# Gold Tegu Taming Process?



## doomman550 (Nov 30, 2018)

So I started working at a small local pet store around 6 months ago and we've had this gold tegu and I've been working with him since. He used to huff and hiss but now he only runs. Because it is a store and not someone's home, I got a harness for him to use as a controlled environment. He seems to calm down after getting him out of his enclosure. He takes me on walks and climbs up to my shoulder now and then. He also jumps off and when trying to put the harness on he tries to bite. If he's touched at all he'll try to get away or arch his back. I feed him dubia roaches from tongs inside his enclosure and only try to interact with him when he's not in his dig box. Any help or advice would be appreciated. I have a massive interest in reptiles and am looking forward to learning as much as I can. Thank you in advance!


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## Problem Child (Nov 30, 2018)

Well since hes a golden tegu. Hes gonna c natually agressive .They are some of tha wilder 1's .But wat doin is good work just keep at it. Its all bout repetition hettin him ise 2 interaction with humans contact .I have 2 blacc&whites. I got luccy wit optimus .He took 2 me roght from tha jump .But my other 1 Megatron hes lil feisty he loves 2 hiss&talk a big game but never does anything .Now hes only hiss evey once in while now. Optimus ia bout 6months&Megatron is bout an month old


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## AlphaAlpha (Nov 30, 2018)

GOLDS ARE *NOT* NATURALLY AGGRESSIVE...... Sounds like you're doing a great job,persistance and patience is key, these animals are Smart and it takes a lot of trust for them to build a relationship.

Please always makesure you support him when letting him on your shoulder... tegu's are heavy ground living lizards that can reallyhurt themselves if they fall from a great hieght.


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## doomman550 (Dec 1, 2018)

He's less than a year and I always have him in the harness if he isn't in his enclosure. I also keep a close hold on the harness in case he decides to jump so I'm able to quickly and gently catch him or set him down. I just don't know how long this process of calming a gold tegu will take. I've been working with him for a few months now and I've seen progress made. I'm just worried I do something wrong and it has a long lasting effect on him. We're located in a small couple towns and I don't feel like he'll get a home. If he can get used to me and calm down I would think about taking him home, but I originally wanted a black and white tegu. I feel like that would be the best starting large lizard instead of "going for the gold" for a first time owner.


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## AlphaAlpha (Dec 2, 2018)

I've not really had the pleasure of dealing with an Argentine..... But my thinking is that because they are bigger, WE don't seam to be as much as a threat to them and so they are less timid/shy.... Alpha still doesn't enjoy the first pick up of each day but as soon as I do he soon changes and loves his head and nose tickling and hes never shown any aggression to me. 

I personelly see no difference in which you get as a first owner..... They both need the same care and effort putting in to them, infact probs the only difference I see is size and along with that comes COST.


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## doomman550 (Dec 2, 2018)

Any time I touch his head he opens his mouth but doesn’t actively try to bite. Should I just not do it or wait for him to get used to it?


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## DRedford (Dec 5, 2018)

I've had my Gold Tegu for about 3months now he's only small, I left him for a couple weeks when I first got him as I was going on holiday so my friend fead him a mixture of live bugs, once I arrived home and every day since, I wear a thin glove and slowly move my hand towards him, he normally whips me and runs when I get close and I started to get to the point where I could touch the underside of his chin, but he constantly watches my fingers and ive been bitten 3 times, he breathes deeply the whole time and he makes a funny noise, sounds like hiccups lol. So I am still unable to touch him without he going nuts which means I've been unable to bath him, I wanted to replace his substrate but I'm worried about him getting out of his enclosure as he did last time and I had to chase him to pick him up and put him back. I speak to him the whole time that I try to touch him, and I'm very slow and I keep my hand on the ground, if I use tonges to feed him he attacks the tonges rather than tries to eat what I'm offering, so I end up putting locust or crickets in the tank with him. Anyone got any advice? I've only ever owned a bearded dragon before this, so I've gone from an easy pet to a hard one


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## Bram040 (Aug 21, 2019)

I got the same problem, only mine doesnt attack me so far, it just runnes


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## Bram040 (Aug 21, 2019)

Ive got mine like 3 weeks ago, its like 15" and went realy patient so far, but it hasnt changed any behavior since i got him, just as skittish as the first day.
but today i got a little impatient i actually tryd to do the water taming method, filled a tub with water and all
But after like 10 minuts i still havent caught him(he's so fast) and he looked terrified. I decided to stop and put his hide back in the enclosure, then i tryd feeding him some pinkys with a fork, and he actualy took one for the first time from me.
All in all i dont think it was a good experiance for him (and me)I think i did more damage then good here but idk he did took the pinky


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## AlphaAlpha (Aug 21, 2019)

keep entering the enclosure not to catch but so you can start to respect each other and gain trust.... I personally had a box i put in the enclosure when alpha was so young and when he went in i would then cover so he couldn't get out to take him into a hall way where there was just me and him. I never had problems catching him to take him back but some times would just leave him with the same box to hide in and id carry him back.... I also always fed in a dish and am now only just getting him used to hand feeding.


