Posted by Dishy on July 23, 2000 at 14:51:48:
In Reply to: iZ has taught me a new trick! posted by iZ's mom on July 23, 2000 at 11:08:34:
:
: first i have to put a 'don't try this at home disclaimer' ...
: every time i do this, i'm totally prepared to be chomped, especially when he's also posturing/leaning at me!!! this is *NOT* how i would recommend people who are a bit newer at this react to a 5' ig's aggressive displays ... unless you also have lots of Betadine + steri-strips ... ig bites *hurt*!!!
: ok, now my story! i'm on my way to being such a well-trained humon! *grin*
: since the Alpha dance, when iZ does drop his dewlap + bobs at me, i reach up and rub the underside of his jaw + talk sweet to him ... i thought this was a way to tell him that his bobbing doesn't scare me any more and that i'm gonna touch him + love him even if he thinks he looks big + bad ... (i do keep my fingers tucked in tho!) ... this has worked pretty well, he instantly deflates + lets himself be pet + picked up ...
: well, i realized the other nite, that iZ has been training me to do exactly what he wants!!!! he's been having probs with a stuck shed on his back/sides and so when he's in the tub, i rub his back with the washcloth ... it was looking better so i didn't do it very long the other night ... as soon as i stopped, iZ does an elaborate shudder bob, followed by 3 'nose thrown up in the air' bobs and gives me a look to say "welllllllll!!?!?!??" ... so i rubbed his back some more! (i'm not dumb!) ... as soon as i stop, i get the same boboboobbobobob message + "the look" ... if i don't start rubbing his back, he repeats it!
: he's done this the last 2 nights and then last nite i was holding him for a while before bedtime and he shudder bobbed while i was holding him "rub my back humommy!" ... so i did!!! too funny!
: what really amazes me is this is one ig who *hated* baths and *hated* being rubbed to help him shed ... i think he's learned that both things really do make him feel better ...
: ya gotta wonder tho ... are we *really* training our igs???? i'm pretty sure they're training us!!!