Great reminder to be vigilant from above too! We have hawks and those ugly turkey vultures here. Recently I found we also have eagles! My mom actually had to try to shoo off three eagles as they made a beeline towards my pups that she was watching. I knew that we had eagles nearby as we used to look for the nests along the shore back before the big hurricanes. But I had not seen them since. Mom did! She said she almost had a heart attack trying to get my dogs rounded up. They just got excited and would not stop for her to pick them up. So her only choice was to actively wave away the eagles. Luckily they were afraid of people and did not try to hurt her. Her experience just reinforced my feeling that we can never have a doggy door or let our dogs out unattended. Too many dangers here! (All sorts of poisonous snakes have been found in my yard: cotton mouth and copperhead in pool, pigmy and full sized rattle snakes); cow killer ants (actually a potent wasp like creature that looks like black & red velvet); centipedes; fire ants; etc..... I was even swooped by a bat the other night when I was out with the dogs. That was very creepy! I had been used to seeing them and even liked that they eat mosquitos like crazy but I sure didn't like when one brushed against my hair! Too much wild life in the country sometimes. ;)

sorry duplicate post.

Debra your area sounds like mine...only it's not country. I am in the suburbs and have snakes, hawks, turkey vultures, rats, fire ants...but NOT those other things you mentioned: eagles, cow killer ants and centipedes.:eek::eek::eek:
Oh...we have those lovely "palmetto bugs" better known as American Cockroaches..those don't hurt the pups but give me the total creeps.
Ohhhh and owls.
Have not seen bats, but they are around.

well, thank goodness you didnt let your baby out first.
& if you have ever seen Dogs 101-on Animal Planet, the episode with the Pomeranian breed in it their is a similar story. :( Horrible.

They are out in the NW burbs also. We back ip to Deer Grove Woods, and Maxine never goes outside alone. One of us is always with her, and we also send Carlo out with her too! Double the protection. Say a Coyote the other day too out there. Carlo is instant Coyote Defense..... Always be aware. Learned that In the Phoenix area were there were always stories of Bird and Coyote attacks.

Owls are predators too, and have been known to go after small dogs.

One that is scaring me more than others right now.....dh has been making plaster casts of tracks in the woods behind us, one of the tracks is a mountain lion. I only hope there is enough for the cat to eat in the woods and he never ventures into the housing addition.

When we moved back to our Alabama home a few months ago, we discovered that there are two big ugly hawks around here all the time! Toto is pad trained too but likes to act like a "big girl" when we are on the patio. ;) She will venture out onto the grass but we watch closer than those darn hawks. My son, who lives across the street, has wooded land which joins his property. It's really thick with underbrush and he discovered two foxes living over there. We learned to be very cautious when we lived in Colorado ... now, there is some scary wildlife up there! :)

A few months ago I spotted a red tailed hawk following my baby with his eyes and it freaked me out. I spoke with a co-worker who used to keep red tailed hawks as pets. He said they can most definitely pick up a yorkie that's under 6 lbs. Their speed is very slow compared to other hawks so they can't get birds. That's why they opt for rats/rabbits/squirrels instead. He also said they they will not try to take your pet if you are standing nearby. So if you don't leave you baby alone, you should be okay (at least with this particular type of hawk).

Last year some hawk tried to take a chihuahua in my neighborhood but dropped her during take off. She had to be rushed to the vet for scratches and puncture wounds. My neighbor is not sure what kind of hawk, though.

:eek: And we were thinking of retiring in Florida to sail. Guess there's more than the gators to scare me off :eek: I guess Michigan's not so bad after all:p

I know what you mean! I go out with mine. There are hawks here, too. I've started hearing owls in the woods again, after not hearing any for years. There are snakes, too, occasionally. I've been out with my girl, when I've had to go pick her up suddenly, because a hawk was coming close. I just always keep my eyes open. There are always coyotes around, but I don't worry about them. I'm always right there with her and we have a fenced yard.

We have owls and hawks here too. The owls seem to hang around more than others. I don't buy that they can't pick up a yorkie either. I also live in the country and snakes like to visit. :eek: I am scared of them. And we have seen some big ones!! Coyotes stay around here too. I can't have an outside cat because of them. We also have the lovely tarantula spider, centipedes, and scorpions that likes to hang out. I don't know what I was thinking moving to the country!! My baby never goes out without me or my husband. Right now it is 13 degree weather and we still go out with her. We all freeze together!

Yikes! My brother lives in Montana and they have those things...and bears. :( I could not live with that fear.

I know owls can and do pick up little dogs. I know someone that lost a little dog to one years ago. So, I know it does happen.

PHOENIX -- It's not unusual for a small dog or cat to be taken by a wild animal, such as a coyote, in the Valley; however, one Ahwatukee family's pet was nearly carried off by an owl.

Lucy, the Cocanour family's Maltese and Yorkshire terrier mix, was playing in the yard nearly two weeks ago when Becky Cocanour heard a "horrible shrieking." The family ran to the dog's aid.

"I realized she had tears on both sides of her -- punctures -- torn, ripped about an inch and a half," Dave Cocanour said.

Dave Cocanour, is a wildlife biologist, and he said he quickly realized Lucy's wounds were the work of a great horned owl.

They rushed the dog to the vet.

"I was scared I was going to have to put her to sleep that night," Becky Cocanour said. "I've had her 10 years. (It) would've been horrible to lose her … to an owl."

The 11-pound terrier's weight probably saved her, said veterinarian Kurt Baumler.

"It made a difference; it really did," Baumler said. "Those (owls) can pick up a full-grown rabbit, and you're talking six -- seven -- eight pounds without a problem."

Becky Cocanour agreed.

"The owl couldn't pick her up," she said. "Or, if it did, she was able to get away."

The Cocanours said they're happy Lucy is OK.

"I don't have anything against the owl -- it was just trying to eat," Dave Cocanour said. "I'm just glad it didn't eat Lucy."

Dog Escapes Owl's Clutches - Phoenix News Story - KPHO Phoenix

:eek: Rosie is only five pounds!!! Ok, the ruling is in! They can take our yorkies.

I would be scared to go out into even the fenced yard with something like that running around. Of course, there could be something like that out there and I would never know it.