+1. Especially the Tegu. There's a lot of talk on the interweb comparing them to dogs. IMO, this should be taken with a BOULDER of salt. You may (not can) be able to train one to come to its name, and they may (seem to) snuggle with you a bit, but show me one that'll fetch your slippers, roll over, etc., etc. "Dog-like" is not a dog--or even close. People gotta stop spreading that false analogy. Dogs are social pack animals. They've been tamed over 40,000 years. Tegus are not social, not tame, and really don't care a whit about humans beyond satisfying their desire/need for food and maybe a good scratch. Got kids, or planning to? Tegus can do a lot of damage to people and property, and their mouths are FILTHY. They can also live up to 20 years. Is your husband up to that kind of commitment? I implore both of you--research this carefully and think on it--for a long time, because that's how long you'll have the tegu. :wink:
Keep your female dog away from the BDs--even if she begins to soften/show some curiosity/interest. Things can (and do) go sideways very quickly--faster than human reflexes can respond.
Personal experience: We had started keeping green anoles again during a period when we had a female border collie. I was always careful to keep a safe distance between them, but one day while I was handling one of the anoles, it jumped off my hand, and in a lightning flash, it was (literally) halfway down the dog's throat. Fortunately, I was still young (and much faster than today), but I swear--1/10th of a second later would have been too late. If the dog had bolted, the lizard would have been a snack. An adult BD isn't likely to be swallowed whole, but the end result could be the same--dead 'zard.