torts vs. dogs as pets

[mira_kaylee]

(this post was originally called "torts vs. dogs" but in hindsight probably not the best title for it)
I was on my way home from school and right before I left the girl that sits at the computer next to mine said something to the effect of "the purpose of a pet is to be a friend and if you want a friend then you should get a dog or cat, not a tortoise". Well, needless to say I was irritated but I didn't say anything, only that Ayden was the best animal in existence and that if she preferred dogs then well that was her misguided opinion. After I got home, I was alarmed to have my boyfriend tell me that Ayden hadn't eaten all day, no matter how many times he had tried to feed him his food that was still in his dish. I set my bag down and ran upstairs to see if he was okay, and he was just sleeping in the corner. My boyfriend came in the room and said "see, he's been like that since this morning" and I started asking him questions about if anything strange had happened or if Ayden had been startled or something and as I was talking Ayden sat up and started to stare at me. Noticing that my boyfriend wasn't looking at me anymore but down at Ayden's pen, I looked down and seen that my tort had indeed woken up. After staring at me for a few minutes, Ayden promptly stood up and walked over to his dish and ate every last thing in it. I have thus come to this conclusion....when our dog is hungry, she goes and eats from her bowl. When my tortoise is hungry, he sits there and stares at the food until I get home hours later so that he can eat with me(i usually take him out and eat with him on the floor by me after school when he gets his second feeding of the day). It seems obvious to me who man's real best friend is lol.

 

[nicoleandrocky]

aww! that is soo sweet :'(
i feel like it's not a matter of dogs are better or torts its the personality of the human and the pet, and the connection between the two.

 

[mira_kaylee]

Ayden has more personality than he knows what to do with lol. He clearly has a mind all his own. I knew from the first time I saw him in the pet store that THAT particular tortoise was going to be my tortoise, so I saved up for almost 6 monthes to get his habitat and finally him he did a little persuading himself, as before I bought him I'd check at the pet store every few days to make sure that he was still there and he would watch me through the glass and follow me around from side to side of it

 

[nicoleandrocky]

Ayden has more personality than he knows what to do with lol. He clearly has a mind all his own. I knew from the first time I saw him in the pet store that THAT particular tortoise was going to be my tortoise, so I saved up for almost 6 monthes to get his habitat and finally him he did a little persuading himself, as before I bought him I'd check at the pet store every few days to make sure that he was still there and he would watch me through the glass and follow me around from side to side of it

Lol, you both where destined to be!

 

[mira_kaylee]

lol I like to think so

 

[JoesMum]

Joe doesn't do quite such a good job at warming my feet in the chilly months as his canine rival for my affections

 

[mira_kaylee]

LOL ironically, it's still cold here and last night I was watching tv with an electric blanket on me and a towel in my lap that Ayden was sitting on and the blankets edge was over him too and we were watching anime. Who needs a dog to warm your feet when we've invented electric blankets? Also, seeing as how I wear heavy leather boots every day, rain or shine, I wouldn't subject a dog to having to lay there. I've never really smelled my own feet after they've been in my boots but I imagine that they don't smell like a basket of roses lmfao.

 

[wellington]

The dog is still man/woman best friend. But who ever said we could only have one best friend

 

[DanaLachney]

I prefer my tortoise

 

[princessbubblegum]

I've never been much of a dog person...

Who do you have to take for a walk a couple times a day? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to let outside to pee? Not my tortoise.
Who gets dog fur everywhere and makes me sneeze? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to buy huge bags of dog food for? Not my tortoise.
Who barks at thunder and chases the vacuum? Not my tortoise.

Honestly I think that tortoises are way cheaper and much better friends.
Whenever I go somewhere for more than a couple hours, I can't wait to come home and see my tortoise, Rosie(yes I changed her name to Rosie)

Whenever I take her outside in the yard and stand away from her, she always walks towards me. I love my Rosie so much

 

[DanaLachney]

I've never been much of a dog person...

