Like Frogs to Dogs Blog

You’ve probably all heard of the poison dart frogs that are found in Costa Rica. They really are fascinating. We’ve seen many of them - both in the wild as well as in “frog gardens” found throughout the country. They are much smaller than you might imagine. Most of them are only about an inch long. They are very colorful. One, often called the “blue jean frog” has dark blue lower legs and a bright red upper body... almost like a tiny frog wearing a cute outfit of jeans and a teeshirt. They are not nearly as poisonous as you might imagine. Tour guides often pick them up and let tourists hold them. If you handle them too much, they can cause skin irritation. But, you’ll get nowhere near to dying!

We have another type of frog here that we see much more commonly. Unlike the bullfrogs I grew up around, they have a dull brown skin. Unlike other frogs I’ve known, these can grow to be the size of a Frisbee. We’ve seen them that big! Unlike poison dart frogs, these big, dull, slow frogs can be lethal. To dogs, at least. We’ve had at least one dog on campus meet its demise from these frogs.

Only recently did I learn another fascinating thing about these poisonous creatures. Before I tell you, let me introduce you to Beckham. Beckham is our neighbor’s dog, and I have to admit I don’t like him. He’s not friendly. He has nipped at me more than once and outright bit one young woman. Even after seeing me every day for two years, he still used to bark and growl and make threatening advances every time he saw me. Finally one day when he came at me, I grabbed his snout, held it firmly and told him, “Never, NEVER do that to me again!”

He tried the next day, and I repeated the same action. Now, if he barks at me, I only have to say, “Beckham!” And he knows who is boss.

So far Beckham has almost died twice from eating poisonous frogs. He’s had to spend nights on IV’s at the vet hospital. The second time he almost died, the vet explained that the frog acts as a hallucinogenic. Though a dog can die from the “drug,” once it’s survived the experience, it craves another high. It’s likely Beckham will one day day of a frog overdose. (I’m not sure I’ll grieve the loss.)

We are a bit like Beckham. I trust you are nicer than he. I’m sure I am! But, being the sinful human beings we are, we tend to run back to the same God-dishonoring behaviors that kill us. I know what a few of my “frogs” are. What are yours?