# Best dog breed with torts



## Shelly (May 29, 2010)

My old dog Lucy is very, very old, and probably doesn't have too long to live. She is a Springer Spaniel, as was always very good with my torts and turtles. If anything, my torts would harass HER, more than she ever bothered them.
After Lucy passes, we will be looking for a new dog. I don't want another Springer, because they have very bad eyes, and in fact Lucy has been totally blind for about 3-4 years now. 
So please feel free to offer your opinions about good dog breeds to keep with my 3 adult Desert Torts.
I understand that I need to be careful with a dog under any circumstance. Luckily I work from home, so I am almost always here to supervise.... Thanks in advance...


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## DeanS (May 29, 2010)

I got my wife a pug at the shelter 2 years ago...and he loves hanging out with the torts...he's NEVER been aggressive with them and they have NEVER rammed him or anything...


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## SunsetHypo (May 29, 2010)

I am really glad this post came up, as I have been thinking of getting a dog. i am just worried that it will think its got a moving chew toy. Maybe the smaller the dog maybe less to worry about. I really hope Ed posts on here since he has aldabs


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## Maggie Cummings (May 29, 2010)

I have seen too many dog chewed tortoises. I don't think dogs and tortoises mix... I don't intend to be mean, and I won't lecture but putting a new dog with your tortoises could be dangerous. I am sorry you are losing your Lucy, also to be considered is the torts hurting a small dog. I'm not too sure DT's would hurt a dog, but I know Sulcata would...


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## jazzywoo (May 29, 2010)

personally i would never trust an dog 100% with a tortoise or a childcome to think about it ive heard so many horror stories its not worth the risk 
always have them supervised together 
ann x


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## Shelly (May 29, 2010)

OK. Let's just assume that I am %100 determined to get a dog. It's not whether or not to get one, but which one to get. Already made up my mind that I wll definitely get one when the time comes.
What are you thoughts and experiences with dogs and torts? Which have you personally had good luck with, and which specific breeds have you had bad luck with?


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## dmmj (May 29, 2010)

Even though you are determined to get a dog, I think what they are trying to say is that any dog does not go well with torts, but get one at your own risk I guess. My dog does not go around my torts unsupervised, even for a minute, if he is out there I am out there.


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## GBtortoises (May 29, 2010)

"I have seen too many dog chewed tortoises. I don't think dogs and tortoises mix..."

I absolutely have to agree with Maggie. I would not trust a new dog, puppy or any dog left unsupervised with a tortoise ot turtle. My dogs grew up with tortoises already here and they show zero interest in the tortoises. They do come with me out to the tortoise enclosures and hang out while I'm working, still showing no interest in the tortoises. But every time I leave the fenced area they come with me and I shut and secure the gate behind me. My kids are all teens and older now so I'm not concerned about them. But neices and nephews aren't allowed unescorted near the tortoises either.

I've had two tortoises and one turtle here over the years that were mauled by dogs that were family pets of the tortoise owners. Their dogs "never hurt a flea" according to the owners. Maybe not a flea, but they apparently liked to chew on tortoises and turtles!


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## dmmj (May 29, 2010)

Dogs don't chew on turtles and torts to be mean they chew on them because they are dogs


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## Candy (May 29, 2010)

I was afraid of this very thing when I got Dale, but when Walter offered me Fernando I said lets see now that Emma (our Chocolate Labrador) is 2 years old. When they were introduced Emma was curious for about as long as someone didn't have a ball to throw. She is so obsessed with balls that she doesn't really care about Fernando. I also have a pug and when I went to pick Fernando up to bring him in one night the pug went for him (because I think he was trying to protect me), but I slapped Spencer and told him NO and he's never bothered him since. Spencer is 7 years old now. Fernando is bigger (12 inches) then Dale I think that has a lot to do with it. I would never trust Emma or Spencer with Dale he's only 7 3/4 inches long and they would definitely hurt him. I am hoping when Dale is as big as some of the Redfoots on here that he will be safe with Emma and Spencer. Fernando seems perfectly comfortable around the dogs though they don't seem to bother him in the least. I figure he must have been around dogs at some point in his lifetime.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (May 29, 2010)

I think a breed with a very low 'play drive' would be best. This is a question for a 'DOG TRAINER" like Tom. Where is he when we need him????
((((((((((((((((TOM!??))))))))))))))))))


