Sulcata (taking out for walks)

[Sulcatatortoise101]

How old do sulcatas need to be to go “on walks”??

 

[iAmCentrochelys sulcata]

what do you mean by walks?

 

[Sulcatatortoise101]

what do you mean by walks?

Like take them out to walk around the neighborhood or something

 

[Tom]

How old do sulcatas need to be to go “on walks”??

This isn't safe. This should never happen. It almost always ends in disaster eventually.

 

[Yvonne G]

Just because you've seen people on You Tube taking their sulcatas for walks outside their enclosure, doesn't make it a good thing. I have learned that if you allow a sulcata to know that there's more to his world than what's inside his fence, then he's never happy anymore to stay in the tortoise yard. He'll always be pacing the fenceline, trying to climb out, digging at the corners. Just give him a big enough yard with plenty of sight barriers and grass to eat and forget about "showing off" to your neighbors. Keep him home where he belongs.

 

[Maggie3fan]

I also keep Sulcata...and I do take them for walks. I have never, not ever, not once, had a disaster happen. But I didn't just one day take him for a walk...first, I taught him how to follow my wiggling fingers...then I'd lead him around my front yard...then I finally took him out of my neighborhood. No public parks... they have fertilizer on the grass...no private lawns...eventually he got invitations to go to Petco at Christmas...kids could get their photo taken on Bob for $5 and with Santa for $10...invited to Oregon State University for their "Pet Days" (OSU has a big veterinary program...) he was always invited to the Farmers Market downtown...I did a lot of events with Bob but to start he was taught just like a dog to follow me...this process took almost a full year before he went from my front yard to walking up the street. Bob died in 2015...
I have 2 Sulcata now and have started training to follow my fingers...Big Sam is picking it right up...Knobby is too independent. So, #1...your tortoise has to be trainable, not all Sulcata are...and #2 the tort has to be trained! and that takes over a year...when I started training Bob to follow me he was about 75 lbs and 125 when he died...Knobby is about 35 lbs and Big Sam is 60 lbs. In order for you to take a Sulcata on walks you must be able to control him...

 

[Yvonne G]

I also keep Sulcata...and I do take them for walks. I have never, not ever, not once, had a disaster happen. But I didn't just one day take him for a walk...first, I taught him how to follow my wiggling fingers...then I'd lead him around my front yard...then I finally took him out of my neighborhood. No public parks... they have fertilizer on the grass...no private lawns...eventually he got invitations to go to Petco at Christmas...kids could get their photo taken on Bob for $5 and with Santa for $10...invited to Oregon State University for their "Pet Days" (OSU has a big veterinary program...) he was always invited to the Farmers Market downtown...I did a lot of events with Bob but to start he was taught just like a dog to follow me...this process took almost a full year before he went from my front yard to walking up the street. Bob died in 2015...
I have 2 Sulcata now and have started training to follow my fingers...Big Sam is picking it right up...Knobby is too independent. So, #1...your tortoise has to be trainable, not all Sulcata are...and #2 the tort has to be trained! and that takes over a year...when I started training Bob to follow me he was about 75 lbs and 125 when he died...Knobby is about 35 lbs and Big Sam is 60 lbs. In order for you to take a Sulcata on walks you must be able to control him...

But tell the downside too: How often after Bob learned there was more to the world than his yard did he break down fences, climb steps up and over the porch and go walking down the street on his own?

 

[Sulcatatortoise101]

Just because you've seen people on You Tube taking their sulcatas for walks outside their enclosure, doesn't make it a good thing. I have learned that if you allow a sulcata to know that there's more to his world than what's inside his fence, then he's never happy anymore to stay in the tortoise yard. He'll always be pacing the fenceline, trying to climb out, digging at the corners. Just give him a big enough yard with plenty of sight barriers and grass to eat and forget about "showing off" to your neighbors. Keep him home where he belongs.

Thank you