Iguana training

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wildheart

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All who are owned by an iguana will know just how much effort went into this training. It is almost a year now that Forest roams free in our garden and I have to say that I am incredibly proud of him!
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We have huge trees and I am still shocked that his instinct has not got the better of him YET. It took DAILY training, blocking him, turning him around, picking him up and catching all the crocodile rolls etc. etc. I am exhausted just thinking of it again.
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But he learned, he learned very fast where he was allowed to go and where not, only around the pool, on the stoep by our bedroom, in the 2 separate herb gardens and the garden with the trees are off limits. He is so used to just laying around the pool that the birds walk right up to him and he does not even wink. What happens in this video only happens about 2,3 times a month, he normally remembers to go poop first. I was just lucky that I had the camera with me, I was actually filming my parrot bathing.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DP02dx-n4yk

I was very stupid and planted fennel in the garden itself, I also took him there for a bite - 2009. I realised that it defeated the whole purpose of training him NOT to go into the garden so I removed the fennel. In the beginning of this month Forest wondered off in the direction of the forbidden garden, I decided to follow him and see what exactly his plan was. He walked straight to where the fennel was planted - right at the back against the wall! He REMEMBERED from more than a year ago!
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... to all iguanas out there!

I also trained him to climb in the bath and poop there when the tunnel door is closed.

Just a reminder, my iguana is not an easy going guy. He always try and dominate me and has a solid will of his own. He trusts me, but I will never trust him (dont let that sound bad). I do LOVE HIM with all my heart.
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GoFast

Gray-bearded Member
Well done!

Your set up for him is fantastic, too. How long did that take to actually plan and finish, or is it a constantly evolving thing?
 

wildheart

Member
Original Poster
Thanks. :lol:

We had the outdoor cage at our previous house and it took 3 weeks to build there. When we moved we took it with us and it took 2 weekends to put up at the new house. It needs constant maintenance because of weathering thou.

The room took a full month to paint and put the ledges up, Forest was involved in ALL of it. :lol: The trees in his room took months to find because I just did not have the heart to cut down healthy trees. :cry: We eventually found a forest that was burned down and the trees were damaged badly and died. I chose 2 good ones but it was too heavy for me and my husband to lift it onto the trailer so we had to find workers to help us. When we finally got it home we lowered it into the pool and left it there for two weeks to kill all insects. After that it was another week of drying and then hiring people to help us get it into the room. It took 5 strong men to move it! :shock: Forest absolutely LOVED it and it made it worth it!
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About a month later I found dust on the carpet - wood boring insects were inside the trees!
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This meant we had to hire men again and repeat the whole process of removing the trees and treating it. This time it took two months before I felt save to put it back in his room - it was a very depressing time for him, having trees and then loosing it. :(

It was winter at the time so the the tunnel only started in summer and took 2 weekends to build and put up. The time between the fist picture against his wall and me making the video was 2 years! :shock:
 
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