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## Kristina (May 29, 2010)

I am thinking that whether or not a dog is good around torts is in the end going to have diddley squat with the breed. All dogs are carnivores, and saying to get a little dog isn't even accurate because a lot of small breeds are bred to hunt. Daschunds were bred to hunt BADGERS, to follow them right down in their burrows, and a badger is a MEAN critter!!! A badger would take on a full grown grizzly if it needed to.

My dog Lily is a Shar Pei, and she doesn't pay a lick of attention to the tortoises. It is like they don't exist. But she doesn't have unsupervised access to them either. Her brother, whom I used to have, on the other hand, would eat one of the tortoises in a heartbeat. Litter mates, same breed.

In my opinion it is going to be hit or miss, based on individual personality, regardless of breed.


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## Yvonne G (May 29, 2010)

Personally, I just love the Doberman breed. I have a doberman and a small boston terrier mixed breed. The dogs are in the back yard and never have access to the tortoises. 

John...I know you've said that you work from home, but in the interest of tortoise safety, I think it would be a good idea to fence off a portion of the yard for the new dog. After he's lived there for a while and realizes that the tortoises belong there too, then maybe you could reconsider the fencing.


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## Itort (May 29, 2010)

I've had several types of dogs while having torts (a siberian husky, a sheltie, and now a dachie and two chinese crested) who have never touched a tort because all enclosures are well covered and dogs never near torts unsupervised. I've observed an old dog doesn't pay much attention to them but a pup or young dog is another story. Keep them apart.


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## Shelly (May 29, 2010)

I do have a place that is fenced off where I put the torts when the gardener comes, or they need to put out of the way for some reason. When I get the dog, I plan on using that area to separate them whenever I leave the house for an extended period. But I don't want to do that forever.... too much hassle
Ironically, part of the reason I want a dog is to keep the yard free of raccoons, which I feel probably are a greater threat to my turtles and torts than a well mannered dog would be.


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## Maggie Cummings (May 29, 2010)

John, I volunteered at Yvonne's rescue for a few years before I moved here to Oregon. In that time I can't count the number of people who brought their dog chewed turtle or tortoise to her and they all said "Our dog is very well trained so I never thought he would hurt our tortoise.... until he did". It is their instinct to do that. And even tho I am not a dog person I know they didn't chew on that turtle to be mean, they were simply being dogs and playing. And the reason I am posting again is because you will be getting a *NEW* dog or puppy and you must know you can't trust them.

If *I* were to get a dog I would get a German Shepherd, but as puppies and young dogs they chew on everything. I had one when I was married and that dog chewed his way through a 1986 Chevy truck while we were in the store, and for several years after that I had to sit on a milk crate because the seat was chewed clear thru...


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## Shelly (May 29, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> In that time I can't count the number of people who brought their dog chewed turtle or tortoise to her and they all said "Our dog is very well trained so I never thought he would hurt our tortoise.... until he did".



I understand what you are saying, but keep in mind people say A LOT of things that are not true. You can't really expect them to say "yeah, well we really just never pay too much attention to what our dog is up to..... but that's far more likely the truth.
My wife is a fourth grade teacher. Every year she has some parent of some rotten awful kid say "He would NEVER do that! He's ALWAYS so well behaved at home".

It would take a long time for a medium size dog to hurt my torts. My big female gets bitten, and bitten, and bitten, over and over and over by her "boyfriend" almost every day, and she barely notices that he is even there. Unless he tries to bite her face, she just keeps on grazing without a care in the world. I doubt a small/medium dog would have any more success hurting her than he does.


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## Madortoise (May 29, 2010)

Did I tell you all that my husband initially brought home our CDT w/out telling me and had her for a couple of weeks secretly? Incidentally, I was just about to give an offer to a puggle at the time and when I confronted my husband for being relentlessly stubborn about not getting a dog, I got to meet the tort. Thus, my plan of having a dog went out the door.
I wish we could have it all but I just couldn't risk it.


