BAD NEWS:

The Giant Toad "...is probably the most widely introduced amphibian in the world. Agriculturalists released the Giant Toad (Bufo marinus) in attempts to control beetles that damage sugarcane, It readily adapts to backyard gardens and will accept food from fingertips. A milky secretion from the Giant Toad's parotoid glands is highly toxic; it will burn the eyes and may inflame the skin. A dog or cat that bites a Giant Toad will sicken and may die." The Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Reptiles & Amphibians, page 393

GOOD NEWS:

First of all, out of the 18 toad species that inhabit North America, only the Giant Toad is toxic to mammals. The other 17 species are completely harmless.

Secondly, the range of the Giant Toad (Bufo marinus) is limited to the southern tip of Florida, extreme southern Texas, and Mexico. The two species that live in the mid-western States are the American Toad (Bufo americanus) and the Woodhouse's Toad (Bufo woodhousei), and they're beneficial to have around, particularly for gardeners.

Thirdly, the Giant Toad is usually very easy to recognize due to its gigantic size. I lived in the Caribbean for two years and saw hundreds of them. I caught a granddaddy Giant Toad once and could hardly fit it into a wide mouth quart jar. You probably won't step on one without seeing it first.

Hope this helps to ease your fears about toads. If you live in St. Louis, you should check with your agricultural agent, veterinarian or other knowledgeable authority to determine if Bufo marinus is inhabiting your area.

I'm just settin' up for a plain old Bufo americanus. And I'll be lucky to get one of those. Even a frog would be welcome.

Lainey

Wow, now I don't know what I want! I have only seen one toad in this yard in the 2 1/2 years we have lived here. He was pretty big, but no Giganticus (or whatever it's called) just a regular large toad. My dog barked at it at first, toad just sat there.

We noticed that almost every night for 4 or 5 weeks he was in the same spot when we put her out. She got so she would walk out, look at him and do her thing. Coming back in she stopped, looked at him as if to say, "goodnight" and came in the house.

But I would worry more about an aggressive dog or a puppy.

We see an occasional toad here, but turtles are a more regular garden guest. A couple of years ago I found a snapping turtle as big as a platter in our tomatoes, digging a hole in which to lay her eggs. When I tried to "urge" her to leave the garden with a long pole, she looked back at me and hissed the most prehistoric-sounding hiss you could imagine. Needless to say, I left her alone. My husband picked her up by her tail and took her down the block to a vacant piece of land so she could lay her eggs in peace.

The other 17 species are completely harmless.

I wish that were true, but try telling that to the people who have lost their dogs. Many do not live in the areas you mentioned.

I have to agree with weed30 to an extent. Not all Toads are a threat to all Dogs, but some Toads are a threat to some Dogs. Many dogs, especially pure bred ones, have different reactions to different things. For example, Bernese Mountain Dogs are extremely sensitive to anesthesia and may have been known to die from small doses of it. Other dogs have no problem with anesthesia.
After researching this one, I discovered that while eating a Toad would kill several breeds of dogs, it would not kill them all. It would make them very sick though.
On a side note, most wild Rabbits have worms. So, if your dog eats one, they should be wormed. It is true that many brieds are trained to retrieve Rabbits, but they are not supposed to eat them.
Daniel

Some of the symptoms of Toad poisoning include:

Head Shaking
Enlarged and darkened pupils. (Think of a person on drugs.)
Foaming at the mouth
Death

If your dog gets a toad in its mouth, here is what to do:

Immediately pry the dog's mouth open. (Some dogs will not ant to release the Toad.)

Rinse out the dog's mouth with a lot of water. This can be done with a garden hose. Hold the dog's mouth toward the ground to rinse so that the water does not go down the dog's throat and force it to swallow more toxins.
Remember that you are not rinsing to get red of the flavor, you are rinsing to get rid of a toxin. Some of the venom that the poisonous Toads excrete is in a peanut butter like form. So, it may take a lot of rinsing as it will adhere to the dog's gums.

If your dog is showing the symptoms mentioned above, rinse the mouth and take your dog to the Emergency Vet immediately.

Remember that not all Toads are poisonous to all dogs, but if your dogs hows any of the symptoms above, you have a problem. Also, if you see a Toad in your dog's waterbowl, change the water as the toxins can be secreted through the membranes in the skin.

Daniel

"The other 17 species are completely harmless." After further research, I'll retract that statement. Apparently while most toads will only irritate a dog's mouth and cause excess salivation, perhaps some dogs could have a more serious reaction, so it would be best to call your vet. Besides the Giant Toad (Bufo marinus), the Colorado River Toad (Bufo alvarius) which lives in SE California, New Mexico, and Mexico is also somewhat toxic.
Wikipedia "Toads"
Wikipedia "Giant Toad", aka "Cane Toad"
Wikipedia "Colorado River Toad"

Yes, not all toads, not all dogs. Better safe than sorry though. I have no problem trying to attract toads to my front garden where the dogs don't go, but not in my back yard.

To add to Daniel's post, you should also wash their front paws. They will paw at their mouth and the poison sticks to their feet. They can also get the poison on their feet just by pawing at the toad while playing with it/chasing it. In addition to hosing out their mouth, you can/should take a wet washcloth and wipe their gums and mouth out. As mentioned, the stuff is sticky.

This is good to know what to look for and what to do, just in case my dog decides to taste one. Thank you!
With all the toads around, my only concern was for the snakes that follow. Harmless yes, but they always hide in the weirdest places and scare the #@%! out of me.