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## Bram040 (Aug 21, 2019)

Aight thats a good idea with the box, ive also tryd putting in some worn clothes but it crawled in my sock and got stuck, and it got stuck in my t shirt, good thing i didnt have to work those days and i could free him first thing in the morning, could it be that my smell accociates him with being trapped and thus cause the panic reaction? U guys use rubber bands or anything to tie your clothes together?
Also and this i cant find anywhere,
He now shares his room with 2 cornsnakes and a chair and thats it, the room is upstairs and verry quiet, so the only thing moving that he sees all day is me opening that HUGE door of the room and than comming in to mess with his waterbowl and stuff and put down his food bowl. When the door open its kinda ok, but when i set 1 foot in de room he shoots away. 
I was wondering if i should move him to the livingroom( ive got plenty of room there)
If hes in the living room it will be much less quiet for him and sure he will be skittish at first but and this is the question, will he get used to people faster?
Ive seen it work with my parents cats, put 2 super shy new kittens in a small house with 2 dogs and and 2 other cats (verry busy), and just put em down and goodluck. 1 month of hinding and hissing haha and now the smalllest shyest kitten even attacks the dog to play, point is if there dropped in an busy environment will they addapt to that.
Now i know tegus are NOT kittens but i was wondering if it could help with being to skittish.
Do the people with good tegu successes keep there tegus(when they were yough anyway) in quiet seperate rooms? Or in kinda busy living/bedrooms?


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## AlphaAlpha (Aug 22, 2019)

just a take breath......... slow down with everything, it sounds to me like you could be panicking a lot..... a 15" Colombian is still young, tiny and 3 weeks is nothing....

I'd personally keep him where you will be keeping him once big but I do see your reasoning and it could be a valid point.....I also remember feeling like you and that I was never going to get anywhere but hold tight you will, it just takes time and patience but is well worth it.


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## Bram040 (Aug 22, 2019)

Haha yea i know if wont be easy, i knew that from the start, and im up for a challenge, (altough i havent got alot of reptile exp, got 2 cornsnakes) harder pets can be quite rewarding.
I also got a cat wich was found under the hood of a car, some chick with a small child got it. But it was way to much to handle for her since the cat spent his first 6-10 months on the streets and it bites and scratches and stuff and was not suitible to have with a 3 year old kid. but now after a few months here, well it still bites and scratches but only to play not to attack, he will always be biting prob and i dont mind i can hande it ,haha sometimes its just chewing on my hand looking at me like "wtf why doest this bother u" haha, its like having a mini tiger andnu should treat it that way and not as a normal house cat cuz it simply isnt, its definetly not easy and easy cat, but verry rewarding as is pretty big now like 5,5 kg (not fat at all) and you can wrestle with it as with a medium sized dog haha but after 10 mins of playing expect some bloody scratches and teethmarks all over  its does things like run towards u jump on wile ur standing up, and claw and climb up and sit on ur shoulder, like a bag of potatoes with nails hang on to you.
He even jumped me from the back and get up on my shoulders(blood came though my t shirt haha) then he bit my ear and jumped off ;p
And now sometimes he comes to me and lie with me on the couch and its so rewarding that he finaly trusts me enough to sleep near me, haha actualy had an hide for my cat at first haha, but its so much more rewarding then a pet that was easy from the start haha.

In what kind of room did u had alpha when he/she was young? LikebBedroom livingroom or seperate room or something else maybe?


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## AlphaAlpha (Aug 23, 2019)

Alpha has always and still is in my living room..... I also wasn't experienced in reptiles and have only ever had beardies.... just use common sense like you would with any other animal and I'm sure you'll be fine.

your cat sounds ace..... I used to breed siamese and oriental cats, one of my females used to love curling round my neck and the kittens used to do the climbing ****, sometimes upto 13 at a time......ooooouuuuucccchhhhhh


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## ItzBing (Oct 5, 2019)

doomman550 said:


> He's less than a year and I always have him in the harness if he isn't in his enclosure. I also keep a close hold on the harness in case he decides to jump so I'm able to quickly and gently catch him or set him down. I just don't know how long this process of calming a gold tegu will take. I've been working with him for a few months now and I've seen progress made. I'm just worried I do something wrong and it has a long lasting effect on him. We're located in a small couple towns and I don't feel like he'll get a home. If he can get used to me and calm down I would think about taking him home, but I originally wanted a black and white tegu. I feel like that would be the best starting large lizard instead of "going for the gold" for a first time owner.


U already seem to have a bond with the lil guy so I would keep that going an adopt the golden. Mine is 10 months old an I thought he was untamable but he is calm an we hold him an keep him around us to Rome on harness.


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