Dog alert

[Jan W]

Bit of a saga today - but Bertie fine.

We are having some fencing done and our man has 2 terriers that wander round and happy to be with the geese. So much for my Fort Tort, one of them got in and had Bertie on his back. Fortunately he was curious rather than attacking him, but I didn't know at the time. I am going hot and cold trying to stay calm, with fencing man shouting at his dog, his 2 helpers looking as though they were going to cry.

Bertie is making very strange snorting noises and I am fearing the worst. I picked him up put him into an empty bowl covered him with a towel and took him into the house - really to get away from the traumatised men and dogs. By the time I reached the kitchen he had stopped making this noise, but started again when I took the towel off him to have a look. I am wondering if this was a protective type of hissing.

Had a look at him and all seemed OK so decided to take him off to his bed.

The good news is that after 10 mins I went to check on him and he had moved under the ceramic lamp. Another 10 minutes later he had moved outside of his immediate house into the outbuilding under the MV lamp. He looked fast asleep but wasn't sure if he was OK at this point. 10 minutes later I went back again as obviously wondering if I needed a visit to the vets. This time he was wide awake.

Well story gets better, as I then collected his favourite weeds and I have never seen him eat so much. Wondering if he had burned off so much energy he was actually hungry.

After munching for what seemed ages, all go and wanted to get outside again, but I have kept him in.

The sorry tale though, is that it is all my fault. I hadn't closed the gate well enough. So I feel really bad.

Advice is frequently put them in the bath for so many things, but I wasn't so sure. Bertie isn't such a lover of this bath, few minutes and often ready to get out. I was a bit unsure as didn't want to distress him. Will put him in first thing in the morning. The first thing he did when I rescued him was pee all over me, so wondering if this was stress related. Obviously he has access to bowls of water for drinking.

Had to make tea for the fencing men in between all this!

I think I will have a glass of wine.

[CherryBrandy]

or two Jan ! crikey what a stressful period. I think you did right thing - quiet and dark and reckon you are right about the noise as a hissing keep off me. Dogs can be a nightmare with tortoises just out of curiosity and terriers are such nosey little things - terra ferma the name comes from so probably would have buried him ! What a day. Hope to see you at HTS June - will buy you a drink ! cuppa I think is the go ... ! CB

[Ozric Jonathan]

Agree that sounds very stressful for Bertie and you Jan. I don't know anything about dogs and see them all as a menace but that's probably unfair. The family in France that I got tortoises from years ago had a dog and they were definite that the dog was wary of the tortoises and would never harm them.

And you're right about the peeing. It can be a stress reaction.

Glad there was no real harm done to Bertie though.

[burnt toast]

I would never trust a dog around torts. Any dog. I have a Hermann here, Esme with hardly any shell due to an attack by a bombproof dog

[sandy]

As has been said, you cannot trust any dog near tortoises, as dogs see them as chews. They dont attack tortoises but just chew them:0(
Even the best trained dog will have a weak moment if a chew is available:0(

[Merlin M]

We have been having "fun" with Rocco and the torts now it is warming out and they are starting to reclaim their garden!
He is young and playful and just does not know what to make of them! When I am holding them he seems to think they are a toy but on the ground he is just confused (although though it was funny to flip them!)
Although he is in the garden with them sometimes it is only when I am watching and he gets told off if he pesters them - although I may be able to train him to stop Misha pestering the others as he seems to not like it when Misha is being a pest...

I agree tortoises and dogs do not mix, and it is really scary to think what can happen if we let our guard down! So glad Bertie is ok, the fencing man must have been mortified!

[Suze65]

Jan that sounds awful, I'm so glad to hear that Berty is ok, and have a large glass of wine.

[emma_mcraf]

I can't even imagine the panic you must have felt. Thankfully, all is well and Bertie and you weren't hurt by it, only shocked. Don't beat yourself up about not securing the gate properly, Jan. You'll never make that mistake now. Sometimes, its close shaves like that which make us more vigilant.
Hope today is much less stressful. xxx

[Jan W]

Thank you - lovely calm day. Bertie eating more than usual again today. Fencing man lovely and keeps offering to do additional jobs!

CB - I will look forward to our cup of tea together at HTS in June. I must phone up and offer some help. Better make a cake. Last year I bought a nearly new keyboard there with the aim of learning to play - mmmmm perhaps this year.

[emma_mcraf]

Glad to hear today was a better day for you and Bertie, Jan.