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## Scooter (May 29, 2010)

My parents have a husky/shepherd mix that will lay down next to the torts and will keep the other dogs from coming near them but has never tried to hurt them but has never has access to them without someone there. I also worked with a guy who had a lab and a catahoula leopard hound that he trained to find his torts. He had very large enclosures and when it was time to put the torts up for the night the dogs would go out find the torts then sit there by them till he came and got them (one would also do this with nest) though again they never has access to the torts without someone there.


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## terracolson (May 29, 2010)

I have a lab and he doesnt even care about the torts, cats, lizards, or birds..

Its his personality/training, i dont think its his breed....


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## Jacqui (May 29, 2010)

I think you need to pick the breed or breeds you really want and work backwards from there to find the "perfect" dog for you and your situation.



kyryah said:


> I am thinking that whether or not a dog is good around torts is in the end going to have diddley squat with the breed.
> 
> In my opinion it is going to be hit or miss, based on individual personality, regardless of breed.



This is the one fact that I would stress more then any other...*it just depends on the individual dog*. There is no magical breed who is going to be safe with the tortoises. You will need to find an animal that "appears" to have no interest in your tortoises, protect your tortoises, and work with the new dog to increase it's ignoring the tortoises. If at all possible, plan to never leave them alone together.

I have owned dogs all my life and could never imagine life without at least one cuddled next to me. None of our dogs are penned with a tortoise or a turtle. In the house, the dogs could with no real effort on their part get into the tortoise pens, but none choose to. Occasionally thru the years, turtles and tortoises have gotten loose in the house and also none of them was bothered by the dogs. Currently, these are terrier mixes, a coonhound, a Great P/Chow mix, and a black lab/shep mix. Past canines have been springers, a lab, a doberman, a coyote/dog mix, brussels griffon, and lhasa apso.



Itort said:


> . I've observed an old dog doesn't pay much attention to them but a pup or young dog is another story. Keep them apart.



Funny, the only issue we ever had was with a very elderly collie. She never bothered a living tortoise. Out under a tree by a pool, we had kept for a couple of years a pair of snapper turtle shells given to us. One day out of the blue, she decided those were the most perfect and delicious food ever. She chewed them both up. Thank goodness they were only shells. We had adopted her a couple of years before and this dog had never chewed on anything during that time...nor ever again.



terracolson said:


> I have a lab and he doesnt even care about the torts, cats, lizards, or birds..
> 
> Its his personality/training, i dont think its his breed....



We had a lab who found a wild box turtle and brought it to us. He never left a mark on. That is surprising because this lab chewed everything it ever got it's mouth on, yet the turtle was not chewed.

All I can say is good luck, but always be ready for the day when the dog does what dogs tend to do, and goes after the tortoise. Never fully trust ANY dog with a tortoise.


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## Laijla (May 29, 2010)

As a child I had a full grown adult RF that lived side by side in the backyard (through the years 1969-1987) with 2 collie mixes, a golden retriever mix and 3 chesapeake bay retrievers and we never separated them - dumb on our part but, but it never occurred to my parents ??? not one of those dogs EVER bothered our tortoise leaving us in our 'ignorant bliss.' My 13 pound 'sweet as pie, loves everything and everyone' havanese managed to break into my hatchling's enclosure and chew on him like a raw hide (tort survived thank goodness) 4+ months ago. I think it is a hard call - it would be individual to individual verse a breed for the most part imo. Our collies and especially our retrievers loved to chew and were pretty destructive dogs yet they never bothered the tort. My havanese is the least destructive dog I have ever had yet nearly killed my tort. My experience is its a very hard guess!
Laijla


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## Maggie Cummings (May 29, 2010)

You said something that absolutely scares the hell outa me. Your very last line shows that you have no idea the damage a dog can do to a tortoise. They have (mostly) pointed snouts and very sharp teeth. They can do serious damage. Your male DT does not have those.
But I do understand you don't understand and you don't want to listen or believe. I wish Yvonne would say something maybe you would believe her experience...I see you don't believe mine.

This is what you said...

I doubt a small/medium dog would have any more success hurting her than he does.

