How Do Dogs and Gators Get Along?
Welcome to Florida.
Sometimes, new residents in Florida think that feeding alligators is fun. The reason that particular activity is against the law, is that gators are scared of people and stay away. If they start to associate people with food, you don't need to have an MBA like me, to realize what might happen.
Gators have simple brains, they believe that anything that comes near a lake to drink is prey. That is the reason so many dogs have run afoul of this modern dinosaur. Dogs act like prey.
Except, our dog Max.
Max was a rescue who spent his first year or two living out doors and was in rough shape when we got him. He was scarred and anemic from ticks and had an eye infection, along with a broken nose that didn't heal correctly. He's great now but, is not interested in being outside. Although he has decided that his fulltime job is protecting my wife and baby, they are kind of on their own outside - Max likes to stay indoors where it's climate controlled!
However, on a forced walk with me before sunrise Max and I came across a gator in a field. My first thought was we could be in-trouble and my second thought was I'd never seen such a tall gator. I was especially concerned Max's instincts would take over and he would attack. But he didn't. Max froze like a statute until the gator got back into the lake.
I guess the moral of the story is that if your dog won't play statute (no normal dog will) stay alert by bodies of water in Florida. Dogs and Gators DO NOT get along.
Sometimes, new residents in Florida think that feeding alligators is fun. The reason that particular activity is against the law, is that gators are scared of people and stay away. If they start to associate people with food, you don't need to have an MBA like me, to realize what might happen.
Gators have simple brains, they believe that anything that comes near a lake to drink is prey. That is the reason so many dogs have run afoul of this modern dinosaur. Dogs act like prey.
Except, our dog Max.
Max was a rescue who spent his first year or two living out doors and was in rough shape when we got him. He was scarred and anemic from ticks and had an eye infection, along with a broken nose that didn't heal correctly. He's great now but, is not interested in being outside. Although he has decided that his fulltime job is protecting my wife and baby, they are kind of on their own outside - Max likes to stay indoors where it's climate controlled!
However, on a forced walk with me before sunrise Max and I came across a gator in a field. My first thought was we could be in-trouble and my second thought was I'd never seen such a tall gator. I was especially concerned Max's instincts would take over and he would attack. But he didn't. Max froze like a statute until the gator got back into the lake.
I guess the moral of the story is that if your dog won't play statute (no normal dog will) stay alert by bodies of water in Florida. Dogs and Gators DO NOT get along.
Not a normal dog.
©John Gaudiano
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