| Ginnie, I enjoyed your toad reports tremendously. Your toads don't know how lucky they are. >G< They should all ban together and kill your nasty swan. I don't know why you put up with that fella. |
| Lucky for you your dogs have no intrest, we have to be careful during our toad nights as three of our great danes love to hunt toads, they haven't injured on yet, but I worry that they will effect the breeding cycle. Loved your reports, it is good to know others enjoy them like we do. |
| Just happens that I had a friend with a similar swan problem. She and her husband decided to try pepper spray (like the type used to ward off an attacker) and it worked. The swan learned not to mess with them after a few sprays. I know you don't like to hurt animals, neither do I, but there comes a time when they must be delt with. This way the swan will experience some discomfort that will teach him not to bother you, but will not be permanently harmed. As always I enjoy your stories and look forward to futuure installments. |
| Ginnie,
As usual, another wonderfully informative story! You have me wondering about our own Pacific Tree frogs and their life cycle now. I have refered many of my amphibian loving friends to your site to enjoy the story. Well done! |
| Yes, your lucky to have Danes that are not interested. I was walking Moses the other night when he dragged me to a tree. I could not figure out what the deal was until I heard the croaking. A displaced frog or toad it must have been unless it was the local squirrel who loves to tease my dog by dangeling his tail from one of my fruit trees.
What adoreable little frogs you have! |
| Wonderful 3 part series you wrote there and very informative. I used to have toads on our 2 1/2 acres, but they disappeared... there had been some groundwater contamination that is probably accountable. However, at least the grass frogs are back and b4 mowing I always walk around and try to move as many as possible to safety. I've liked those critters every since I was a kid and even raised a bunch of tadpoles once - much to my mothers chagrin since the little guys were hopping all over the front porch :) |
| I just love reading about your danes,the sweans and the toads. I am owned by one beautiful fawn Dane named Hannah and a G.S.Px Lab. named Zara. Great to see the natural ears. Down here in Aus. the Danes are 'au naturalle'. Why do you do THAT to their ears? |
| >>Just happens that I had a friend with a similar swan problem. She and her husband decided to try pepper spray (like the type used to ward off an attacker) and it worked.
--- Karen, Thanks for your input. I searched all over town for pepper spray and finally found some at our local "Horse and Garden" store. Apparently our swan LIKES the pepper spray. I sprayed him a couple of times. There was no reaction on his part -- and let me tell you, he smelled like a McIlhenny pepper factory! Later, I gave him a straight shot to the face. Even when it hit him square in the eyes, the pepper juice didn't faze him. He kept right after me. Later, I saw him happily preening himself. He was licking the orange mess off his feathers. (Yum, yum!) I ran a search on Google and learned that birds are "immune" to capsaicin, the protein that makes peppers hot. That explains why the swan didn't care. (See this link: <http://www.straightdope.com/mailbag/mchili.html>) Are you certain your friends used pepper spray on their swan? According to all I've read, it shouldn't have had any effect. Does anyone know if there's another type of spray I might try? I like the idea of a spray. Ginnie |