[Bessiethebassetsdad]

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]

Yikes!! Watch out Bessi and Smili!!

 

[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.

 

[Bessiethebassetsdad]

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]

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

 

[Wworm]

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]

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]

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]

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]

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!

 

[CatherineM]

When I lived in St. Pete, I wouldn't let them get close to water. They found an old gator that had died, and it's stomach was full of little dog tags. Mostly the size of poodles, but a basset would look like a feast.

 

[Boomer's Mom]

Oh my goodness! I did giggle a little at the chicken remark, but how scary for you.

 

[bubbad]

Alaska does have Mosquitos in abundance.I loved it in Flordia.We didn't live beside a lake but the St.John's River was a drivable distance.I loved all the little lizards,and critters around. We still have our house there I want to go back one day.The dogs liked the lizards too.

 

[CatherineM]

Mine loved playing with the lizards, and the palmetto bugs, and especially grasshoppers.

 

[klm42005]

We live right on one of the great lakes (Erie). We have lots of deer, eagles and hawks, plus canadian geese and ducks...and I do believe there is a possum living under our neighbors back deck...good thing is Woody is timid around any of those things and is too heavy to be carried away..plus he is never out where he isn't with one of us.

Would be concerned with the gator neighbor....keep a close eye on those baby girls and even one on that pesky gator so he keeps his distance.

 

[Wworm]

When I lived in St. Pete, I wouldn't let them get close to water. They found an old gator that had died, and it's stomach was full of little dog tags. Mostly the size of poodles, but a basset would look like a feast.

yikes! sounds like a scary doggie ghost story to me... Worm

ps. Bessie & Smili.... pleeeez beeeee careful, ok?????
i saw this on youtube : ( the man is talking about his 50 lb dog getting caught by a gator...

 

[sadeyes2]

Oh good grief!!!! Frightening stuff!!!! Never again will I complain about foxes cutting through my back garden.

 

[Bessiethebassetsdad]

Quick Gator update...

The booger is now lying 6" from the edge of the lake. Bessi and Smili are not allowed within 100' of the lake. When the pups were safe inside, I went out to have a word with said gator....I told him that he was not fooling anyone...He replied that he is only a harmless log! Yea right!!

Can't wait for winter to come and those darn things go into hibernation!

 

[Boomer's Mom]

Oh dear... rotten gator. They can be SO obnoxious.

 

[Wworm]

Has anyone read this comic strip "Pearls Before Swine?"
We like it 'cause the animals are so cuuute.

anyways, Bessi's dad, your situations reminds me of the Crocodiles in this comic strip that are always trying to get the Zebra (unsuccessfully). Here's a sample below.

Google Images

and here's the Wiki description of the column:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pearls_Before_Swine_(comic_strip)