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Tegu trying to bite me now

Mikeiam

Member
Messages
38
Okay so I have a 7-8 month old tegu I have had her for a little over a month and she is starting to want to bite me when I try and pet her , I feel as if she thinks my hands food but before she wasn’t like that so any advice would help
 

Mikeiam

Member
Messages
38
It’s been hard to interact with her I still get her out of her cage and give her roam time I feed her with the togs and pet her she’s fine I soak her and everything but she just real bitey when she hungry and snaps at anything in front of her face , any advice ?
 

AlphaAlpha

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This is just my opinion and not tested practice by me as I don't tend to feed with tongs........React as quick as possible to the first lunge with a yell to distract her and remove the food......... try again.... If she lunges again repeat and take the food away for 10 mins..... try again..... If she lunges take the food away completely and try again next day.
 

Walter1

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This is just my opinion and not tested practice by me as I don't tend to feed with tongs........React as quick as possible to the first lunge with a yell to distract her and remove the food......... try again.... If she lunges again repeat and take the food away for 10 mins..... try again..... If she lunges take the food away completely and try again next day.
That's exactly what you do! If afyer a lunge, you drop the food, you've rewarded and subsequently enforced bad behavior.
 

Lochlan

Member
Messages
53
Maybe try feeding her with the food on a dish, I am not very experienced my self with tegus I've only had mine for about 4 months but this helped when my tegu started biting he bit me a couple of times and did draw blood but he did stop after 2 weeks of testing I found that I have to work with him more like a dog then a lizard like a bearded dragon they are very intelligent and learn from their every experience
 

bocacash

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Remember, in the wild they HAVE to lunge/attack their live prey...or they don't eat! It is thousands of years of learned behavior...and very essential to individual and, ultimately, species survival. You/we are NOT going to change it immediately...it takes awhile. That being said, Tegu's are very intelligent and learn fairly quickly...consistency being very important ! As has been said don't drop/give him the food when he lunges, especially, if he bites...take it away. He KNOWS what it is thru smell and visual...he will associate lunging/biting with failure and try another approach. Like training ANY animal, move in increments in the direction you want his behavior to go...he won't learn it all at once. If/when he makes a slower/calmer approach, give him the food, even if he isn't perfect...move him in the right direction. I used gloves at first...just so I wouldn't jerk away...and to show my Jessie that he couldn't hurt me. As he calmed down, I took the gloves off...now he starts flicking his tongue (smelling) and moving towards my hand/food...he snatches the live food and sticks his head in the bowl of other food...eating while my fingers are still there. Believe me, it is a gratifying feeling and worth all the effort ! Good Luck !
 

Mikeiam

Member
Messages
38
I’ve been doing this lately not giving in when she lunges she seems to calm down when I take it and tell her no and go at it again after 3-5 minutes , I hold her and let her roam my room everyday still and she gets her soaks . She loves roaming but is skittish . I believe she is going through tegu pruberty because all my progress I had with her trust and stuff is gone she use to not jump when I walked by her and pet her now she does I know it’s a stage and I’m in the process of potty training her rn as well!!
 

Lochlan

Member
Messages
53
I’ve been doing this lately not giving in when she lunges she seems to calm down when I take it and tell her no and go at it again after 3-5 minutes , I hold her and let her roam my room everyday still and she gets her soaks . She loves roaming but is skittish . I believe she is going through tegu pruberty because all my progress I had with her trust and stuff is gone she use to not jump when I walked by her and pet her now she does I know it’s a stage and I’m in the process of potty training her rn as well!!
I'm in the same process as you right now so I guess we'll have to just learn together, good luck
 

Walter1

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I'm curious about how goes the potty training.

As for puberty, remain flexible/firm. You'll both make out fine.

Remember they want rules to understand the world around them.
 

AlphaAlpha

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I'm curious about how goes the potty training.

As for puberty, remain flexible/firm. You'll both make out fine.

Remember they want rules to understand the world around them.

couldn't agree more about them needing boundaries and rules just like any other animal you'd have as a pet.
 

Mikeiam

Member
Messages
38
It’s funny cuz she really does calm down after I tell her with a storm voice to stop jumping for the food lol but yea the potty training is basically just getting her to go where it’s more convenient like on puppy pads she already waits to use the restroom till she’s out of her cage but she goes wherever she wants in the room and I hate it lol
 

Lochlan

Member
Messages
53
I'm experimenting with potty training as well I just have him go poop in Crystal cat litter before I let him play
IMG_20200221_183516.jpg
IMG_20200218_161332.jpg


He is currently 25 inches
 

Catnlion

New Member
Messages
10
So I do not yet have a Tegu so this is an off-the-cuff thought.

Can you clicker train a Tegu like other animals so that the click is associated with food? So you click you feed. They do something you want you click and give food reward etc?
 

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