# Training the tortoise



## smoke_kush (Feb 20, 2009)

I see evidence of training on the following video but I was wondering if anybody else has hands on experience of this 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTYl_Vkgv5c


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## Greg T (Feb 20, 2009)

That is simply awesome! I'd love to know how he did that.


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 20, 2009)

I absolutely believe some animals can be trained. Bob for instance. I used strawberries to teach Bob to follow my wiggling fingers. So I would wiggle my fingers and Bob would follow them knowing a treat was at the end.
Bob lived in a shed in my carport with a doggie door to his yard. One day I came home to find the gas company had run a new gas pipe right smack across his doggie door so now he couldn't get out to his yard! I only have one hand/arm that works but for weeks I picked him up and carried him around to his yard. A neighbor heard of my problem and gave me a yard cart. It tipped down and was on 2 big wheels. So I knew this wasn't going to work, but I pushed that cart into Bob's shed and wiggled my fingers at him and he climbed right into that cart. I pushed him around to his yard and tipped the cart and he climbed right out. That's what we did all summer until I redid a shed at the back of my property for him. Now he's back to using a doggie door. But here's Bob in his cart. This picture was taken last August, Bob can no longer fit into his cart...but he cooperated with me and always climbed right into that cart when I wanted him to...I think with patience and some strawberries a tortoise can be taught almost anything...


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## Greg T (Feb 20, 2009)

What a fabulous story. I can already see with my two new ones where they recognize people. They will come out when I pick them up, but not when others come near. I can't wait until I have a similar relationship with mine as you do with Bob. Bob looks incredible!


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## tortoisenerd (Feb 20, 2009)

That's awesome!

Maggie-Bob is lucky to have you.


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## Yvonne G (Feb 20, 2009)

There's just something about that youtube video that bothers me. I think its a sort of desperation on the turtle's part. I'm not sure. But something about it makes me say, "poor turtle!"

Yvonne


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## smoke_kush (Feb 20, 2009)

i love it when maggie replies to threads! you always have such cute stories and really beautiful tortoises to show us!


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## Maggie Cummings (Feb 20, 2009)

smoke_kush said:


> i love it when maggie replies to threads! you always have such cute stories and really beautiful tortoises to show us!



Well...that's very surprising, thanks so much...



emysemys said:


> There's just something about that youtube video that bothers me. I think its a sort of desperation on the turtle's part. I'm not sure. But something about it makes me say, "poor turtle!"
> 
> Yvonne



You and I have seen that before and I think the turtle is angry and he raises himself up as high as he can in defense of that guy, and then the keeper knows how to move his hand and makes the turtle fall over.


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## Kristina (Feb 21, 2009)

I think I would be trimming my turtle's beak before he was plastered all over the news and internet. 

Something strikes me as not right, too, in this particular instance. He just doesn't seem happy to me.

Kristina


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## TURTLEGIRL73 (Mar 6, 2009)

I'm new on this forum and I just saw your photos and fell in love with them..That's one cool tortoise!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## richalisoviejo (Apr 4, 2009)

Check out this article I found. Now this lady trained her Sulcata by tapping her foot on his shell, now sheÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s in trouble with the law. This is a large Sulcata. Her SulcataÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s name is Stormin Norman. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/art...-Stormin-Norman-landed-owner-trouble-law.html


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## Stazz (Apr 6, 2009)

HAHAHAHA Richalisoviejo, thats a funny and cute little article. WHAT a bit tort sheesh!


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## Madkins007 (Apr 6, 2009)

When you watch the doctor with the Box Turtle, you see obvious signs of classical operant conditioning- imagine treats in his hands as he holds them around the turtle. 

He uses the trained turtle as a therapy pet, so I will overlook the beak and tricks on its back (not really dangerous but uncomfortable). The woman with the Sulcata is using the training to keep the animal under control while still getting exercise, which is also great.

You can train goldfish, why not tortoises? My concern is mildly ethical- zoos train animals to make them easier and safer to manage (lift the foot so it can be examined or trimmed, for example), or to add interest and variety to their lives. Training dogs helps them have a firm place in our 'packs'. What do we train our tortoises for? 

It would be useful to train it to extend its head and open the mouth, and to come to a certain place upon command- what else?


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## Candy (Apr 6, 2009)

smoke_kush said:


> I see evidence of training on the following video but I was wondering if anybody else has hands on experience of this
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cTYl_Vkgv5c



Now that's an awesome video. I can't believe what I just say it's amazing. I loved it.  Candy


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## Crazy1 (Apr 7, 2009)

I believe that the Living Desert in CA has trained torts. Give them a call or write them to find out if they will give you infor on this.
The Living Desert
47-900 Portola Avenue
Palm Desert, CA 92260 
Phone: 760-346-5694
Fax: 760-568-9685
the site is http://www.livingdesert.org/default.asp


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