New member - So Cal

[reallybigtoad]

Hi Everybody,

I have been browsing the forums for a few days know and thought it was time to sign up and introduce myself. I'm Todd.
We want to get a tortoise for our son Jake's 4th birthday (OK, I want a tortoise too!) and I'm looking for general tortoise keeping information and on building an outdoor enclosure for our soon to be new family member.

We are in Southern California - Fontana area.

My main concern in that we have a dog so I will need to build a fenced off area to keep the dog away. Will some type of wire fence be sufficient or do I need to use bricks like I've seen in other enclosures?

Is it a bad idea to try and keep tortoises and dogs in the same yard even if they are seperated?

thanks,
-todd

 

[Fernando]

Hi Todd! Welcome to TFO!

The general Idea is that if you are going to keep a tortoise in the same yard as your other pet, that you build an enclosure for your tortoise. A SECURE enclosure...walls and a cover that the dog can in no way chew through or somehow pull off. You'd be surprised, even chihuahua's can use tortoises as chew toys.

 

[Laura]

Welcome!
kinda depends on the dog.. some could care less, BUT you still need to take precautions, and others are very intense and will do Anything to get at the tortoise..
Start with deciding what type of tortoise you are looking for. Russian, Sulcata, redfoot?? that will help you decide how big of an area you will need and what type of enclosure.

 

[dmarcus]

Hello and welcome to the forum..

 

[Yvonne G]

Hi Todd:

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[ascott]

Hey ReallyBigToad (tehe, can we know your real name?) Welcome!

You mention this will be a gift for your 4 year old? Hmmm...I am hoping that is merely a ploy and you will be the one wanting/caring for the tortoise you choose, right? Because while a 4 year old will think for, well, like a second maybe two, that the tortoise is neat...that will wear off fast...

I have a mellow dog who alerts me when something is weird in his "rocks" side of the back yard (one time Haus, our CDT flipped himself over right next to the fence he and Freddy the dog share, well Freddy lost his mind and turned into Lassie after Timmy fell in the hole...he started hitting the door, barked like a maniac, etc. till I came to see what the heck he was doing, then I noticed Haus doing the air back stroke...so when I got him back on his feet, Freddy looked so relieved...)

Then we have our crazy girl dog, who is a hunting dog by breed mix (cattledog xs Basenji) and will take out a rabbit or bird in a second, she is my bug dog, if she sees one sneak in the house she is all over it..she is NEVER allowed outside in the yard early in the am or during certain times in the evening until Haus goes in for the night...as if she sees him she kills herself running the fence barking like an idiot...

Also, when you decide what type of tortoise you may want, really take into account their housing needs....inside/outside/hibernate/not hibernate/burrowing/not burrowing so may need a shed/may need artificial heat/lighting, etc.... but most of all, have fun in your search

---

Okay, so now I feel like a ReallyBigToad, I realized that you did include your name ....Welcome Todd

 

[reallybigtoad]

Thanks for the replies everyone.

Yes, while it is a gift for my son, my wife and I will be the main caregivers while we teach our son.

I'm thinking of something on the small side like a Russian. The enclosure would be about 40+ sq ft with both shaded and sunny areas. It could go bigger if needed, but I don't have the space for something large like a Sulcata. I was thinking of using wire fencing to enclose the pen but I hear that Russians can climb??? How high can they climb a wire fence? I was already planning to bury the fencing to prevent burrowing. Is there a better choice than a Russian? Our yard to enclosed with cinder block walls so the pen would be cinder block on 2 sides and wire fencing on the other 2 sides.

The dog will definately need to be seperated and watched closely as she does chase after the occasional cat walking along the top of the fence. So far, she has been tolerant of other animals once she is accustomed to them as part of her family. I think she will get used to it but I can never know until we see how she reacts once the tortoise is home.

thanks again.

-todd

Hi Todd:

Welcome to the forum!!

 

[coreyc]

Hello Todd welcome to the TFO

 

[October]

Welcome to TFO Todd!

This might answer your question as to how well and how high a Russian can climb
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-amazing-adventures-of-Mork-from-Ork

 

[Yvonne G]

I don't think wire would be the way to go. If they can get a foothold, they will be up and over in nothing flat. Wood or more cinder blocks would be much better.

Also, don't be lulled into a false sense of security about your dog. Please take our collective experiences to heart and don't EVER allow your dog to be alone with the tortoise.

I'll tell you my personal experience:

The people had an adult female desert tortoise and they had her a long time. Then they got a labrador pup. The tortoise and the pup, now a full grown dog, lived in peaceful harmony for about 15 years together in the back yard.

One day the people went away on vacation and tending to the animals and house watch was left to their grown son, who came by twice a day. When the people got home from vacation, they discovered that "Mildred's" front leg had been chewed off....by the dog that had lived with the tortoise for 15 years!

 

[reallybigtoad]

Thanks Yvonne,

That definately answers my climbing question.

I will need to rethink that. Maybe a combination of both. Somthing solid at the bottom to keep the tort in and the wire fence above to keep the dog out?

thanks,
-todd

Welcome to TFO Todd!

This might answer your question as to how well and how high a Russian can climb
http://www.tortoiseforum.org/Thread-The-amazing-adventures-of-Mork-from-Ork

 

[Fernando]

I prefer to use an open bottom because if you'd like to one day plant things in the enclosure for him to eat, it would be much easier. If you are worried about burrowing you can make your barrier 4-6 inches deep to prevent that or even place those tent spikes down below.

Yvonne likes the walkway paver idea which works too.

 

[dmmj]

Welcome
Russians are a good choice for a first tortoise. they are hardy, with great personalities, I have 3 russians myself. What ever you decide let us know.

 

[Torty Mom]

Welcome to TFO!!!

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Welcome.