The dangers of living in Florida

Bessiethebassetsdad · 07-22-2011, 05:29 PM

So last weekend we had a puppy welcoming party with some friends. There was about 8 people in the back yard playing with Bessi and Smili. They were off of their leashes happy as can be. I warned everyone to be carefull as the pups like to play in the sand (In FL we do not really have dirt, but sand) by the lake in the back yard. Now I must preface for those of you in the midwest a FL "Lake" is really no more than a small man made pond that you could almost throw a rock across to the other side. Sure enough they bolted toward the lake, which is really no big issue other than the fact that you are going to get sandy trying to chase them. We caught them and carried them back to the grass.......Just then I turned around and looked at the lake (Not really sure why I did, just a feeling I guess). About 4 feet from the edge of the lake I saw something surface......Yes an alligator! He was only about 4 ft long so he was not an adult, but none the less, he scared the poop out of me. I yelled "Bassets do NOT taste like Chicken" as I hurried them into the house.

Now nearly every day I see that darn gator swimming close to the edge of the lake. I have to be carefull walking the pups now as he is obviously watching them.

MollyMcFrecklesMom · 07-22-2011, 05:36 PM

Yikes!! Watch out Bessi and Smili!!

bubbad · 07-22-2011, 06:17 PM

Oh yeah! When we lived in Florida back in the late nineties the first thing we learned was that any ,I said, any(Foghorn Leghorn,again) body of water, no matter how small, could, have a gator in it. This little guy was probably chased out of a bigger hole by a bigger gator. Don't think for one second he won't come out of that water after her if you are standing there with her on a leash. Stay away from the water,far ,far, away.

Bessiethebassetsdad · 07-22-2011, 06:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bubbad

Oh yeah! When we lived in Florida back in the late nineties the first thing we learned was that any ,I said, any(Foghorn Leghorn,again) body of water, no matter how small, could, have a gator in it. This little guy was probably chased out of a bigger hole by a bigger gator. Don't think for one second he won't come out of that water after her if you are standing there with her on a leash. Stay away from the water,far ,far, away.

I have heard stories that they will actually come up to the door if they see something that they want. Those little buggers can and will also climb fences.

I no longer walk them in the back yard.

MollyMcFrecklesMom · 07-22-2011, 06:29 PM

I was trying to convince my husband to move to FL...no more. This is kind of scary!

Wworm · 07-22-2011, 06:49 PM

That's a cool sounding backyard, none that i've ever known is like that. well, and we are in an apt, so the "backyard" is the balcony.

BUT, scary. Bessie & Smili-- glad you gals are ok.

Yes, we know there's lotsa gators in Florida. When my person visited Florida as a kid, she saw ~20 of them in various places, including in the underpass of a freeway.

Bessiethebassetsdad · 07-22-2011, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MollyMcFrecklesMom

I was trying to convince my husband to move to FL...no more. This is kind of scary!

It really is not that bad....We moved to this house in 2004 when the community was first built. We saw lots of gators then as we border a preserve area. Since then only about one a year. I usually just call animal care and control and make up a story about seeing them going after a small pet and they come and scoop them up. Problem with this one is that he is not big enough......YET.

Honestly, I would move back to Chicago if it were not for my job and my son was just accepted into the 7th rated high school in the country.

Florida is nice, but it gets old quick!

paisleysmom · 07-22-2011, 07:36 PM

EEEEK ! -- Don't know what to say other than we are lucky.... we live on a pretty large lake and the only summer critters we have to contend with are a flock of Canada Geese --who poop on our lawn and my husband shoots at with a sling-shot (better than the neighbour who shoots at them with frozen paint-balls), a bunch of ducks with their babies (who we love and feed and swim with) and a mink that we are not too impressed with but tolerate (he ate a baby duck) and a couple of beavers across the lake that are just amazing to watch. We get the odd raccoon snooping around. Now in the winter we get a red fox who looks in our patio doors licking his chomps since he thinks cat and dog are gourmet dinners but if he sees us he goes on his way.
I would be very nervous at your place with gators lurking about -- boy I wouldn't let those pups out of my sight. Do these things come out of the water day and night??? Next question -- do they stay in the back yard or will they make their way to the front which would be some distance from the water. The only time I have seen one was while golfing in Florida and the course marshal warned us not to get close. I guess I'll just keep my Canadian Critters and not complain.

BassetHoundHank · 07-22-2011, 07:42 PM

Oh wow! That's a sight to see.. Just keep your eyes peeled and your dogs inside. If there's one alligator, that's too many. Those things are clever and will do what they want whenever they get the chance. That thing is probably staking out and planning a way to get your Bessi and Smili.

Bessiethebassetsdad · 07-22-2011, 07:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by paisleysmom

Do these things come out of the water day and night??? Next question -- do they stay in the back yard or will they make their way to the front which would be some distance from the water. .

