Yet another "How to train" thread

[flix]

Yeah it does! I'm enjoying reading this thread. Having only had my Chinese Charlie for almost two weeks (and still in the taming process with him as he's pretty timid, and I don't know how much is too much for him), it's nice to know someone else is getting there - it gives me hope lol!

[Roxie]

Originally Posted by flix

Yeah it does! I'm enjoying reading this thread. Having only had my Chinese Charlie for almost two weeks (and still in the taming process with him as he's pretty timid, and I don't know how much is too much for him), it's nice to know someone else is getting there - it gives me hope lol!

Little and often with a Chinese and you'll be fine .

Just to give you a bit more hope. I've had my Shiloh for a month now and the difference in her is amazing. I'm able to hold her, pick her up, give her food off my hand and she's happy to be in the open when in her cage, she doesn't hide much at all. She even runs off to the side of her Duna if she hears me calling her. I just did the taming little and often with her and suddenly we had a breakthrough and she's never looked back!

Namrufmo, well done! Sounds like you're making excellent progress

[flix]

Aw that's good! I'm going to try not touching Charlie today (however hard that is) and 'start afresh' with him tomorrow, doing what Namrufmo is doing - putting my hand in the cage for a while, etc. I don't have a bathtub so I'll have to pass on that stage.

One of my main problems is that Charlie's waking pattern is very late night to very early morning, both times when I'm not awake myself. That's meant that for me to hold him I've had to wake him up. Will this hinder the taming process? He always runs behind his wheel when I lift his house up gently. Then he basically runs to anything just to get away from me. Usually he'll eventually go to his wheel and start running on it, which is when I can pick him up.

Am I doing it all wrong?

[Gillzy]

Perhaps instead of waking him up suddenly by lifting his house (I try not to disturb nests) just move the substrate in another part of the cage, jingle a box of treats, and move items. So that he gradually gets woken up by disturbances in his cage, and not a big scary hand disturbing his slumber?

Try and put yourself in the "shoes" of Charlie. What would be very scary to you when everything in the world is new - and there are giant creatures (who are baldy in the fur department and look very strange). If you stick to a routine of when you wake him up (7pm on the dot, or whenever) then he'll more than likely change his sleeping pattern. But you have to be consistent and persistent.

[namrufmo]

Three nights of tub training and Crixis seems to have plateaued.

He'll walk all around the tub exploring...step on my legs, arms, and sometimes hands. But as soon as I go to lift him with my hands he hops back off. He hasn't progressed in two days. He's 100% fine with me picking him up in the igloo though.

[namrufmo]

Ok guys I need more advice.

Crixis is to the point where I can just reach in the tank and pet him. And when I sa pet I mean PET. I can touch all his sides and head - at the same time! Just like I was going to pick him up. He doesn't care at all.

As soon as I go to actually pick him up he runs away then acts like nothing happened. But he will not let me pick him up!! In the tub he'll still run all over my legs and arms but again wont let me pick him up. He's "walked" on my hands a few times but he hates it. I've even tried putting socks on my hand so he wouldn't think its me but it still doesn't work. I know it's not a height thing because I can scoop him up in the igloo with no problems.

What do I do now?

[flix]

I'm at the same point with Charlie, too. I'm scared that if I try and handle him too much or wake him up too often (in order to change his sleeping pattern) he'll get wet tail.

Advice needed!

[Gillzy]

The best token of advice is don't do anything you feel worried doing - even if drags the process out for a few months.

I don't know a great deal about wet tail having never experienced it, so I don't know how much stress they need to be under to get it - perhaps another member can help with that.

The plateau... hmm... have you tried the back of your hand? It may seem strange but Sen prefers the back of my hand (coz I can't grab her there). The rest of your training has gone so quickly I think now is where you'll need to put in the time. Just working on cupping round Crixis when you're petting, but not lifting. Feeding treats, lots of talking (as I'm sure you're doing). If you can make him walk towards treats (put it in front of his nose and pull forward so he smells it and walks forward) then you could work on just getting him onto your hand (still flat on the ground) and giving the treat. Do that a few times, then lift cms up really slowly and then back down again.

Sen has only recently learned to actually walk onto my hand to get out for playtime (that took a lot of training and her begging to come out). So if you can scoop with two hands and get him close to your chest quickly it might be the easiest way (ensure you're leaning over the cage or you're on the floor), as then he might feel more secure.

[namrufmo]

Just an update:

I've been doing the tub thing once or twice a night, constantly talking when I walk b his tank, and stuffing him with treats/pets. He has ZERO problem with me reaching in the tank and petting him. I can "squeeze" him, rub his belly, pet his head, etc.

But he still won't let me pick him up from his tank. When I go to tub train him I can scoop him up in the igloo (he actually jumps in it when I put it in the tank). While in the tub He'll let me scoop him up with my hands, he'll walk over my hands, last night he even ate while he sat in my hand.

But when I try it in his tank he freaks out and runs. He doesn't even like to step on my hand since I think he suspects I'm gonna try to pick him up hehe. As soon as he gets away he's 100% normal and lets me pet him again.

So frustrating