General Care Discussion :: New turtle and the dog

[LynnZ]

I just got a baby red eared slider a few weeks ago. I have a 6 year old teacup toy poodle who weighs about 4 pounds. The dog is absolutely fascinated by the turtle, and she won't stay away from the aquarium. She'll get up on the chair and sit there and watch the turtle for hours. If the chair isn't there she'll stand on her hind legs and jump. When I take the turtle out, my dog will sniff it, try to lick it and basically tries to get the turtle to play with her. The turtle doesn't seem to mind either. I guess I'm just wondering if it's okay to have the turtle around the dog. Like do I have to worry about transferring diseases or anything? My dog isn't aggressive at all by the way.

[BullDog]

I don't think there's a risk of transfer of disease, but there is a chance your dog may take the turtle to be a chew toy. Don't leave them alone together, and I wouldn't let the dog lick the turtle either.
Also make sure your pup can't accidentally knock over tank or jump in the tank.

[TheComputerGremlin]

Dogs can contract Salmonella just as humans can, and apparently can then pass it to their human friends.

http://my-knuckle-head-dog.com/experts- ... eople.html

In other words, if you wouldn't do it to your turtle (i.e. lick, etc.), don't let the dog! And remember, the smaller the dog/cat/animal, the more likely the sickness will be deadly.

[theartbook35]

My cat is unusually fascinated by the smell of my turtles, and I won't let him near them because of it. I don't trust him not to try and bite them or lick them, plus, my turtles seeing him would be very stressful. My other cat has no predatory incline toward them at all, but that doesn't mean I let her go near them. Cats and dogs can't wash their hands like people can. I keep my tank a good five feet high, on a big cabinet (one of those ones with two doors, and two draws at the bottom), where my cats don't notice it.

Seeing the turtle swimming is probably very exciting to your dog. Maybe, to be on the safe side, because I am worried she could knock the tank over, is when you are home, try to divert her attention to something else, like a chew toy or maybe a small treat. Maybe keep the tank covered by a towel or curtain, so it's not so exciting anymore.

[queenjane]

Lol, I'm sure watching it is fine, but I wouldn't let them play together.

My family lives on a ranch, and a favorite sport of most dogs (especially laboradors) is to go to the pond and catch turtles and then just carry them around in their mouths all day. If the poodle figures out that it can carry the turtle in it's mouth or that it might taste good, then that's probably the end of the turtle. Dogs will eat anything, even if they don't like it. I can't even tell you how many times our dogs have 'eaten' frogs when they absolutely hate the way they taste.

I'd let her watch but make sure she can't get at the turtle or knock the tank over.

[steve]

When turtles escape from their indoor enclosures, it's usually the dog that will do the most damage. Make sure the top of the tank is secure, and avoid any direct contact between them. Welcome to the site!