundation work (in the house): Put on your training pouch. Before you start, put some boring toys (or something else safe that he's not very interested in, like empty water bottles) on the floor. As soon as he goes to sniff it, put some of your fabulous treat right in front of his nose and say, "Hey (his name!) Whacha Got?" in a super happy voice and lure him a step away and feed him the food. Repeat this numerous time, increasing the steps until he swings his head around and starts to trot toward you. "Hey Fido, Whatcha Got?" is a long cue, but it's something you can't yell at him annoyed or in a mad voice. You're always happy to see what he's got. Ultimately, we want him to put it in your hand (or if it's something gross to drop it. I trust you have trained or know how to train Drop it and Give separately? If not, let me know) 



The point is that if he's picked it up, he'll either leave it alone and walk to you or bring it to you and give it to you because he can't take a mouthful of treats if he has something else in his mouth, right? I also do this with my puppies when they find random socks or bits of paper in the house. They help me clean up the house. 



Be sure you swap out your treats. Be on the look out for the best treats you can find. Unpredictability (random reinforcers) are effective, so once in a while, string cheese or even crunchy (not stale) Cheerios are kind of awesome. He's always giving up something he likes, so you have to give him something better or something he's never had before. It's the upgrade game. Try to not use his regular treats if possible. 



Ok, so outside, start all over. Outside is more distracting. If he starts sniffing a rock or a leaf, ask him "Hey Fido, Whatcha Got?" and treat him as soon as he turns around and starts to you, even if he wasn't actually picking it up. We want him to know that the rules apply outside too. The rules are, "My human asks me what I've got, and I whip my head around and run to them." Avoid trying to pull away from favorite toys because for some of our kids, favorite toys are better than treats. Boring ole outside toys, though, are fun to practice on. 



It's an awesome game for a dog.


Now, when he sees a frog, if you see it first, don't wait for him to go near it. Likely, though, he'll see it first, and you just ask him what he's got. 



_Advanced Level: 
_

_Once he's got the game down and he usually brings things to you *consistently* (months for a dog that's obsessed with something) I then raise my standard. If my dog swallows a leaf trotting over to me, then he doesn't get the treat. "Aww... Too bad!" play (It's not "no" which is a reprimand, but "aww" which is more playful. You're on his team and you really want him to win. The language you use is important because it affects how you go into and stay in his. You're training him, but you're not using positive punishment. You're on team). 
_

_But before I get to that point, I want my dog to get into the habit of always returning to me with the offending thing in his mouth, so I'll reinforce that behavior (the whipping his head around and coming to me). _







At first, also, give him a small handful of treats. Don't be stingy. You can give him more reasonable amounts later. But whenever we're trying to extinguish a behavior a dog really enjoys, we need to make sure that the new behavior that we are training as an alternate is more rewarding. 



Here's the thing: you're trying to overcome what is or can become an obsessive behavior. If we punish it, we can make it more obsessive. If we try to catch/grab the dog to take it out of his mouth, we're chasing him, which is awesome for him. We have to train an alternate behavior so that the object of his obsessions loses its value, and the best way to do that is by making our game more fun.



Does all this make sense?






I will also add that I have a huge garden, and it's entirely fenced with pasture fencing (basically chicken wire). Lots of bad stuff can grow in gardens, starting with mushrooms, mold, and poisonous plants, including things like tomato plants and too many flowers to list (so regardless of the type of garden, gardens aren't safe for the average dog.) 



The first step of owning a dog isn't training. It's management. Keep the dog out of places that aren't safe for them. Building a fence may be your easiest solution if you don't have time to do everything I listed above.


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## Sithumya17 (May 22, 2019)

4K9Mom said:


> Hi. I just read a lot of comments about frogs and toads...and a comment about e-collars, but I don't think I saw any helpful advice. May I?
> 
> 
> Here's what I do with dogs that try to eat something they aren't supposed to (for me, it's always puppies that like to eat dirt/sand/leaves. They get super expensive kibble, then try to snack on dirt. Sigh...)
> ...


Thank u so much! In all honesty i believe ur post is probably the best or one of the very few with valuable advice... Ive had people pointing fingers at me which I choose to ignore cause what's the point anyways? I came here looking for advice not criticism... I have actually tried the redirecting thing (certainly not as organised as u mentioned) and it does seem to work most of the time I will carry out ur instructions and see what it does Thx once again! ? 
Also u asked about the 'drop it' and 'give' commands He is very obedient at giving toys lol (when playing fetch n stuff like that) as well as 'Give paw' (does tht count lol) but whn it comes to animals he generally seems to ignore me most of the time lol (But i must add he is super obedient to my father) 
Also our garden is fully fenced off with the gate and everything Is well maintained so no risk of poisonous plants The only issue is that there's a empty land next door which is pretty unkept thas how most toads (and the occasional snake) or Iguana comes from...


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