The isochrone is a particular case of a central potential. This paper presents an approach to analyse the qualitative behaviour of perturbations of this model. We define a set of variables which allows us to reduce the system by normalization. In fact, this three-degree-of-freedom Hamiltonian system is reduced by extending the integral of the energy of the unperturbed part to the whole system. Then, we define the reduced phase space with the corresponding invariants. This is the setting needed to analyse the reduced flow. We also consider the possibility of a second reduction by means of the extension of another integral of the unperturbed system to the whole perturbation. In the absence of resonances this reduction is possible and for these cases we calculate the corresponding invariants and reduced phase spaces. Finally, this approach is illustrated with four examples. P YanguasAs this system is integrable, it is a good starting point to apply perturbation theory. It is known that systems in nature do not respond to an isochronal behaviour, in general. Nevertheless, there are some systems whose dynamics does not differ much from it. Thus, perturbation theory can be useful to study this kind of model. For instance, observations indicate that the isochrone can be a good zeroth-order representation of the dynamics of giant elliptical galaxies, which are not spherical but axisymmetrically triaxial. In this sense, in [31] the isochrone was chosen as the unperturbed part to find the orbit structure in flattened (nonspherical) galaxy potentials. The perturbations were taken as axisymmetric. In a certain way this paper was the motivation for the work we present here, but we approach the problem from a different point of view. Instead of using action-angle variables we design specific variables for the model. Moreover, we consider triaxial perturbations of the original Hamiltonian.One of the main advantages that the isochrone potential has compared with other integrable potentials, such as Stäckel models [49], is that its integrals (the actions) can be calculated analytically, i.e. they are known explicitly. In the case of Stäckel potentials, it is known that they are integrable because they are separable in ellipsoidal coordinates, but the exact isolating integrals cannot be calculated explicitly [17]. This fact represents a difficulty in formulating perturbation theories. For example, if we intend to apply normalization techniques, as we do not know the integrals of the unperturbed system, we cannot extend them to the whole perturbation. This fact has also motivated the selection of the isochrone model for this paper.The dynamics in a triaxial potential is determined by four major (bound) orbit families: boxes, inner and outer-and short-axis tubes [17]. By perturbation theory it is expected that the short-and outer-long axis tubes remain, but it is not clear what happens to the rest of the orbits [18]. With respect to oblate models, there is only one major family: short-axis tubes [17]. It is also expected that under ...