So that's all I will say there is no point in beating you over the head with the obvious


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## fifthdawn (May 29, 2010)

There can't be any garentee with dogs, but what you can do is minimize the probability that an attack with happen by focusing on the genetics of the breed. Breeds vary so much in personaility that many breeds are known for their intellgence, or friendliness, and other characteristics.

Your best bet is to go for a breed known for their high intellgence so it'll be easier for them to figure out their social role in the pack. Although intellgence is important, stay away from Border Collies. They're the smartest breed, but their high level of energy cause them to be destructive if their excercise requirement arn't met.

I'd say its best to go with golden retriever, labradors, papillons, or shetlands. They are amongst the highest in intellgence and only require low to moderate excercise. They rank top 10 in intellgence, affection, and is very accepting of strangers and small pets. These breeds are probably the best bet at minimizing the probablity of an attack.


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## Shelly (May 29, 2010)

maggie3fan said:


> But I do understand you don't understand and you don't want to listen or believe.



I think it is maybe you that will not listen or understand.
A small/medium dog CAN NOT, under any circumstances, ever, even once in a lifetime, attack and kill a 20 pound tortoise quickly. Nope. Can't happen, Sorry, Don't believe you. Can't happen.
Perhaps if they were left to gnaw on it nonstop for hours, perhaps they could injure it, maybe even seriously.
We are not talking about a bunny or a ducky or a mousie. We are talking about a tortoise. They have this thing called a "shell" that protects them. They have hide as thick as a crocodile. 35,000,000 years of evolution wasn't for nothing, you know. They have survived eons with everything from Dinosaurs to lions to wolves to God knows what trying to eat them.
Once again, maybe if they chewed, and chewed, and chewed, and chewed, for a LONG period of time, they might draw blood.
I'm not talking about a hatchling, or some teeny little nothing. I'm talking big, strong, healthy animals that can protect themselves.
As a youngster, I worked for a Vet for 4 years. I never once, NOT ONCE, ever, saw an injury that a tort suffered because of a dog. Not once. Zero. Zip. Nada. Never happened. Ever.
Not saying it hasn't happened somewhere, at some time. But I would love to hear at least one first hand account of a large tortoise that was seriously injured by a small/medium dog that occurred after the animals had lived together for a period of time, and/or weren't seriously neglected.
I'm getting a dog. My main concern is that the dog will get aggressive with the torts, and I will need to get rid of the dog. That would suck, but that is the worst possible scenario. I have no fear whatsoever that my torts would be in danger. None. Why? because I will watch them diligently, and not leave them together until I am absolutely convinced that they are safe together. Please don't tell me "oh, they will never be safe". That's BS. A child, even an older kid of 10-12 years old, is FAR more vulnerable to a dog attack than my torts. So a kid should never ever be allowed to play with old Fido that you've had for 10 years because at the drop of a hat he could somehow transform into some psycho mad killing machine? Pffft!
(Last line of John's post deleted by Moderator - Y)


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## Tom (May 29, 2010)

You've stepped way over the line. Its bad enough to be ignorant and risk the safety of your animals, but now you've decided to insult and taunt someone who is trying to prevent you from making a tragic mistake. The thing is, your torts will suffer for your ignorance and arrogance, not you. You deserve whatever happens to you, your torts deserve better.


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## DonaTello's-Mom (May 29, 2010)

"Quote by Shelly deleted by mod - Y"

shame on you, what a terrible thing to say to Maggie. I am disgusted by you..............


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## dmmj (May 29, 2010)

hello brickwall, how are you doing?


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## APBT_Fanatic (May 29, 2010)

I have not had a chance to read this thread in full, nor do I know if I should even bother to respond to this; however, I will.

Shelly, I do not believe, nor could I recommend, a particular dog breed that is less apt to chew on, etc. a tortoise. We have had small dogs who bother the tortoises and we have had large dogs who have bothered the tortoise. While the larger dogs can do more quick chewing damage to a larger tortoise, any dog, any size, can hurt a tortoise. They can use their paws and mouths to get at the tortoise's softer body parts (head, legs, butt) and do serious damage. The smaller the dog, the smaller the mouth/paws, and the easier it is to stick them in there and hurt the tortoise. I am not sure about your tortoises, but my tortoises can NOT protect all their softer body parts, even when they are hiding in their shells.

