# Walking your Tegu



## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

Hi guys, I just started to wonder have any of you had any real problems while walking your tegu? by that I mean if you bring it to a park have you had problems with dogs attacking them or other people in the public area complaining, the tegu getting injured by walking on glass or sick by encountering the waste of other animals etc


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## reptastic (Mar 3, 2012)

I use to just allow my older tegus freerange of my yard, but since that isn't possible anymore, at the new place I just let them roam the porch, I havnt taken my tegus to a park yet, but I think if you are you should be getting regular check ups and fecals done


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

reptastic said:


> I use to just allow my older tegus freerange of my yard, but since that isn't possible anymore, at the new place I just let them roam the porch, I havnt taken my tegus to a park yet, but I think if you are you should be getting regular check ups and fecals done



Yeah thats what I was thinking, mine is still to small to walk yet but I wouldn't have room anyway because I live in a small apartment with no porch or balcony but I'll be moving soon to a house with a large back yard and front yard so I'd feel safer confining her to them than bringing her out in full public just for her own safety


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 3, 2012)

Personally, I wouldn't walk any lizard less than 3.5 - 4 feet along the sidewalk in the manner one would walk a dog. Anything smaller is harder to see and is thus more likely to get stepped on, and a smallish lizard may get spooked being on ground level surrounded by people and possibly dogs. I've also noticed the larger lizards get, the easier they are to control on a leash. When I take Kodo for a "walk," he's just leashed and either sitting on my should or in my hand and I do the actual walking.


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## Bubblz Calhoun (Mar 3, 2012)

_I don't even take my dogs to parks, it's pretty much asking for trouble. There are too many irresponsible people, that are quick to point the finger and blame others, if or when something happens.

I haven't taken my tegus to any public places besides work, pet shops or stores like petco. If you do so, know the laws where you are. Tegus are exotics and may require a permit to be in public places if they're allowed at all.

I was going to take Natsuki to class for a Demo Speech that I had to do but changed my mind. Might do it later for another subject but with the time restraints this time it wasn't worth it._


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## ilovelizards (Mar 3, 2012)

I have ,my tegu gose to all public events/festables&pet friendly stores and ive never had a problem with anyone or thing.if you want me to go into detail just ask.


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

Thanks guys, the main thing I would be worried about would be her coming into contact with dogs that would freak out when they see her or coming into contact with dog mess that irrisponsible owners don't clean up, as I said she is still to small to walk but when the time comes I'd prefer to know what not to do if that makes sense?

As far as I know bubblz I don't need a permit, I live in Ireland and need a licence for a dog, a television and a car but for some reason don't need licences for 6 foot snakes or 4 foot tegu lol

Thanks Dragon, I was wondering about the walking because of the risks of glass or poo but I'd feel better bringing her for walks and not having her on the ground


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## got10 (Mar 3, 2012)

I walk my Gus whenever I get the free time to do so but they are usually just in my fenced in yard when they are roaming . I do take them out with me to the pet friendly shops and to the park .But I only keep them on my lap only in the parks if there are dogs present. Some of my Gu's don't like dogs at all and others are indifferent to them . Plus I don't want my big ones eating someones "pocket pups".


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 3, 2012)

got10 said:


> I walk my Gus whenever I get the free time to do so but they are usually just in my fenced in yard when they are roaming . I do take them out with me to the pet friendly shops and to the park .But I only keep them on my lap only in the parks if there are dogs present. Some of my Gu's don't like dogs at all and others are indifferent to them . Plus I don't want my big ones eating someones "pocket pups".



Thats part of what I am worried about, I'm moving house soon and there is already a Jack Russell living there so would it be possible to get them use to each other? because I don't want to have to keep them constantly in seperate parts of the house


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## dragonmetalhead (Mar 4, 2012)

MadameButterfly said:


> got10 said:
> 
> 
> > I walk my Gus whenever I get the free time to do so but they are usually just in my fenced in yard when they are roaming . I do take them out with me to the pet friendly shops and to the park .But I only keep them on my lap only in the parks if there are dogs present. Some of my Gu's don't like dogs at all and others are indifferent to them . Plus I don't want my big ones eating someones "pocket pups".
> ...



It is possible to get dogs and tegus to get along. I have a pair of miniature dachshunds and they LOVE it whenever Kodo is out. He is surprisingly tolerant of them, even letting Vienna lick him in the face. He tends to just walk away from situations he doesn't like and most of the time he just ignores the dogs. The only issues are when he's in his tank and a dog gets too close (then the huffing starts) and if the dogs try to goad him into playing (he doesn't understand that) and I can't let the dogs in my room when he's feeding. Any interspecies interaction needs to be HIGHLY SUPERVISED so the animals don't hurt each other. I would wait until your tegu has some size before having a direct, face-to-face meeting with the dog, larger lizards typically have less fear of bigger animals.


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## MadameButterfly (Mar 7, 2012)

dragonmetalhead said:


> MadameButterfly said:
> 
> 
> > got10 said:
> ...



To be honest the dog has no real training even around humans so I plan on changing that, she is female but may as well be the alpha male at this point because there is no control over her and she run's the house.

She isn't agressive or anything but she has no basic training like "Sit" or "Stay" or anything like that (I didn't have anything to do with her current training) and the dog more or less runs stuff, if one person is eating the other has to sit with the dog in another room and the dog took over one bedroom and everyone is afraid to change that now so one person sleeps in the sitting room downstairs now on the chair while the dog sleeps on a double bed upstairs, I know how to deal with dogs like her and I will be dealing with her in 2 weeks (In a nice way) but I was just curious can you also train a dog to accept a tegu as normal?


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## Orion (Mar 7, 2012)

I let my Tegus roam my yard and I do get curios neighbors that ask questions and I find that they are pretty open minded. Kids love them. I have 2 large dogs and they get along great with the Tegus. My large male Tegu always goes over to the area where the dog food bowls are to see if anything dropped....he likes dry dog food. I did have my female try to eat some dog poop last summer I grabbed her before she could get it down and she spit it out. We have foxes that come in the yard so I am more vigilant now about clean up of all dog poop.


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