Who do you have to take for a walk a couple times a day? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to let outside to pee? Not my tortoise.
Who gets dog fur everywhere and makes me sneeze? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to buy huge bags of dog food for? Not my tortoise.
Who barks at thunder and chases the vacuum? Not my tortoise.

Honestly I think that tortoises are way cheaper and much better friends.
Whenever I go somewhere for more than a couple hours, I can't wait to come home and see my tortoise, Rosie(yes I changed her name to Rosie)

Whenever I take her outside in the yard and stand away from her, she always walks towards me. I love my Rosie so much

Well I wouldn't say tortoises were cheaper per say but alot more interesting. My dog is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.

 

[Jacqui]

I love my tortoises dearly and they make me laugh and sometimes make me cry. I think I spend more time, money and worry on them then my other animals... that being said, if I were forced to choose between a dog or a tortoise as my only animal there is no competition, the dog would win.

 

[mira_kaylee]

I love my tortoise and Ayden would win, hands down, as my favorite pet. If i had to choose second place then the dog STIILL wouldn't be it lol, it'd be a cat.

---

I've never been much of a dog person...

Who do you have to take for a walk a couple times a day? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to let outside to pee? Not my tortoise.
Who gets dog fur everywhere and makes me sneeze? Not my tortoise.
Who do you have to buy huge bags of dog food for? Not my tortoise.
Who barks at thunder and chases the vacuum? Not my tortoise.

Honestly I think that tortoises are way cheaper and much better friends.
Whenever I go somewhere for more than a couple hours, I can't wait to come home and see my tortoise, Rosie(yes I changed her name to Rosie)

Whenever I take her outside in the yard and stand away from her, she always walks towards me. I love my Rosie so much

Well I wouldn't say tortoises were cheaper per say but alot more interesting. My dog is terrified of the vacuum cleaner.

My dog IS a vacuum cleaner. She eats everything.

 

[Tom]

Non-tortoise people just don't "get it". Sad, but true. That's why I LOVE this forum. Because its full of other nut-jobs and we can all relate.

I love dogs too, but they are just different. They do different things for me and fulfill different roles. None of my tortoises are going to take down a bad guy who tries to harm me or my family. On the other hand, my tortoises do require a lot less work than my dogs...
They are both great.

If I was forced to choose just one, I would sic my dogs on the person trying to force me to choose and then bury their body in my tortoise pen to fertilize the weeds.

 

[ALDABRAMAN]

Non-tortoise people just don't "get it". Sad, but true. That's why I LOVE this forum. Because its full of other nut-jobs and we can all relate.

I love dogs too, but they are just different. They do different things for me and fulfill different roles. None of my tortoises are going to take down a bad guy who tries to harm me or my family. On the other hand, my tortoises do require a lot less work than my dogs...
They are both great.

 

[mira_kaylee]

lol i used to have a German Shepard that was a pretty good guard dog and a good dog in general. i am sad to say, in his memory, that i would still side with my tortoise every time when it comes to pets.

 

[ascott]

I DITTO what Tom shared....

 

[mira_kaylee]

as do I.

 

[DanaLachney]

Non-tortoise people just don't "get it". Sad, but true. That's why I LOVE this forum. Because its full of other nut-jobs and we can all relate.

I love dogs too, but they are just different. They do different things for me and fulfill different roles. None of my tortoises are going to take down a bad guy who tries to harm me or my family. On the other hand, my tortoises do require a lot less work than my dogs...
They are both great.

If I was forced to choose just one, I would sic my dogs on the person trying to force me to choose and then bury their body in my tortoise pen to fertilize the weeds.

Ah but Tom ur forgetting the fact that most people wouldnt enter a yard with a 600lb, 400lb, or even a 200lb. Tortoise in it so they are KINDA like guard dogs in a way my husband isnt a tortoise person and he doesn't get it at all kinda saddens me that's why I'm glad I found this place so at least I know other people are just as crazy as I am

 

[mira_kaylee]

Ayden is quite like a guard dog. He bites and hisses at almost anyone but me lol.