I have a Box Turtle who has shell damage due to a dog, and I always see them (both turtles and tortoises) in the shelters as well, with shell damage.

While I do not recommend leaving your new dog with the tortoises unsupervised at all, perhaps it you look into adopting an older dog (not a puppy) and going through a good rescue who can help assess the dog with the tortoise (or maybe you could even foster the dog for a few weeks prior to adoption, to see how things will go).

Like I said, we have had both large and small dogs give us problems with our tortoises (trying to bother them, chew on them, and play with them). It is not a matter of which breed will leave the tortoises alone, but it depends on that particular dog's behavior towards them. Dogs of all sizes love tortoises, and as disgusting as it is, they sometimes like their poop too!

Lastly, in regards to your comment about a 12 yr old kid being more likely to be attacked by a dog than a tortoise is to be attacked by a dog, I would have to disagree with that as well. The majority of dogs are more KID FRIENDLY than they are tortoise friendly, as tortoises are very interesting and intriguing to dogs. Their smells, etc. are very luring and tempting to investigate! Dogs have a natural chewing instinct, especially younger dogs; HOWEVER, we currently have a 10 yr old dog who tried to chew my Russian Tortoise until I trained her not to, so it is NOT always just younger dogs who pose as a potential problem.

Please carefully consider what everybody here has said. You do need to be careful adding another dog to your family, since you do have tortoises. Any dog, any size, any breed, can hurt a tortoise. Please don't put your tortoises at risk by thinking otherwise.


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## Floof (May 30, 2010)

Oh, please. Talk about BS!!! Sorry, but have you EVER been bitten by a small/medium dog? Or seen the damage they can do to... Well... ANYTHING? If any little bit of your tortoise can fit in the dog's mouth, there IS a SERIOUS risk. I wouldn't trust my mom's little 20 lb corgi mutt around even something as big as a sulcata, because I KNOW her mouth, which she and just about any dog can open to nearly 180* with some effort, is big enough to fit enough around even a large tortoise's leg to cause some damage. And you know what? Those little dogs bite HARD. And those bigger dogs bite even HARDER. Sure, reptiles have a coat of tough scales... But dogs have teeth designed to tear through flesh, hard scales or no.

Rant over.

I can understand your need to have a dog.. I couldn't live without one, either. But you have to factor in your tortoises' safety. If that means keeping them in a separate pen, however "inconvenient" it may be, so be it. That's what it means to have a dog around tortoises--get over it. You've been lucky so far to have a dog who's perfectly fine around tortoises, and now you expect that pinpointing a new dog that'll be just as reliable will be easy as pie.

The fact of the matter is, not all dogs are YOUR dog. The odds of finding a dog who's as reliable as yours is around tortoises, specifically, are ridiculously slim. Your best bet, as has been said, is to go through a rescue that can help you find a dog that will fit in your situation. Steer clear of the puppies--_generally speaking,_ they're going to be way too rambunctious, energetic, and liable to chew on anything they can get their mouths around (i.e. your tortoise's limbs) to be trusted for a long while.

Good luck, anyway...


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## Yvonne G (May 30, 2010)

John:

You've crossed the line. There was no cause for you to say that about Maggie when she's only trying to help you and give you the benefit of her experience.

I've told this story before, but I'll tell it again.

Several years ago a woman brought me a beautiful female, full grown desert tortoise. She and her husband had gone out of town for a week or two and their grown son had been called over to house sit. They had a full grown lab who had been raised with the tortoise. They got the lab as a puppy and the tortoise was in residence at that time and already grown. The lab never bothered the tortoise in the 15 years that they shared the yard together.

When the people came home from vacation they found their beloved tortoise, Mildred, with only three legs. The dog had eaten off completely one of her front legs.

Now I understand that you are saying your dog won't be left unattended for any length of time with the tortoise, but your statement about not having seen dog-chewed turtles or tortoises and your thinking that because you haven't seen it it doesn't happen, is just not right. 

Get a dog. I have two. But just always be aware that the potential is always there for the dog to chew the tortoise. Just be aware...that's all we're saying. Because it does happen...more often than we'd like for it to happen. It really does.

