# is it possible to potty train a tegu?



## elliotuk (Feb 20, 2012)

ive just got my new tegu a couple of days ago, its lovely but unfortunately it looks like it has decided that it's toilet is going to be my cream carpet in the living room.

Both times its needed the toilet its waited for me to open the viv, its wondered out and taken a massive dump on my cream carpet, then its dragged it's bum along it to wipe itself off, looked at me as if to say "there ya go mate enjoy" and gone back in it's viv. LOL

seriously though this is gonna be a problem as it seems to enjoy eating berries and therefore its poop definately stains a cream carpet.

Is there any way I can train it to poop elsewhere? or if i get a cat litter tray in the room is it likely to go in that?

thanks


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## Dana C (Feb 20, 2012)

Gordo won't go in his cage. I take him to the bathroom every afternoon if he is awake. He still isn't awake more than 4-6 hours. I put him in the bathtub filled with an appropriate amount of warm water. After enjoying the soak for 10-20 minutes, he does his business and wants out. I drain the tub and what he left goes down the drain. I spray the tub with a little bleach, rinse and both he and I are done. No muss, no fuss. 


While this isn't perhaps what you were thinking of, it is a form of training. He seems to know that he will get a bath and poo everyday at roughly the same time. The more frantic to get out the more he needs to go. I think that making the routine constant, meaning the same time everyday, is the key.


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## Hybrid (Feb 20, 2012)

I always here you can't but I think it might be because people don't try. Iguanas can be potty trained so why not tegus? I've seen Iguanas trained to climb up a ramp to the toilet and go there. I don't know how you'd do that though lol


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## Dana C (Feb 20, 2012)

I don't regard Gordo as being potty trained in the traditional sense. I take advantage of his desire for cleanliness and introduced routine. He now knows he will get to crap in the bath tub and will hold it until then.


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## elliotuk (Feb 20, 2012)

edited


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## reptastic (Feb 20, 2012)

They are very smart, then can be trained in a sense, they like routine, like stated above, I start out when they are young before they are allowed to free roam they ae put in the tub, they always poop in There, I had one tegu who wouldn't go anywere except in the yard or the tub whiched worked great because she free roamed 90% of the day, you just have to stick with it and eventually your tegu will pick up


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## elliotuk (Feb 20, 2012)

problem is atm its a young tegu that ive had for only 2 days, its about 4-5 months old. its a little bit scared of me and will freak out if i try and pick it up, so ive just been sitting near the viv and after a while it comes out to investigate, but if i put my hand near it it will run off.

i dont wanna stress it too much atm by picking it up everyday to put it in the bath, i get the impression from reading around that its best to use the hands off method and let it come to you until its more tame? or do you think its ok to pick it up even if it struggles and freaks out and it will just get used to it?

and do you think i shouldnt be letting it roam around the house yet when its still young and new to it's viv?


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## got10 (Feb 20, 2012)

All my big ones go outside during the warm weather But, when it is too cold for them to be outside but not sleepy time i use a piece if astro turf that you put outside of the door like a doormat. I place it in the corner of the room that they will be roaming around in ,close to the litter pan they invariably get close to but not always into. works for me . it took about three weeks of being home to attempt it . But it worked out pretty well.And in the summer if they are out in the living room area they scratch the door to get out and use the grassy area they tend to hang out in.But the only problem I have is the springtime when they FIRST wake up and the males drag through the po to mark what they think is theirs .


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## Draco D Tegu (Feb 21, 2012)

Ellio.....I found the best way to "pick up" a tegu is not to hold him too tightly...he will poop on you (Gator did it a lot to me until I figured it out). Try to get the tegu to come to you, don't force yourself on him, eventually he will get curious and want to explore you and be interested enough to come to you. You can pick him up and then put him in the crook of your arm, like you would cradle a football. They seem to prefer that to being held like you would a smaller lizard.

PS I agree.....use the tub method. It works wonders....only one caveat, make sure you have an open drain and not drain that raises with a lever. Sometimes the poop doesn't go down the drain in my tub so I have to let the water drain and then wipe it out with a paper towel for the urates.


