# In need of major help!!!!



## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

First i would like to say that things are going awesome between my and my blk and white gu....Now Draco my giant is another story and im getting very worried!

I am trying to tame him the same way i tamed Eragon....I had their enclosure specially built so that i could sit on the floor and have the opening right in front of me so that the taming process would be easier...since we are on the same level and i wouldnt have to reach down on them....I started by just putting my arms in the enclosure and wait for them to come to me and allow them to crawl on me....(the only one this has worked on is Eragon) Draco huffs and puffs with having my arms from the elbow down in enclosure and no were near him and this has been going on over a week....i have been nipped 3x's twice on tips of fingers and once on back of hand and although this hurt extremely thats not bothering me as much as what he started today....when i put my arms in his enclosure to do are daily taming process he huffed and puffed and then started raming himself into the enclosure walls traying to get out!!! Mind you my arms were in the enclosure but not near him.....


I have no idea what else to do...he seems to be getting worse and not better...I have not tempted to pick him up since he wont even let me close enough to pet him.....



What should i do???? :bang


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## Anthony (Aug 10, 2009)

i think u just have to take ur time with it and go slow... keep holding your other tegu that lets u and just go slow with the other and dont try to hold it til it calms down.... mine darted crazy like that at first but after a few days calmed down.... i think ull be fine


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## throneofjade (Aug 10, 2009)

http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.php?t=7291&highlight=taming+tegu

Maybe this will help. How long have you had Draco? Do you have any type of glove? Don't worry I'm sure you can tame him.


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## GOT_TEGUS (Aug 10, 2009)

throneofjade said:


> http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.php?t=7291&highlight=taming+tegu
> 
> Maybe this will help. How long have you had Draco? Do you have any type of glove? Don't worry I'm sure you can tame him.



well rick learned alot about tegus from Bobby. it is great info and again Bobby and this forum has lots of info on taming GUs . thanks for sharing.

JD


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

throneofjade said:


> http://www.thetegu.com/showthread.php?t=7291&highlight=taming+tegu
> 
> Maybe this will help. How long have you had Draco? Do you have any type of glove? Don't worry I'm sure you can tame him.





yeah, i have read that article and also bobby's....im pretty much doing everything suggested minus the gloves because i want him familiar with my hands and my sent but i may have to resort to gloves but not going to try it yet seeing how just being in his enclosure is scaring him half to death, i could only imagine how he would react to a gloved hand...and i already have an item with my sent in enclosure but thanks for the suggestion....Im more concerned about him hurting himself severly trying to get away and was curious if anyone else had one with the same taming problems and what thet did...


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

sorry i have had him going on two wks now i think...


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## Jefroka (Aug 10, 2009)

Are you using a seperate feeding bin?


...Jefroka


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

Jefroka said:


> Are you using a seperate feeding bin?
> 
> 
> ...Jefroka





Not yet because he wont let me touch him...but i do put down a big piece of cardboard and use a feed dish.....while Eragon eats his meals in a bin....thats the best i can do at this point...


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## Jefroka (Aug 10, 2009)

Here's an idea. Form a walkway of some type, that leads out of the cage and into another enclosure that has the food in it. The idea is to get them leaving the cage to eat. Perhaps this could do some good. Other than that I would play hard to get and let him come to you. Perhaps in time he will have a change of heart, but right now it appears he needs his space.

Best of luck!


...Jefroka


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

Jefroka said:


> Here's an idea. Form a walkway of some type, that leads out of the cage and into another enclosure that has the food in it. The idea is to get them leaving the cage to eat. Perhaps this could do some good. Other than that I would play hard to get and let him come to you. Perhaps in time he will have a change of heart, but right now it appears he needs his space.
> 
> Best of luck!
> 
> ...






Thanks for input but by giving him space, to me, just puts off the trust and bonding process and dont really help the problem because thats lost time as he gets older and maybe get worse.....but thanks for trying to help....Im not going to stop trying but was hoping someone else would have a differ. suggestion about away to go about it then what im doing that i could try...because ignoring him and not going after him and just putting my hands in enclosure for him to get used to me doesnt seem to be working but until a better idea comes along, i will keep with what im doing and hope for the best....


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## AWD247 (Aug 10, 2009)

koikaren,

The glove technique mentioned before actually works, I've done it many of time with stubborn monitors, im not so sure it knowing your scent right now is the problem with wearing gloves, sounds like your Gu is sizing you up and doesnt trust the idea of "hands" gloved or not, being approched and held, I think thats what you have to tackle 1st, and welding gloves will protect you from a bite should it happen, I think once you get it in your hands and hold it for a few, then repeat a few times, it will start to understand your not a threat. Ive done this with large monitors 3-4 times a day, for about 10-15 minutes at a time, 
Now IDk how much, If any, stress this would put on a Tegu, but while working with monitors they would calm down alot once held properly.

Just a thought. If your not comfortable with that, maybe you should just talk directly with Bobby, maybe he knows some better ways to approach the situation in a less stressful way for both of you.

Goodluck, keep us posted


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

AWD247 said:


> koikaren,
> 
> The glove technique mentioned before actually works, I've done it many of time with stubborn monitors, im not so sure it knowing your scent right now is the problem with wearing gloves, sounds like your Gu is sizing you up and doesnt trust the idea of "hands" gloved or not, being approched and held, I think thats what you have to tackle 1st, and welding gloves will protect you from a bite should it happen, I think once you get it in your hands and hold it for a few, then repeat a few times, it will start to understand your not a threat. Ive done this with large monitors 3-4 times a day, for about 10-15 minutes at a time,
> Now IDk how much, If any, stress this would put on a Tegu, but while working with monitors they would calm down alot once held properly.
> ...




