What I mean by "sort-of untintentional training" is that I was hoping that I would get results, but I wasn't actually actively "training" him, so I was just fortunate that it worked.

I only feed him in two places - his main enclosure and his dog crate that I put him in when I take him to the vet, or when I want to clean out his enclosure and he wants to bite my arm off. (Which he never has, he just looks like he wants to, and that's good enough for me.)

So now, from time to time when I make the mistake of letting him free-roam for the day , when he gets hungry in the afternoon, he climbs back into his enclosure, and stares at me balefully until I get him his food. And if I take out his dog crate and open the door, he just goes right in, no problems, because he knows I'm going to give him a treat.

I guess if I want to be truthful, he's really got me trained, because when he gets into the crate, or goes into his enclosure and stares pointedly, I hop to with the food and treats, and he knows it.

But my pride wants me to pretend like I'm really the one doing the training.

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"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

LOL,,,,,, I am hysterically laughing over here!! Yes, I gave up a long time ago and just admitted to the fact that they have us trained,, we do not have them trained..

But, just to help out your pride, good job on training him, lol

I do understand the "look" they give you when they want food and I do understand the whole,jump to your feet and do it

Yep He's definately got you under his claw!
Just wait till he starts snapping his fingers at you to get a move on!

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Merlin,
What's Life Without A Little Magic!

Yeah. He already charges every so often when dinner is late, like I haven't fed him just that morning. *rolls eyes* I'm just waiting for him to start hissing at me for not serving the food on a golden dish.

__________________
"Let's eat, Grandpa!"
"Let's eat Grandpa!"

Punctuation. It saves lives.

What You dont serve your food on a golden dish

I serve mine on platinum dishes lol

With my ig I always kept the food in the upper area on the cool side of the cage in a recessed removable rubbermade container. I must have had a really weird ig. He would chase a rolled orange or tomato across the floor almost like a dog playing fetch.

I have been reading a lot on dog training and know most of what I am about to type does not apply to reptiles but here goes because I feel like rambling. Start training where the behavior gets a constant good consequence (food). Ultimately they pay with a good action and you return with a good consequence, much like a vending machine. Once they tie the action to the cue (ie. "sit" and butt hits the floor) you start to remove occasional rewards but pay out more on occasion. Slowly this random good consequence reinforces the action more than a constant stream of rewards. Think about how slot machines pay out but people sit there and give the casino the action they want.

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~ Mark