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## Kimmie (Feb 28, 2012)

Cookie do potty I pick him up close everyday and put him in a big box with some hot water and then he does what he needs to, sometimes even 2 times so wait abit to let them finish they will learn that it is there they can do their thing ^^


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## Rhetoric (Mar 3, 2012)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Gr1Qyc6MzM

A member on this forum had one that seemed to be on a set schedule.


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## Dana C (Mar 3, 2012)

I am sure they can. It is not like they are going to be trainable in the sense that they will use a litter box, but they can be trained to not crap in their cages.
For instance, yesterday, Gordo was awake and frantic to get out. That is the take me to the bath I have to go really bad sign. I got him into the bathroom, put him down and while I was filling the tub, he pee'd and expelled some urates. Poor guy just couldn't hold it. I put him into the bath right after that and he finished his business. In the four months I have owned him, he has never gone in his cage and only did it on the floor twice and that was because I didn't quite know what he was trying to tell me. Afternoon is the usual time he has to do his thing.


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## Dana C (Mar 19, 2012)

I know this is an aging topic but today was interesting enough to mention.
I took Gordo into the bathroom after he woke up and inicated that he wanted out. I filled the bath part way with warm water and after a few minutes he did his thing and wanted out. He climbed out and I put his salad plate full of turkey, beef heart, liver, gizzard & egg goo down on the bathroom floor. He knows the sound of a stoneware plate hitting the floor and is on it! He ate a huge amount, climbed up on me and relaxed. After getting pets, strokes and attention, he wandered around and took a few more bites. After maybe 15 minutes he crawled up on me again and this time crawled over my chest and shoulder and dropped into the bath again. He got comfortable, took another crap and climbed out.

Now that is potty trained in my humble opinion. 
That's my boy!


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## m3s4 (Mar 19, 2012)

Dana C said:


> I know this is an aging topic but today was interesting enough to mention.
> I took Gordo into the bathroom after he woke up and inicated that he wanted out. I filled the bath part way with warm water and after a few minutes he did his thing and wanted out. He climbed out and I put his salad plate full of turkey, beef heart, liver, gizzard & egg goo down on the bathroom floor. He knows the sound of a stoneware plate hitting the floor and is on it! He ate a huge amount, climbed up on me and relaxed. After getting pets, strokes and attention, he wandered around and took a few more bites. After maybe 15 minutes he crawled up on me again and this time crawled over my chest and shoulder and dropped into the bath again. He got comfortable, took another crap and climbed out.
> 
> Now that is potty trained in my humble opinion.
> That's my boy!



Nice, I'd have to agree with you. 

My gold always let us know when it was time for him to go. He'd wait until we got him into the tub and promptly go. 

As soon as he was done, if I didn't pick him up, he was hopping out. 

He knew, as much as I did, that the tub was the place to go. He even went on occasions when there was no water in it yet...So that tells me he wasn't just reacting to warm water and getting relaxed, he was well aware of what to do once he was placed inside of a tub. 

I'd say, based off of your description, your tegu is in the same boat - err tub if you will 

Our routines + their memory really work wonders.


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## Dana C (Mar 26, 2012)

I was successful with the use of a yellow kiddy toilet seat with a little ducky thing on the front... HAHAHAHAHHAHA 
Sorry, I just couldn't help it.


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## satomi325 (Mar 26, 2012)

Yes. It is possible to potty train a tegu.
I know someone at my local reptile rescue who's tegu is a regular user of a litter box. It wasn't easy, it took a lot of repetition and positive reinforcement. (Like any other house broken animal)


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## Dana C (Mar 26, 2012)

My Tegu has never gone #1 or 2 in his cage. He waits for the bath tub which is fine with me as I turn on the shower and rinse it out. I spray it with bleach as well.


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## Darwin the Tegu (May 30, 2012)

If he does freak out and wiggle, still pick him up anyways, hold him close and he'll calm down. Almost all lizards will do this, he just needs to get use to being picked up and held by you. Best way to pick him up, slide your hand under his belly and slowly and gently pick him up. and as for letting him roam, i'd get a reptile harness to put on him so if he tries to run he wont get very far.


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