(And I think you owe Maggie an apology. She's only trying to help)


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## stells (May 30, 2010)

If you think that no medium size dog could harm an adult tortoise you are very much mistaken... there are medium sized dogs with strong jaws out there... for example my SBT's... i wouldn't like to see a tortoise they got hold of...

The comment towards Maggie deserves much more than just an apology...


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## Shelly (May 30, 2010)

emysemys said:


> You've crossed the line.



Do you not feel she crossed the line by saying I do not understand or will not listen?
Never mind. I am done with this forum. Good bye.


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## mightyclyde (May 30, 2010)

Wow. 

Our daushund gnawed deep bloody grooves into my pet boxie's shell when I was a kid. Good thing my boxie pulled in tight - the dog would have killed her. I will NEVER NEVER leave a tort alone again with ANY dog. I won't even OWN a dog because I have two tortoises. PERIOD ~ It was WAY too tragic to find my beloved pet traumatized by a dog mauling. She ended up being ok, and the grooves healed, but her scars on her beautiful shell were a constant reminder.


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## Maggie Cummings (May 30, 2010)

This is Mildred, she came to live with me after her keeper chose the dog over her. Mildred had lived with those people for 20 years not the 15 that Yvonne remembers and and the keeper had come home from work, this damage happened while the people were at work, not on vacation. I wouldn't normally contradict Yvonne in public, but Mildred had lived with those people for 20 years, she had bonded with them and she was seriously depressed when she came to live with me. One fact Yvonne left out was they never found Mildred's leg. That dog had not only chewed it off but he licked the wound until it stopped bleeding, and he either buried the leg or ate it, but the leg was never found.
Mildred was living with me when I moved to Oregon and Yvonne wouldn't let me bring her. That's how recent this story is, it's not an old story.
So here is Mildred, she was a sweet wonderful tortoise who was bigger then Bob when she lived with me. Can you just imagine? She was bigger then Bob. Anyhow, here she is...I glued a furniture slide onto her plastron to help her get around...












Her wound was not totally healed when these pictures were taken...


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## chadk (May 30, 2010)

I have 2 big dogs and 7 tortoises and 3 boxies. The dogs get to play in the tort yard for 5-10 minutes here and there, but only when someone is there with them. I would never leave a tort or turtle alone with any dog for more than a few minutes. I would never trust a dog and a small child to be left alone either. 

So I agree with those that say there are no 'tortoise friendly' breeds. Or even individuals. If you are planning to keep then in the same yard, it is just asking for trouble. In my case, my sweet 100lb dog is more likely to be injured from being rammed from my sometimes grumpy 40lb suldata  But not worth finding out...

My dogs are indoor dogs. My my small torts and hatchlings are in a locked room (locked from kids, dogs, cats). My big torts have a nice safe fenced in area that we let the dogs play in, but only supervised. So YES, you can have dogs and torts. Just be smart about it.


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## ChiKat (May 30, 2010)

I have a chihuahua that runs around outside when I'm out with Nelson. She's very interested in him but she mostly likes to sit and watch him. She's very sweet and docile and I am fairly confident she would never try to pick him up. I would still NEVER EVER leave her alone with him though. That's just asking for trouble.

I also have a chihuahua/terrier mix that never gets to be outside when Nelson is. He's too unpredictable. 



chadk said:


> So YES, you can have dogs and torts. Just be smart about it.



Exactly.


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## fifthdawn (May 30, 2010)

You can definately keep dogs and tortoises, but there is always the possibility of unexpected attack. If its expected, it wouldn't happen then. To be safe, just keep them seperate or undersupervision when together. There seems to be the argument going on in this thread as if its arguing for housing together with no supervision at all and I don't see why anyone would try to argue that.

There is also a bias or a logical fallacy on the people who works at shelters. You'll see all the cases where tortoises are attacked by dogs, but you don't see all the case where the tortoise isn't attacked by a dog and that number is probably alot higher than most people here think, afterall, if they weren't attacked, they wouldn't have to be brought in.


