My Dog's Obsession

11 minutes ago

3 min read

Every. Single. Night.

Does your pet seem obsessed with something that makes you wonder why? Well, my dog has a toad-ally weird nightly obsession. It is a little cute outdoors, but a nuisance indoors.

In case it's helpful, below are the main points covered in this post:

Obsession
What's Next?

Obsession

Toad Side-Profile

Toads resided in the backyard longer than I owned the house (over twelve years). They live under some wooden planks by the back gate. There is a piece of a plank missing that allows them to come out and retreat quickly and safely. They only come out on dry nights.

My first dog, Shadow, observed them from a distance. He would lay on the covered patio as they roamed the backyard. When he had to potty, he would do so at the opposite end of the yard to avoid disturbing them.

My second and small dog, Rascal, was briefly obsessed with them as a young puppy. Unlike Shadow, he chased them around the yard. The chasing stopped after he licked one that did not hop away. Rascal was high for hours. Do not worry. He was fine.

Rascal never licked a toad again. Instead, he would stand in the yard with them some nights. They quickly got used to his company. Sometimes, they would hop to him when he wandered the backyard.

My third and crazy dog, Lucy, has a herding addiction. Herding is not unexpected for a German Shepherd mix like herself. When I adopted her as a puppy, I imagined she would herd small animals or other dogs at the park. Instead, she only herds the toads that live in the backyard.

Herding toads was not the case at first. The toads continued to greet Rascal when he went out at night but retreated to safety when Lucy ran out. They appeared to fear the wild velociraptor puppy.

In early 2025, Lucy finally met a brave toad. I believed it was waiting to greet Rascal, but it ended up face-to-face with Lucy instead. They stared at each other for a very long several seconds.

I worried Lucy would either attack the toad or lick it for a high kick. Instead, she chased it around the yard like Rascal once did during his early puppy days. Before long, she hopped around the yard because the toad did.

I figured the toads would avoid her going forward. Perhaps they tried to avoid her. But Lucy was not going to be avoided. She craved their attention and obedience.

One night, I opened the back door to let Lucy back into the house. Lucy stood behind two toads at the doorway. She pushed the toads past the threshold and into the house. She tried to lead them to a dog bed. I had swept them out of the house. (I was not going to touch them with my bare hands!)

I once worried Lucy was causing the toads stress, but I no longer believe that. The toads are always waiting by the backdoor when we return home from a trip out-of-town.

It is as if they are asking if the dogs could come out and play. At least one would hang out with Rascal on the patio and watch Lucy herd the other toads around the backyard. Dogs with toads have become a normal nighttime routine.

A few times a year, I found myself herding a toad or two out of my house. Lucy used to herd them inside the house, but now they try to hop in on their own volition after I opened the back door. They did not use to do that before Lucy started herding them towards the back door.

On rainy and cold nights, I assume the toads remained under the wood planks for warmth. Lucy would spend time each night trying to persuade them to leave their home.

There were a few times when she would lay calmly by (never on) the wood planks as if to keep them company or serve as their protector. When the days get colder in the coming months, I predict that she will lay with her amphibious friends (or minions).