Thanks so much for suggestion and will purchase gloves and see how he acts. I just dont want to totally stress him out....Will let you know how it goes after i purchase gloves tomorrow.....im sure a bite will happen he has already nipped me 2xs on fingers and once on back of hand...that dont feel so hot, not looking forward to a good bite...lol
I dont want to push him but i dont want him to continue getting older with no foundation of some sort of trust and bond...


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## Jefroka (Aug 10, 2009)

When I transfered my tegu to an intermediate cage he became timid for a few days, even a little aggressive. I have always fed mine (except for a few crickets the first two days I had him), in a seperate feeding bin. When he is hungry, he has to come to me, climb my arm to my shoulder and then to his feeding bin or he doesn't eat. 

I wasn't being sarcastic by saying you should play hard to get. What has worked for me when he acted up for those two days was waiting for him to come to me.

I gambled with the fact that my tegu was smart enough to know that if it wanted out, it had to climb my arm to do so. My hunch payed off for me, perhaps it can work for you also.

I'm just suggesting that perhaps backing away for a day or two may make your tegu come to you.

I wish you much luck.


...Jefroka


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## White_Lotus (Aug 10, 2009)

scientifically speaking...if putting your hand(unprotected) into the cage is NOT working and shows no sign of progress why keep going with it?..now this might have work with Eragon but Draco is an entirely different creature with different views, different takes on situations, and obviously a lot less temperament...i actually left my tegu alone for an entire week just did spot cleaning, water changing, fed her on cardboard w/o any petting, holding, or even looking at her. I acted like shewasn't even in the cage, and eventually she came around...the best thing to do in this situation is ignore him..let him know he has his own space because right now you are invading somewhere you arent wanted(by the sound of it)and his raming into the wall is a sign of leave him alone, yes the glove technique may work but do remember monitors are monitors, tegus are tegus, but the safest way to help tame down this tegu is to wait patiently..i learned the hard way chasing after your tegu is not the best way to get them to come around...just give him some space and he will come out in curiousity...patience is a virtue bud


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

White_Lotus said:


> scientifically speaking...if putting your hand(unprotected) into the cage is NOT working and shows no sign of progress why keep going with it?..now this might have work with Eragon but Draco is an entirely different creature with different views, different takes on situations, and obviously a lot less temperament...i actually left my tegu alone for an entire week just did spot cleaning, water changing, fed her on cardboard w/o any petting, holding, or even looking at her. I acted like shewasn't even in the cage, and eventually she came around...the best thing to do in this situation is ignore him..let him know he has his own space because right now you are invading somewhere you arent wanted(by the sound of it)and his raming into the wall is a sign of leave him alone, yes the glove technique may work but do remember monitors are monitors, tegus are tegus, but the safest way to help tame down this tegu is to wait patiently..i learned the hard way chasing after your tegu is not the best way to get them to come around...just give him some space and he will come out in curiousity...patience is a virtue bud





thanks for input but just for clarification purpose i was not chasing him and just had my hands in enclosure for him to get used to me and i dont like the response i was getting hence the need advice.....thanks for input though. Oh and thats not really a scientific thing thats more of a commen sence thing and no two of anything is alike....just sayin... :roll:


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

Jefroka said:


> When I transfered my tegu to an intermediate cage he became timid for a few days, even a little aggressive. I have always fed mine (except for a few crickets the first two days I had him), in a seperate feeding bin. When he is hungry, he has to come to me, climb my arm to my shoulder and then to his feeding bin or he doesn't eat.
> 
> I wasn't being sarcastic by saying you should play hard to get. What has worked for me when he acted up for those two days was waiting for him to come to me.
> 
> ...




Im really glad you had such a good response from your baby.....and thanks for input...


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## White_Lotus (Aug 10, 2009)

leaving your hand in the enclosure of an animal that bites you isn't any better than chasing...that sort of behavior i would understand from a columbian but from an argentine i wouldn't unless it was stressed...leave it alone, poop pick up, water changing, food drop offs and pick ups arent the same as leaving your hand in the cage...its not responding well to your attempts the point i was getting at was change our approach...just try ignoring him, do what you have to do in his enclosure but other than that stay out of it...give him time to recooperate at least..

short side story: my tegu slowly became more aggresive towards me one day i'm not sure why, but she started whipping hissing, back arching...i left her in her cage for 3 days i did only the necesities after 3 days she was climbing up my arm and resting on my shoulders...i left her in her cage for another 4 days after that happened she doesnt exhibit any sort of aggression towards me, i feed her in a separate bin now and she is more than willing to eat in it, i take her outside now for free roams(with a harness of course neighborhood has dogs and i don't trust em)she's more tame than my gf's dogs now...all from the ignore technique. Thank you Bobby for suggesting it


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## koikaren (Aug 10, 2009)

White_Lotus said:


> leaving your hand in the enclosure of an animal that bites you isn't any better than chasing...that sort of behavior i would understand from a columbian but from an argentine i wouldn't unless it was stressed...leave it alone, poop pick up, water changing, food drop offs and pick ups arent the same as leaving your hand in the cage...its not responding well to your attempts the point i was getting at was change our approach...just try ignoring him, do what you have to do in his enclosure but other than that stay out of it...give him time to recooperate at least..
> 
> short side story: my tegu slowly became more aggresive towards me one day i'm not sure why, but she started whipping hissing, back arching...i left her in her cage for 3 days i did only the necesities after 3 days she was climbing up my arm and resting on my shoulders...i left her in her cage for another 4 days after that happened she doesnt exhibit any sort of aggression towards me, i feed her in a separate bin now and she is more than willing to eat in it, i take her outside now for free roams(with a harness of course neighborhood has dogs and i don't trust em)she's more tame than my gf's dogs now...all from the ignore technique. Thank you Bobby for suggesting it





thanks


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