My wife nearly ran over a 9' gator comming home from the grocery store one night, but that is rare. I just heard a new report that one got into someone's house through a doggie door. The young lady that lived in the house came back from a night of partying to open her bathroom door to a hissing gator. That will sober you up right quick!

I am tempted to move to Alaska so I do not have to contend with Mosquitos, snakes or gators.....just the occasional moose!

07-22-2011, 05:29 PM	#1 (permalink)
Bessiethebassetsdad Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: Sunny South FLA Posts: 191	The dangers of living in Florida So last weekend we had a puppy welcoming party with some friends. There was about 8 people in the back yard playing with Bessi and Smili. They were off of their leashes happy as can be. I warned everyone to be carefull as the pups like to play in the sand (In FL we do not really have dirt, but sand) by the lake in the back yard. Now I must preface for those of you in the midwest a FL "Lake" is really no more than a small man made pond that you could almost throw a rock across to the other side. Sure enough they bolted toward the lake, which is really no big issue other than the fact that you are going to get sandy trying to chase them. We caught them and carried them back to the grass.......Just then I turned around and looked at the lake (Not really sure why I did, just a feeling I guess). About 4 feet from the edge of the lake I saw something surface......Yes an alligator! He was only about 4 ft long so he was not an adult, but none the less, he scared the poop out of me. I yelled "Bassets do NOT taste like Chicken" as I hurried them into the house. Now nearly every day I see that darn gator swimming close to the edge of the lake. I have to be carefull walking the pups now as he is obviously watching them. __________________ Basset Hounds are a lot like potato chips....You can't have just one!

07-22-2011, 05:36 PM	#2 (permalink)
MollyMcFrecklesMom Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southeast PA Posts: 1,182	Yikes!! Watch out Bessi and Smili!! __________________ Michelle - proudly owned by Molly (21 mos) and Winston (14 months). Molly McFreckles' World: The adventures of a Basset Hound living with Addison's Disease and a baby brother named Winston

07-22-2011, 06:29 PM	#5 (permalink)
MollyMcFrecklesMom Senior Member Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: Southeast PA Posts: 1,182	I was trying to convince my husband to move to FL...no more. This is kind of scary! __________________ Michelle - proudly owned by Molly (21 mos) and Winston (14 months). Molly McFreckles' World: The adventures of a Basset Hound living with Addison's Disease and a baby brother named Winston

07-22-2011, 06:49 PM	#6 (permalink)
Wworm Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Left Coast Posts: 1,970	That's a cool sounding backyard, none that i've ever known is like that. well, and we are in an apt, so the "backyard" is the balcony. BUT, scary. Bessie & Smili-- glad you gals are ok. Yes, we know there's lotsa gators in Florida. When my person visited Florida as a kid, she saw ~20 of them in various places, including in the underpass of a freeway. __________________ see what the Worm is up to: http://bassetworm.blogspot.com/

07-22-2011, 07:42 PM	#9 (permalink)
BassetHoundHank Senior Member Join Date: Jun 2011 Location: DFW Metroplex, Texas Posts: 147	Oh wow! That's a sight to see.. Just keep your eyes peeled and your dogs inside. If there's one alligator, that's too many. Those things are clever and will do what they want whenever they get the chance. That thing is probably staking out and planning a way to get your Bessi and Smili. __________________ http://bassethoundhank.blogspot.com/ Visit Hank and me on our blog!

07-22-2011, 06:17 PM	#3 (permalink)
bubbad Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Boiling Springs,Pa Posts: 1,347	Oh yeah! When we lived in Florida back in the late nineties the first thing we learned was that any ,I said, any(Foghorn Leghorn,again) body of water, no matter how small, could, have a gator in it. This little guy was probably chased out of a bigger hole by a bigger gator. Don't think for one second he won't come out of that water after her if you are standing there with her on a leash. Stay away from the water,far ,far, away.

07-22-2011, 07:36 PM	#8 (permalink)
paisleysmom Senior Member Join Date: Jul 2009 Location: Sudbury, Ontario Posts: 507	EEEEK ! -- Don't know what to say other than we are lucky.... we live on a pretty large lake and the only summer critters we have to contend with are a flock of Canada Geese --who poop on our lawn and my husband shoots at with a sling-shot (better than the neighbour who shoots at them with frozen paint-balls), a bunch of ducks with their babies (who we love and feed and swim with) and a mink that we are not too impressed with but tolerate (he ate a baby duck) and a couple of beavers across the lake that are just amazing to watch. We get the odd raccoon snooping around. Now in the winter we get a red fox who looks in our patio doors licking his chomps since he thinks cat and dog are gourmet dinners but if he sees us he goes on his way. I would be very nervous at your place with gators lurking about -- boy I wouldn't let those pups out of my sight. Do these things come out of the water day and night??? Next question -- do they stay in the back yard or will they make their way to the front which would be some distance from the water. The only time I have seen one was while golfing in Florida and the course marshal warned us not to get close. I guess I'll just keep my Canadian Critters and not complain.

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