There is simply no way to do this. The dog will not lose interest and even if it appears that he/she has, your tortoise is at great risk of mauling. Many people have the dog and tortoise coexist for years with no problem and seemingly no interest from the dog. Then, one day, they find their tortoise all chewed up. The response is always: "He's never done that before..."I think this thread has veered from my original question which perhaps wasn’t clearly written.
I really want advice for reducing interest In the tort from my Labrador. I’m not suggesting a set up like my friends but when Aesop (tort) goes back outside in his outdoor run I don’t want Rollo (dog) to sit and stare at him all day. I just wondered if anyone had any tips, but I think my instinct is to not make a fuss and the dog will get bored eventually.
You can hire a professional dog trainer that does snake breaking clinics. They know how to create a negative associate between dog and reptile. In the case of rattlesnakes, it is to protect the dog from harm. In your case, it would be to protect the tortoise, but the concept is the same.
The best policy is to have separate areas for dog and tortoise, and have physical barriers between them at all times. Introducing the scent, and any attempt to introduce or desensitize the dog is only going to generate more interest. As a professional dog trainer specializing in aggression and problem dog cases, and also a tortoise keeper with decades of experience, I know how this will go. I've made all the mistakes and watched many others make them too. I hope you are one of those intelligent people who can learn from the mistakes of others and not have to make them yourself.