Handling training? thoughts?

[MrScowt]

ok im well aware of chameleon tempermeants and stress. but getting them used to it may help? im trying to get thoughts here. im kind of working on a handling training regimen that will make it more ok for him to be handled. my dad grew up on a ranch and although im not going to "break him" like a horse there are some technique into to getting a horse to respect you and im going to implement some and see how it goes. so far hes sorta calmed down and im less than a week in. hes 5months old btw and i posted about a week ago about his troublesome new tempermeant. this thread is just for debate and just would like to see if anyone is against it or has any thoughts

 

[Kmw]

Chameleons are not horses. I don't know what you plan on implementing as far as horse training a chameleon, though. Not everyone believes you should never ever handle your chameleon. In many cases, and I agree, getting him/her used to you will stress them out less in the long run. The way I see it is if my chameleon doesn't become stressed out by my very presence he's gonna be a lot happier. And if there are vet visits, and cage cleaning, moving.. etc. Although, I wouldn't EXPECT your chameleon to come around and be buddy buddy with you - some just don't like people.

 

[MrScowt]

i understand a chameleon isnt going to respond exactly like a horse would. but somethings i believe should. its not the overall handling which will prolly be a nice side affect. its that currently everytime i put my hand in the cage he gets all bitchy. i need him to respect the hand that feeds.

that being said. there is a technique that would normally prove usefull to my dad when trying to accomplish the same thing. i called it the hat trick but basically you dont need the horse respect YOU right away just the hat that you wear. so teach it that the object is not to be messed with by acclimating it with the horse. it will be timid or even scared at first but it will come around. i kind of did this with the glove i sometimes use to get him out. he gets all pissy normally when its on my hand and im trying to get him so i just took the glove off and laid it in the cage on a branch. he was very curious, checked it out for like 30 mins. kinda circled it. since this is similar to what a horse does with the hat i decided to just open the cage for a bit. and walk away. come back hes still eyeballin the glove...ok put the glove on present my hand ......and he climbed to it. now this just happenned ill have to see if i can repeat it.

 

[Chamlo]

At the reptile store near me they have their veileds handled every day and they free range them in the store. The are so calm. You can do anything to those chams and the don't mind. They even like being scratched on the chin. My calms down when I rub my finger on his chin. I handle my veiled every day and he gets angry but he gets more mellow everyday. They won't die from stress. They get used to it. If you just show them who's boss and not tolerate hissing they will eventually be like a mellow dog.

 

[Kmw]

Saying they wont die from stress is very hopeful. They can very well die from it, if they are stressed and pushed enough then it can happen. I was at a show once with a cham that was out being handled, stressed. The breeder ended up telling me their last panther died from being handled at the show and it couldnt take the stress.

 

[Chamlo]

Panther chams don't take it as well as veiled. Panthers are more susceptible, but if your doing it with a vieled nothing should happen. The tame ones I mentioned, they are, I think, maybe 4 is oldest one there. He still looks extremely healthy. Some of them they got from people who didn't want the or couldnt care for them. The were aggressive at first now they are calm, even though they were in bad shape (some dont have half their crest, some had burns, MBD) but they are all happy and the ones they raised except for one, Spooky (burned his crest, fell broke his leg, the roaches that were in there ate his crest), but take excellent care of the them.

 

[Chamlo]

The owner tells me that if you handle them every day eventually they will get used to it with time. So who am I going to believe? People that put stuff on the internet that say you shouldn't, or the women who's reptile store has huge chameleons that like people because of being handled every day? I like the second one

 

[sapphira80]

i understand a chameleon isnt going to respond exactly like a horse would. but somethings i believe should. its not the overall handling which will prolly be a nice side affect. its that currently everytime i put my hand in the cage he gets all *****y. i need him to respect the hand that feeds.

that being said. there is a technique that would normally prove usefull to my dad when trying to accomplish the same thing. i called it the hat trick but basically you dont need the horse respect YOU right away just the hat that you wear. so teach it that the object is not to be messed with by acclimating it with the horse. it will be timid or even scared at first but it will come around. i kind of did this with the glove i sometimes use to get him out. he gets all pissy normally when its on my hand and im trying to get him so i just took the glove off and laid it in the cage on a branch. he was very curious, checked it out for like 30 mins. kinda circled it. since this is similar to what a horse does with the hat i decided to just open the cage for a bit. and walk away. come back hes still eyeballin the glove...ok put the glove on present my hand ......and he climbed to it. now this just happenned ill have to see if i can repeat it.

First, a chameleon is a reptile, not a mammal, and they're is really no way to compare the two. Horses have been domesticated for thousands of years, chameleons have not. I think you should do some research on the reptilian brain and what it is capable of. It's easy to attribute thoughts and feelings we have to animals that don't really have them. I'm not trying to be rude, so please don't take it that way... I've just heard a lot of people ask, why doesn't my chameleon like me?, or what is my chameleon thinking?, etc.

That said, I think it's a good thing you are giving the chameleon the choice to step on your hand or not. I've had several people tell me how they forcefully handled their chameleon "until they liked it". The fact of the matter is that most chameleons (especially veiled chameleons who are known to be cranky anyway) do not want to be handled and will never like it... And the best outcome you're ever going to have is a stressed out, unhappy chameleon that will stand on your hand because he's afraid of you.

I think it's much more beneficial and personally rewarding to build a mutual trust with your chameleon. Then he may come to the front of the cage when he sees you, because you bring food and he knows you won't hurt him. If he wants to climb on your arm, that's fine, but not all are going to want to. Chameleons have no natural defenses other than running and hiding. When they see something bigger than they are moving towards them, they automatically assume its a threat.

I don't handle my chameleons unless necessary, and none of them run out hide from me now. They trust me not to hurt them and don't mind when I get close while cleaning their cages or feeding them. To me that means a lot because it's what they are really capable of doing, and the closest a chameleon will ever come to making me his "friend".

 

[PascalsWager]

i understand a chameleon isnt going to respond exactly like a horse would. but somethings i believe should. its not the overall handling which will prolly be a nice side affect. its that currently everytime i put my hand in the cage he gets all *****y. i need him to respect the hand that feeds.

that being said. there is a technique that would normally prove usefull to my dad when trying to accomplish the same thing. i called it the hat trick but basically you dont need the horse respect YOU right away just the hat that you wear. so teach it that the object is not to be messed with by acclimating it with the horse. it will be timid or even scared at first but it will come around. i kind of did this with the glove i sometimes use to get him out. he gets all pissy normally when its on my hand and im trying to get him so i just took the glove off and laid it in the cage on a branch. he was very curious, checked it out for like 30 mins. kinda circled it. since this is similar to what a horse does with the hat i decided to just open the cage for a bit. and walk away. come back hes still eyeballin the glove...ok put the glove on present my hand ......and he climbed to it. now this just happenned ill have to see if i can repeat it.

I have to admit this is the first time I've ever heard of anybody attempting to "Parelli" a lizard. I'm just learning with my first veiled, and I've found that if I move slowly, and keep my hand below him and not reach in from above him, he'll eventually climb on my hand. A glove would just make my hand look bigger and scarier.