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## Maggie Cummings (May 31, 2010)

Actually all I was trying to say is that his *NEW* dog might not be as trustworthy as his old dog. I don't care if people have dogs and tortoises, I was simply warning him to be careful. Trying to tell him that some dogs will chew on tortoises. That's all.


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## terryo (May 31, 2010)

I have two Chihuahua's and a tiny Yorkie. They are very small, and probably couldn't do too much damage to Pio, but I would never let them get hear him, not because they might hurt him, but why should he have to get all stressed out ...go into his shell...and be afraid of anything. I would never want him to be under any kind of stress for any reason, if I could help it. I never put him on the floor in my home, or outside. He is only in his own enclosure.


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## Laura (May 31, 2010)

I guess there isnt a reason to reply now.. but my first thought was 'none'. 
IF you MUST have a dog, in your situation, get a small one. It would take longer to do damage if it did get a hold of your tort. and since it will have to be inside since you dont have room enough outside to safely house both.. then smaller the beter. 
In the job Im in.. I see this tyep of thing all the time. My dog would never,, I dont put a collar on cause i never let it leave my sight, I dont need to use a leash, my dog is trained.. yada yada yada.. then I get the calls. of the dog being lost, ran off, chased something, bit, attacked got run over stolen etc.. Unfortunately it takes some people to expereince a tragic event to learn. Learn the Hard way. Usually at someone elses expense or life and the animal pays dearly..

However.. a small dog will be at risk from the raccoons as well.. so are large ones.. soo.....


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## Terry Allan Hall (May 31, 2010)

My Danes, my daughter's Chihuahuas, and our Ananatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenese mix are all good w/ tortoises/guinea pigs/chickens/cats/bunnies/mini-goats/mini-pig, etc., but only because I took to time to train each dog carefully. 

The Danes and the Chis ignore all of 'em, and Annie (the Ananatolian Shepherd/Great Pyrenese mix) protects them fiercely, as she knows her job is to be the guardian of our property and all the small critters that live here.

Most, if not all, dog problems come from their "parents" not correcting bad behavior IMMEDIATELY...and, with the possible exception of the very worst pit bulls, any dog will be as smart as his/her "parent(s)" take the time to make him/her.


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## matt41gb (May 31, 2010)

I have two very large greyhound mixes. Shiner, the male is 100 lbs, and his sister Abby is around 90 lbs. They were raised with my box turtles and tortoises. They live in the backyard with all of them. They can walk right over the wall to their pen, plus I have an 80 lb + sulcata that shares the backyard with them. They don't so much as bat an eye at the box turtles or torts. They will bark at the sulcata if he comes too close, but he just veers the other way. They are the box turtle and tortoises best ally. They keep raccoons and opossums out of the back yard. I trust them 100% with my animals. They even have two cats that live back there with them. 

Now everyone cannot be so lucky to have this luxury. I would not recommend getting any terrier breed, or any other breed that is a hunter, or that gets bored easily. Dogs chew because they are bored. If you don't let your dog get out anxiety, it will take it out on your tortoises. Fortunately my dogs are not chewers. I couldn't even get them to chew on toys as pups. 

You have to raise them right and be a good owner. You cannot ever let them think for one second that they are allowed to chew on turtles or tortoises. There are no such thing as bad dogs, just bad owners.

Shiner and Mookah facing off. Shiner was raised with him, all he has ever done is bark at him. They still love each other. 







-Matt


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## Kristina (Jun 1, 2010)

Laura said:


> I guess there isnt a reason to reply now..



I disagree... There are great reasons to continue replying!!!

This forum comes up a LOT with google searches... Anyone out there in cyberspace that googles this particular question should pull up this thread, and the more information and experiences posted here, the better.

I am sure others would agree with me that the most important purpose of this forum is to help people and provide information. There is no good reason I see to stop doing that!!!


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## South FL Katie (Jun 1, 2010)

Isn't it better to assume the worst and take precautions then assume everything will be fine? 

I have 6 toy breed dogs that usually come with me when I'm outside hanging out with my tortoise and although they haven't shown any aggression to my pet rats or my tortoise I wouldn't leave them unsupervised. I am constantly reminding them to keep their distance when Cody is on the ground to make sure there won't be any accidents. 

