Dog Proof Enclosure Idea's

[BowDownBowser]

Hello, I have a year and a half old Sulcata who is about 5-6 inches. I am currently deployed and my wife has been caring for him while I've been gone so I don't know exactly how big he is, but I do know that he is rapidly outgrowing the indoor enclosure we have for him. When I return home I plan on building him an outdoor enclosure that he can live in. I want to keep it in my fence to avoid other people seeing and possibly stealing him, but that means he will also be with our 3 very curious dogs. Just wondering if anyone has suggestions or examples of ideas on how to keep dogs from getting into the enclosure. I was thinking of buying a large dog run and just adding wooden walls around the bottom so the tortoise can't see out and try to run away all day long and a floor so he can not burrow out. Obviously with that comes the other essentials such as a hide for the hot days and a heating set up for when the temperatures drop. My main concern is keeping him protected from our dogs and other predators that florida has to offer. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Yvonne G]

Well, you're on the right track, however, a dog run isn't going to be big enough. I bought a dog run (4 chain link panels about 6' tall) and instead of setting it up in a square, I set it up across the back of the back yard in a straight line. It worked out that the four panels fit across the whole yard leaving about a 4' gap at the end, which I fenced off with material I had on hand. I pounded T-posts into the ground to hold the panels up. I didn't have good boards, so I've temporarily used old rusted metal shed panels, but I plan on replacing them when I can:



With a sulcata, you've got to think BIG. This dog run, shown above, would not be big enough to house a sulcata if it were set up in a square, but set up like it is, you can make it as big as your yard is wide.

 

[mike taylor]

Firstly thanks for your service . I built my enclosures in the very back of my yard . Kind of like what Yvonne did . My mom lives on my land so I fenced off on the ends of her house to my fence that goes around my land . My dogs can't go back there .

 

[mike taylor]

Here are some pictures of what I did .

 

[Tom]

Hello, I have a year and a half old Sulcata who is about 5-6 inches. I am currently deployed and my wife has been caring for him while I've been gone so I don't know exactly how big he is, but I do know that he is rapidly outgrowing the indoor enclosure we have for him. When I return home I plan on building him an outdoor enclosure that he can live in. I want to keep it in my fence to avoid other people seeing and possibly stealing him, but that means he will also be with our 3 very curious dogs. Just wondering if anyone has suggestions or examples of ideas on how to keep dogs from getting into the enclosure. I was thinking of buying a large dog run and just adding wooden walls around the bottom so the tortoise can't see out and try to run away all day long and a floor so he can not burrow out. Obviously with that comes the other essentials such as a hide for the hot days and a heating set up for when the temperatures drop. My main concern is keeping him protected from our dogs and other predators that florida has to offer. Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

You are thinking the right way. So glad that you are already aware of the danger posed by your dogs.

Yvonne's is right. A regular single kennel won't quite be big enough, but I like the idea of having a roof too.

Here is a night box idea that will work well for you. This size should last a single sulcata forever.
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/threads/another-night-box-thread.88966/