getting back to Nicholas about the "mean ig" post below ...

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Posted by iZ's mom on April 26, 2001 at 19:26:18:

thought i'd restart up here so it doesn't get lost below ...

at 2.5', your ig still has alot of growing up to do and is still very much in the "baby stage" of life ... not quite as skittish + fearful as a hatchling, but still not totally sure he wants to trust you allllll the time ... i still think it's more fear than meanness at this point ...

notice exactly what you're doing right before and while, your ig reacts badly to you ... igs tend to "zone out" and even when you *think* they're lookin' right at you, they're day-dreaming + off in another world ~ all of a sudden they 'come to' and see you right in front of them + they don't know how you got there! start talking to your ig when you're half a room away so he knows you're there ...

don't LOOM OVER him! best to be at his eye level (or lower!) when approaching him ... standing over him starts up his defensive instincts cuz you're acting like a predator ... talk talk talk to him ... rub his back or his head, whichever he likes best, before picking him up ...

when yo go to pick him up, don't put your hand "over" him, pick him up from underneath ... iZ taught me that he feels safer + more in control if i put one hand under his lower belly and then give him a second or 2 to grab onto my wrist with his back legs ... (which is why my wrists always look like this!) ... alot of an ig's power/strength is in their back legs + tail, so if THAT part feels secure, they're gonna be more relaxed ... once he's got a grip on my wrist, i put my other hand under his upper chest, pause a second so he's aware that i *do* have him supported and then lift + put him on my shoulder ... piece o' cake ... (also! by picking up the rear portion 1st, they're in less of a position to snap at you ... )

picking an ig up when they're on the floor can be tricky ... you can't really get to HIS eye level ... approach SLOWLY and best to approach from the tail end rather than face to face ... iZ + i have been together for 5+ yrs + he's a sweetie, but getting him off the floor *still* requires a good deal of finesse on my part ...

keep in mind that igs ARE WILD ANIMALS ... it totally AGAINST everything they *are* to trust a human being ... unlike dogs + cats who are pretty much *born* loving us, with igs, you have got to EARN it every single day ... they have to be shown over + over + over + over again, that you are not gonna eat them or hurt them and that it's ok to trust you ...

try very hard to have a set schedule + do the same things at the same time every single day ... that way, when your ig sees you coming, it will learn *what* to expect ... "oh! there's Nicholas, it's lunch time!" and "oh there he is *again* ... must be time to get in the tub!" ... by doing that, you take away alot of the *fear* he has when he doesn't have a clue what's gonna happen next ...

it's takes ALOT of patience on your part and alot MORE work, also on your part ... but it's MORE than worth the time + effort!

best wishes!
Bon. + iZ

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: thought i'd restart up here so it doesn't get lost below ... : at 2.5', your ig still has alot of growing up to do and is still very much in the "baby stage" of life ... not quite as skittish + fearful as a hatchling, but still not totally sure he wants to trust you allllll the time ... i still think it's more fear than meanness at this point ... : notice exactly what you're doing right before and while, your ig reacts badly to you ... igs tend to "zone out" and even when you *think* they're lookin' right at you, they're day-dreaming + off in another world ~ all of a sudden they 'come to' and see you right in front of them + they don't know how you got there! start talking to your ig when you're half a room away so he knows you're there ... : don't LOOM OVER him! best to be at his eye level (or lower!) when approaching him ... standing over him starts up his defensive instincts cuz you're acting like a predator ... talk talk talk to him ... rub his back or his head, whichever he likes best, before picking him up ... : when yo go to pick him up, don't put your hand "over" him, pick him up from underneath ... iZ taught me that he feels safer + more in control if i put one hand under his lower belly and then give him a second or 2 to grab onto my wrist with his back legs ... (which is why my wrists always look like this!) ... alot of an ig's power/strength is in their back legs + tail, so if THAT part feels secure, they're gonna be more relaxed ... once he's got a grip on my wrist, i put my other hand under his upper chest, pause a second so he's aware that i *do* have him supported and then lift + put him on my shoulder ... piece o' cake ... (also! by picking up the rear portion 1st, they're in less of a position to snap at you ... ) : picking an ig up when they're on the floor can be tricky ... you can't really get to HIS eye level ... approach SLOWLY and best to approach from the tail end rather than face to face ... iZ + i have been together for 5+ yrs + he's a sweetie, but getting him off the floor *still* requires a good deal of finesse on my part ... : keep in mind that igs ARE WILD ANIMALS ... it totally AGAINST everything they *are* to trust a human being ... unlike dogs + cats who are pretty much *born* loving us, with igs, you have got to EARN it every single day ... they have to be shown over + over + over + over again, that you are not gonna eat them or hurt them and that it's ok to trust you ... : try very hard to have a set schedule + do the same things at the same time every single day ... that way, when your ig sees you coming, it will learn *what* to expect ... <i>"oh! there's Nicholas, it's lunch time!"<i> and </i>"oh there he is *again* ... must be time to get in the tub!"</i> ... by doing that, you take away alot of the *fear* he has when he doesn't have a clue what's gonna happen next ... : it's takes ALOT of patience on your part and alot MORE work, also on your part ... but it's MORE than worth the time + effort! : best wishes! : Bon. + iZ

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