There is ALWAYS a risk no matter what breed... any dog could hurt a tortoise and it's ignorant to believe that a specific breed wouldn't be able to cause harm.


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## matt41gb (Jun 1, 2010)

I can promise you 100% that my dogs will not under any circumstances attack, or hurt any of my turtles or tortoises. There, I said it! 

-Matt


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## dmmj (Jun 2, 2010)

matt41gb said:


> I can promise you 100% that my dogs will not under any circumstances attack, or hurt any of my turtles or tortoises. There, I said it!
> 
> -Matt



96 % of all stats are made up 87% of all people know that.


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2010)

matt41gb said:


> I can promise you 100% that my dogs will not under any circumstances attack, or hurt any of my turtles or tortoises. There, I said it!
> 
> -Matt



No. What you can promise is that none of them have done it yet. Unless they are like my Bloodhound. We buried him a year and a half ago. "RIP Bubba". I can absolutely, 100% guarantee that he will never hurt any of my tortoises.


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## Angi (Jun 2, 2010)

Shelly said:


> My old dog Lucy is very, very old, and probably doesn't have too long to live. She is a Springer Spaniel, as was always very good with my torts and turtles. If anything, my torts would harass HER, more than she ever bothered them.
> After Lucy passes, we will be looking for a new dog. I don't want another Springer, because they have very bad eyes, and in fact Lucy has been totally blind for about 3-4 years now.
> So please feel free to offer your opinions about good dog breeds to keep with my 3 adult Desert Torts.
> I understand that I need to be careful with a dog under any circumstance. Luckily I work from home, so I am almost always here to supervise.... Thanks in advance...




What about adopting a dog that went through service dog training and just didn't make the final cut. There is a place in Ramona Ca. that does this. I don't know where you live, but if you are near I could get you the info. I do agree that they should never be left unsupervised.


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## Sigmar (Jun 2, 2010)

Tried to keep out of this. I see so many giving human qualities to our pets, which is what gets them in trouble. So going to make this real simple, ANIMALS ARE ANIMALS, they mainly survive by instinct. Any time you mix species especially predators you take a chance. Your decision is is that chance worth it. We own birds, cats, dogs, fish, a turtle, and a tortoise. But we NEVER leave them together unsupervised even for a little while. To do so would be completely irresponsible. The only breed of dog that isn't going to chew is a toothless one. Yea sometimes nothing ever happens bad but all it takes is once.


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## matt41gb (Jun 2, 2010)

If I know that my dogs will never hurt my turtles or tortoises, how am I being irresponsible?? I'm talking about dogs who I trust with newborn kittens to clean them when we get all of them at the clinic. I understand what everyone is talking about, but if you only knew my dogs. I still stand by my original post.  If it weren't for my dogs, my animals would be missing limbs or killed by predators by now for sure. 

-Matt


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## Tom (Jun 2, 2010)

Matt, consider for a moment that some of us were once in your shoes. We had a dog or dogs that peacefully coexisted with our turtles and or tortoises for years without incident and we wholeheartedly trusted them and believed everything was fine. Imagine our horror and grief when one day, out of the blue, we learned we were wrong. You don't understand this, because it hasn't happened to you yet. I sincerely hope it never does. Some people do get away with it. Some don't. I'll leave you alone on this, if you just admit you know it is a gamble. It may be a very slight gamble in your case, but still a gamble none the less.

Now you do have a good point about the presence of dogs keeping predators at bay, but I'd still never leave dogs unsupervised with any kind of access to torts.


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## matt41gb (Jun 3, 2010)

I completely understand the situation. I think I was just wanting to brag about how trustworthy my dogs are.  I've had my fair share of chewed up box turtles come to me, and have heard multiple stories about our clients dogs that have chewed them up as well. I'm not trying to cause a stink with you guys, just wanted to brag a little. Ha! 

-Matt


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## ChiKat (Jun 3, 2010)

I am almost positive my sweet little Chihuahua would never hurt Nelson but it is impossible to be 100% certain...it is a dog with animal instincts.


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## matt41gb (Jun 3, 2010)

A Chihuahua can never be trusted!! Ha!


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