Advice needed

[shelliemavis]

Awww niamh absolutely gorgeous. you've made me go all soppy! I've gone all ga-ga now

Just wait until I tell Ellie!

Judith

[Beverley]

Hi Niamh, I think I would tend to keep dog and torts separate, just to be on the safe side. What a lovely pup, a real cutie, I just love that breed, although I have always kept Shih tzus myself I just love these. you must have him spoiled rotten.
Beverley

[niamherrity]

He's so sweet but I will be keeping them apart benny table is raised so there no way finn can get benny indoors he is also netted off outdoors and has high logroll around the enclosure so I know benny is safe

[Lyn]

I had a tortoise as a child that got killed by a relatives dog that they let loose in our garden (after being told not to)

Originally Posted by aprillinda

my dogs and torts will never meet

unfortunatly freya caught a wild rabbit tonight whilst out walking and killed it

I could never let my greys off the lead while out walking unless in a field with gates. They too will kill anything that runs. Having worked with dogs for many years though (In a behavioural capacity too) I feel it is a mistake to never let dogs and torts meet. The thing which is forbidden will always have an alure to an intelligent dog. If ever I have a new tort I show it briefly to the dog and then put it wherever it is going to go. My dogs walk freely where my hermanns are - WHEN I AM AROUND. The danger, I feel, is what is going to happen when you are not around. Obviousy if you have an untrained terrier or type of dog that tends to worry other animals,, or one that likes to retrieve then you are going to have to be extra vigilant and make sure that enclosures are secure even when you are there.

[shelliemavis]

Originally Posted by niamherrity

He's so sweet but I will be keeping them apart benny table is raised so there no way finn can get benny indoors he is also netted off outdoors and has high logroll around the enclosure so I know benny is safe

Thats just like ours; the inside tort table it raised high on a table and outside the wire mesh covers the enclosure.

Judith

think im lucky

the way we have constructed our pens

and the indoor room

our dogs do not feel they are missing out

ignorance is bliss we have not made a point of protecting the torts by keep saying no the fences do that for us

im sure our dogs are non the wiser

the dogs are an additional bonus because no one gets in my garden without me knowing

If anyone came into my garden the dogs would go for a walk - flipping useless

well yes mine would lick you to death but they are extremly big and loud

[terrypin]

hi this is a very controvercial subject and i feel you can only make a decision like this yourself, nobody knows your dog like you do .personally mine have access to the torts, but then i dont leave my dogs unsupervised for hours anyway and then the only time they are left to play is early evening, this is when the torts are confined to a seperate area i have a 2 year old who last year was showing an interest in the male hermans when they run around in the afternoon(just watching and the odd bark) so i supervised him at this time until he got used to the bahaviour ,this year so far he has shown no real interest in them my old dog is nearly 15 and has had access to tortoises all his life without any problems im not saying this is the correct thing to do just what suits me, my young dog is more than capable of jumping the fence but doesnt because he knows what his boundarys are. if i use the bottom gate he trys to follow me out but if i use the top gate he doesnt because he knows thats is not his gate .personally i think dogs like to know what they should do as situations arise ,without training they will make decisions themselves that is when you get problems .
terry