(long post!) Time, patience and consistency are the keys to

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Posted by JNelson on April 02, 2001 at 10:52:21:

In Reply to: Help, young and aggresive. posted by Jeremy on April 01, 2001 at 19:54:30:

successfully taming your Iguana. Your Iguana probably was acting calm the first few days because he/she was stressed out. They do not like changes in their environment, etc. so your little one is probably coming out of it's dazed faze right about now.

I usually start by talking to my Igs, getting them used to my voice. You can put an old tee shirt with your smell on it in their enclosure to get them used to your scent as well.

When approaching your Iguana to pick it up, always try to come from underneath instead of overhead because they see you as the predator. If your baby flips every time you try to pick him/her up, then just try placing your hand nearby and talking to him/her for a few days and let him/her get used to that first. DO NOT grab your Ig by the tail or a limb because this can cause injury. Once you have him/her in your hands, let him/her go from hand to hand until he/she calms down and then begin to pet and talk to him/her.I talk to my Igs the WHOLE time I'm holding them.

After a few weeks of this you can begin tub training if you like. This is not only good for potty training, but helps to keep the skin hydrated, especially during a shed. Fill the tub with a few inches of luke-warm water. Make sure it's not too deep and that your Iguana can get a good foothold. Let them soak for several minutes each time and eventually, if all goes as planned, in a few weeks or months he/she will start using the potty in the water. Be sure to clean and disinfect the tub when finished.

The most important thing is that you do these things on a regular basis. Try to stick the same routine each day. My typical routine is this:

9:00 a.m. lights on/Bathtime/cuddletime
9:45ish Prepare food plates
Sometime in the early afternoon at least 20 minute holding session. Sometimes more or less depending. The older your Ig, the more you will get to know their signals. My older Ig, Baby, will let me know when he's ready to get down. I respect that. It's how you earn their trust.
5:00 p.m. replenish salad plates if needed
Late evening, another holding session
10:00 p.m. lights out
(the reason for one bath, is that mine are trained to go in their water tub so if they need to potty later in the day, they use that.)

I also spritz my Igs a few times each day and they seem to enjoy that. I'm sure I've left off several items and hopefully others can fill you in on them and give you some links to check out. Just remember, you are in for a long commitment. Keep reading, coming to the forum for help and advice and prepare yourself so you can give your new baby proper care. I've left my site below so you can feel free to check out the great Iguanas we've had the priviledge to work with along with our own Iguana, Baby. Take care and good luck, J

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: successfully taming your Iguana. Your Iguana probably was acting calm the first few days because he/she was stressed out. They do not like changes in their environment, etc. so your little one is probably coming out of it's dazed faze right about now. : I usually start by talking to my Igs, getting them used to my voice. You can put an old tee shirt with your smell on it in their enclosure to get them used to your scent as well. : When approaching your Iguana to pick it up, always try to come from underneath instead of overhead because they see you as the predator. If your baby flips every time you try to pick him/her up, then just try placing your hand nearby and talking to him/her for a few days and let him/her get used to that first. DO NOT grab your Ig by the tail or a limb because this can cause injury. Once you have him/her in your hands, let him/her go from hand to hand until he/she calms down and then begin to pet and talk to him/her.I talk to my Igs the WHOLE time I'm holding them. : After a few weeks of this you can begin tub training if you like. This is not only good for potty training, but helps to keep the skin hydrated, especially during a shed. Fill the tub with a few inches of luke-warm water. Make sure it's not too deep and that your Iguana can get a good foothold. Let them soak for several minutes each time and eventually, if all goes as planned, in a few weeks or months he/she will start using the potty in the water. Be sure to clean and disinfect the tub when finished. : The most important thing is that you do these things on a regular basis. Try to stick the same routine each day. My typical routine is this: : 9:00 a.m. lights on/Bathtime/cuddletime : 9:45ish Prepare food plates : Sometime in the early afternoon at least 20 minute holding session. Sometimes more or less depending. The older your Ig, the more you will get to know their signals. My older Ig, Baby, will let me know when he's ready to get down. I respect that. It's how you earn their trust. : 5:00 p.m. replenish salad plates if needed : Late evening, another holding session : 10:00 p.m. lights out : (the reason for one bath, is that mine are trained to go in their water tub so if they need to potty later in the day, they use that.) : I also spritz my Igs a few times each day and they seem to enjoy that. I'm sure I've left off several items and hopefully others can fill you in on them and give you some links to check out. Just remember, you are in for a long commitment. Keep reading, coming to the forum for help and advice and prepare yourself so you can give your new baby proper care. I've left my site below so you can feel free to check out the great Iguanas we've had the priviledge to work with along with our own Iguana, Baby. Take care and good luck, J

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