Let dog around Tortoise?

[Afitz12]

I have a 13 year old dog who is fairly calm, but can get very jumpy and hyper. We've recently adopted her, but I've had my Tortoise longer than my dog. I also have a cat who is 17 years old and is perfectly content and calm around Clover (my Tortoise). When I let Clover out in the back yard, my cat lays down next to her and walks around and doesn't hurt Clover at all. But I'm worried that my dog might step on Clover or hurt her. I'm willing to experiment but I'm nervous about the outcome. What should I do?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

Yes.
Be worried about the dog.
There is something about a tortoise that make them irresistible to dogs. (As a chew toy)
Don't worry about the cat too much. Not with an adult tortoise

 

[Maro2Bear]

Greetings Afitz

There are a million horror stories on this Forum why you DON'T want your dog and tort together.

Safe urself heartache, and possibly your tort's life by not mingling canine with tort.

A moving tort is like a fun movable thing for a dog to play with, chew on and harm.

Just say no.

 

[JoesMum]

Dogs and torts don't mix. Don't experiment. Just don't let them anywhere near each other

 

[SarahChelonoidis]

Agreed with the above. Do not experiment. This is a recipe for disaster. Your dog should have no access to your tortoise.

 

[Afitz12]

Thank you to all. I'll make sure to not let the dog around my tort

 

[Dita Urdita]

tortoise is a slow and calm animal and dogs can be hyperactive sometimes. better not take chances. i have a small pond in my backyard and it's protected with a fence so my dog can't disturb my torts.

 

[TammyJ]

As I mentioned somewhere else on this site, your tortoise will be OK if it is an adult aldabra and the dog is a chihuahua. But then I would worry about the dog's safety....lol!
Have a go at the pictures of dogs and tortoises on Aldabraman's posts! And his dogs are German Shepherds, I think.
Bottom line: NO to dogs and tortoises in the same area! I and lots of others here have had awful experiences that we regret.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

When I was about 6 or so I had a dime store red-ear in one of those little glass turtle bowls they used to sell. My little dog took a bite out of her, and it was a lesson well learned. Just recently took in a Smallish russian male with chips missing from his shell, his previous owner said, "Well the dog finally bit him back."

 

[Maggie Cummings]

NO dogs and torts. No exceptions. All dogs chew on torts.

 

[Oldbattleaxe]

Ah, my hubby just called me out for hypocrisy, and reminded me that my dachshund used to ride my sulcata around the goat yard.

 

[Tom]

Ah, my hubby just called me out for hypocrisy, and reminded me that my dachshund used to ride my sulcata around the goat yard.

HEY!!! Whose side is he on???

 

[Levi the Leopard]

I think we need to clarify... A dog left unsupervised around/with access to a tortoise is when it's risky.
A calm dog around a tortoise while you're there can be just fine.

Yvonne has her dog walk with around the tort yards with her.

I have my dog out back with me (my tort has the whole yard) if I'm doing yard work or watching my kids play.

Tom trains dogs for a living and I'd bet his dog has occasionally been by his side while he's doing something tort related.

None of our dogs have an intense focus on our torts AND we are present.

So, just keep in mind that if your dog is with YOU while you are in the tortoise area there is much less risk of anything happening.

**on a side note: if you aren't in control of your dog and you can't ask him/her to bring a ball to your hand on command....then maybe your tortoise is still at risk, even if you are present.
So you still need to use your judgement.

 

[Anniem805]

NO dogs and torts. No exceptions. All dogs chew on torts.

With great respect to all who have posted about this, and at the risk of being vilified, I have to say that my 35# rescued sulcata, my Rottweiler, and my Great Dane, have all existed peacefully together for the past year and a half. That being said, I am relocating the sulcata to a farm where he will have a huge enclosure and where he should have a great life. Sad for me, but happy for him.

 

[kathyth]

Years ago, my old, sweet dog, killed one of my tortoises. I learned that dogs see tortoises, as walking rawhide. I would never take another chance.

