People friendly

[kjphoto04]

I would like my tegu to be friendly out and about and around other people. Kinda like to be able to educate some people about them. But I have been reading in other posts that even the tamest ones bite! I would just like some good suggestions on getting her to be ok with other people and maybe even calm dogs. When and how sould I get her used to these situations?

 

[DaveDragon]

How old is your Tegu? An adult Tegu would be best for education purposes, younger ones tend to be nervous (lower on the food chain). Get a harness that fits and use it just in case. You need to introduce him to new situations slowly, a little at a time. They need to know that they're in no danger. Not all Tegu's can be "dog tame". Our 4 year old male Blue is about as mellow as it gets, I totally trust him. The 2 females aren't trusted as much, they are tolerant (most of the time), but we haven't worked with them as much. Our big male Red is also "dog tame", he's just alot bigger and if he decides he doesn't want to be held I need to listen. The male Blue has been held & passed around at 2 reptiles show for 8 hours (non-stop) and he did great! Not all Tegu's will get to that point but if you work with them and they learn to trust you, you might get lucky.

 

[kjphoto04]

She is about 7 months old. At what age should I start? Do you find males are more trustworthy?

 

[DaveDragon]

That's about the age they seem to go through "puberty" and become a bit wild for a month or so. You can start whenever you want, just don't push him too hard, you need to earn his trust for it to work.

I don't know if males are more trustworthy, they all have personalities just like we do, they will vary even among siblings.

 

[Schnab]

I'm getting my tegu used to people activity by inviting some friends over and chill near the tank. We either watch a movie or play games. People around my neighbourhood are very close-minded and stereotypical about reptiles. But once I can get my tegu out on his leash and show them other wise, hopefully they'll change their minds.