Best harness/leash for Sav. Monitor

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Originally Posted by qiksilver

How 'bout giving him a large enough cage so you won't have to take him out like a dog?

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No enclosure in the world can substitute for outside.

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Originally Posted by BSM

all your going to due is stress the monitor out and thats not good.



Those so called dog tame monitors, this is how you get them. Keep low basking temps and feed once a week, they will become lazy and guess what at the same time you will be slowing killing it. Monitors are mostly hands off animals and are more for looking/observing, if you want a healthy monitor keep the basking spot high and feed ?days (depends on size and species). They will live for 15+ years compared to the "dog tame" monitors which rarely exceed a year or two

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I honestly couldn't agree more.

A Tegu/Monitor on a leash is asking for trouble. What happens if your animal manages to get loose from the leash? What happens if you are walking your lizard and it bites someone? The possibilities are limitless and not worth it.

If you want to give them natural sunlight, build them a enclosure outdoors where they can NATURALLY enjoy the sunlight. These animals are not dogs, far from it. While they can be "calmed" down, they will never like being on a leash. They will never like attention from you, they will tolerate it.

Seems my point was lost on everyone but Crissy.

Buying a leash for a monitor is pointless, and if you want a dog, go to the shelter and adopt a puppy.

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Originally Posted by qiksilver

seems my point was lost on everyone but crissy.

Buying a leash for a monitor is pointless, and if you want a dog, go to the shelter and adopt a puppy.

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That's kind of mean to tell her to go get a dog. I have seen pics of snakes with harnesses, cats, hermit crabs ,hamsters you name it .If all the other husbandry issues are good then why not use a harness? The thing with savs is no one knows about them really. Housing,feeding,stress .

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Originally Posted by rebeccabecca

That's kind of mean to tell her to go get a dog. I have seen pics of snakes with harnesses, cats, hermit crabs ,hamsters you name it .If all the other husbandry issues are good them why not use a harness? The thing with savs is no one knows about them really. Housing,feeding,stress .

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I'm sorry, but just because someone does something, doesn't mean they should. Placing a harness on a Hermit Crab or snake, it seems pretty, yeah..not smart?

I don't think it was meant to be mean or hurtful, rather to make a point. If you want something to WANT attention from you, get a dog. If you want something to WANT to walk with you, get a dog. If you want something to admire it's power and beauty, get a Monitor.

Can you effectively harness train a monitor or tegu? Yes, I believe you can. It won't be you walking the monitor, rather them walking you. That being said, once again, just because you can, doesn't mean you should.

Anyone who has kept a Monitor/Tegu inside throughout it's life knows once it gets outside for the first several times (and sometimes forever), it becomes extremely aggressive and stressed. Now add a leash/harness to this equation. It's quite simply a bad idea that can lead to yourself or your animal becoming harmed.

If you want to give them natural sunlight, build a small outdoor enclosure (or a large one) and let them get the sunlight without the stress of a giant primate standing over them (possibly plotting to eat them).

Monitors/Tegus should be purchased with the knowledge that you may NEVER be able to "tame" them. Most do calm down, but some are always going to be wild and aggressive.

But didn't you just say that after a monitor goes out for the first few times they react badly then how can an outdoor enclosure be any good for them??? just asking.

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Originally Posted by rebeccabecca

But didn't you just say that after a monitor goes out for the first few times they react badly then how can an outdoor enclosure be any good for them??? just asking.

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They react badly to your presence, especially when you have a leash on them. They have nowhere to escape and they are tethered to you (again, with no place to run). If you build them a small outdoor enclosure, you can apply all of the gaining trust rules that you started out with. Setting inside (or if there isn't enough room, outside) of the enclosure, waiting for them to approach you, etc. They'll become comfortable with you outside, as well.

I'm not saying you can't leash train your Monitor/Tegu, I'm just saying I wouldn't. It's unnecessary stress for both parties. They aren't dogs, there is no reason to take them on walks, it does not benefit them in anyway being on a leash. While sunlight is beneficial, there are other options to provide that sunlight to them.

guys i didnt mean for this to be so explosive. i guess i should have been more clear in my intentions when i asked about a good harness. i'm not doing it to be cool or to get attention just because. i'm doing it so he gets a bit of sun and also so i can take him out of his enclosure for education purposes.
really, i have already have dogs...i have 4 at home and i take care of about 400 (with the help of a staff of 25) at the local animal shelter, ok, i really dont need to "get a puppy"...i'm not taking Vinnie out for a walk like my dogs...far from it. the harness is for safety reasons. it also puts the public at ease seeing that he is partially restrained and that we are using precautions...it's like when a handler wears gloves while handling an animal. he may not wear gloves at home when he takes the snake out of the enclosure but in public he has to. so he can keep the audience calm and focused on what he is teaching them.
i take him outside and sometimes out in public for education reasons like when my organization has a field trip come through, we put leashes and harnesses on the larger lizards (iguanas, sav. monitors) when we remove them from the enclosures to let the public see and touch them. if he is grumpy that day, he doesnt go out. he is being held while on the lead in these situations. he goes for very short walks in my backyard. and i'm not about to just take him walking down the sidewalk in my neighborhood. i'm not stupid.

i'm not about to put a tegu or nile monitor on a leash. that is not going to happen.
and the statement "he may bite someone, what then?"....maybe he will. but so may my dog when i take her on a walk, you never know what may happen. it's all about responsible handling and care. i warn people not to touch his face or head. if they want to touch his skin i show them where. Children are under the impression that reptiles are slimy and yucky. i would have the young children handle a piece of shedded skin instead of "petting" vinnie. it's safer.
look, i work at an animal shelter. and we're working hard to set up education programs for students and adults. we want people to see the animals and we also want to spark interest in young minds about reptiles and to learn proper care. people just dump reptiles out into the wild here. they dont care, they think that "oh it's florida, it's warm enough, they'll survive on their own" and some do and destroy the natural ecosystem. and i want people to realize that cute little baby lizard in the pet store will become a 3-4 foot monster in a few months.
i know you all care about the animals and their proper care, i do too, very much so. at the shelter i see many mistreated reptiles come through and so many "disposed" iguanas, monitors and boas. it breaks my heart to see an adult iguana come in severly malnourished and near death because all its owner fed it was iceberg lettuce. or a ball python come in with it's face badly scarred and half eaten away by the live rats its owner tried to feed it. or people dump off monitors because they have grown too big to handle and they're not cute little things that fit in a 20 gal tank. it's totally preventable. we want to educate the public about proper care. so they realize that yes these guys can become big and a lot to handle. i cant stress that enough.

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Originally Posted by Michelle.C

They react badly to your presence, especially when you have a leash on them. They have nowhere to escape and they are tethered to you (again, with no place to run). If you build them a small outdoor enclosure, you can apply all of the gaining trust rules that you started out with. Setting inside (or if there isn't enough room, outside) of the enclosure, waiting for them to approach you, etc. They'll become comfortable with you outside, as well.

I'm not saying you can't leash train your Monitor/Tegu, I'm just saying I wouldn't. It's unnecessary stress for both parties. They aren't dogs, there is no reason to take them on walks, it does not benefit them in anyway being on a leash. While sunlight is beneficial, there are other options to provide that sunlight to them.

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The benefit of walking a monitor or any other animal is called exercise!!. Take a look at a wild caught lizard and one raised in a box, no matter how big the box, it is still a box. Since the pets don't have to hunt for food, they don't use their muscle as much or as often. I have regulars walks with my lizard when the weather is warm enough and I select an area that is not populated with a bunch of people or cars.