 

[Anniem805]

Years ago, my old, sweet dog, killed one of my tortoises. I learned that dogs see tortoises, as walking rawhide. I would never take another chance.

I certainly understand, and I would feel the same. Maybe because I never give my dogs rawhide? And the dogs do spend most of their time inside, unless they are out with me.

 

[theguy67]

I think we need to clarify... A dog left unsupervised around/with access to a tortoise is when it's risky.
A calm dog around a tortoise while you're there can be just fine.

Yvonne has her dog walk with around the tort yards with her.

I have my dog out back with me (my tort has the whole yard) if I'm doing yard work or watching my kids play.

Tom trains dogs for a living and I'd bet his dog has occasionally been by his side while he's doing something tort related.

None of our dogs have an intense focus on our torts AND we are present.

So, just keep in mind that if your dog is with YOU while you are in the tortoise area there is much less risk of anything happening.

**on a side note: if you aren't in control of your dog and you can't ask him/her to bring a ball to your hand on command....then maybe your tortoise is still at risk, even if you are present.
So you still need to use your judgement.

With great respect to all who have posted about this, and at the risk of being vilified, I have to say that my 35# rescued sulcata, my Rottweiler, and my Great Dane, have all existed peacefully together for the past year and a half. That being said, I am relocating the sulcata to a farm where he will have a huge enclosure and where he should have a great life. Sad for me, but happy for him.View attachment 222070View attachment 222070

I agree with the above. To say "all dogs chew on tortoises" or "dogs can't resist tortoises" is a wild generalization, which turns out to not be true. But I'm also not saying it won't happen, or even that it rarely happens. I guess you could compare this situation to the old "should my dog be around my new infant/toddler?" question.

I have a decent sized pen with a 5.5ft tall fence. There's only one dog on the property, and I let her in their when I'm working. She lays down with her stick and watches me. She's never shown interest in the tortoises. Maybe when she was a puppy, but not anymore. Could she decide one day to start chewing on one and realize she likes it? Sure, but she's only in there when I am. We have red-eared sliders come up to the house all the time (adults) and she exhibits the same amount of disinterest. It could be argued that the fence is too short and she could become obsessed and find a way to jump over, but I find it highly improbable. Her presence also keeps other animals away. Now if she does harm or even kills one of my tortoises, then it would be my fault.

If you do let your dog around your tortoise, like others have said, make sure you know the dog well, and you are present. If clover is an adult, I don't see how a dog could hurt it by merely stepping on it by accident. I certainly would not let a dog around a baby tortoise (even supervised). It's something about the size that makes them more appealing to even the nicest dogs. Maybe because they resemble small animals they find outside, like moles, mice, birds, lizards, etc.

 

[RosemaryDW]

I certainly understand, and I would feel the same. Maybe because I never give my dogs rawhide?

Maybe because she’s thirty-five pounds!

 

[Yvonne G]

I have a very large doberman. She's my faithful companion and my protector. If she needs to go outside, I go with her. When I go outside, she goes with me. She's never out among the tortoises unless I'm there too. She's a great dog and shows absolutely no interest in the turtles and tortoises. But I don't take any chances because of this story:

An aged desert tortoise, Mildred, lived with the same family for many years. Then the family got a labrador dog. Mildred and the lab lived in the same backyard for 15 years.

One summer the homeowners, now an older couple with children all married and moved away, went on a vacation, and one of the grown kids came over to tend to the house and animals.

When mom and dad got back from vacation they found Mildred with one of her front legs chewed off completely, all the way to the shoulder. They lived peacefully together for 15 years, folks. Don't take any chances!

 

[kathyth]

I certainly understand, and I would feel the same. Maybe because I never give my dogs rawhide? And the dogs do spend most of their time inside, unless they are out with me.

I’ve never given my dogs rawhide. Dogs just like to chew tortoises, from everything I’ve heard, maybe minus 1 or 2 situations.