My dog Beatrice, likes to lick toads and has done so for as long as I have been her owner.  I would like to share some interesting observations with you which may indicate that my dog is capable of some degree of awareness and adaptive behaviour.

Beatrice, in her formative years, used to run after and maim toads like mad.  At the same time, she would be slobbering all over them, licking them like mad!  In turn, the toads would release chemicals which would cause her to salivate more and it would always turn into a very, very wet slobbery mess.  She would bark a “playful’ bark for about half and hour, frolic about with the toad, and then she would fall asleep instantly for a couple of hours.  I have not noted any long-term side effects from this dog’s activity as I am aware of this chemical being cardio-toxic.  In my observation, I have noted that after these toad-licking sessions, her mood appears to be more stable as her basic personality is mad, aggressive and erratic and she can be quite a handful.

Over the years (I have never been able to stop her fascination with toads), I have noticed a moderation in her behaviour with toads.  She no longer thrashes about with them in a overly boisterous way but instead, she is perfectly content to sit next to toads in a friendly “let’s hang out” sort of way.

She now sits with the toad calmly and they seem to enjoy each other’s company in the shade of the coconut trees.  It is a different toad (I think) each time and I have observed that she licks them intermittently and actually pets them with her paw.  Whenever I see this spectacle, I call it “Beatrice and Bufotina Hanging Out” as a play on words because the chemical which toads release is called Bufotenine.  The toad does not seem scared at all and usually, after a while it politely leaves her company without any fuss; what I am saying, is that the toads do not get injured anymore!  Moreover, there are just a few frolicking barks but no keeling over on the dog’s part.

In conclusion, I think that my dog is capable of surpassing normal aggressive doggy behaviour and learned how to control her recreational requirements with moderation.

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