What is a Bearded Dragon actually like?

For a while now I've wanted a pet of my own, an animal I can chill and connect with. We have had multiple pets in my family before but I have never shared a close bond with any of them. I do not have an interest in dogs, and I can't have a cat because we have a dog that has killed cats in the past so I don't want to risk it. I walked in to a pet store to look around and possibly find the right companion for me. I looked around and nothing really stood out to me, I described what I was looking for to one of the pet stores employees and he quickly pointed me towards a bearded dragon. Before that day I have never really heard of them before. I thought pretty much every lizard just sat in a tank doing nothing and was just something you look at. The employee told me a bunch of stuff that made Bearded Dragons sound like what I was looking for. Of course I didn't just listen to the employee who most likely was just trying to get a dollar out of me, so when I came home I started looking things up about them. I've watched lots of videos and read multiple articles and there is one thing that I keep seeing different opinions on and thought I would ask about here. What owning a bearded dragon is actually like.

I've seen people make them sound like a great pet. A lizard that enjoys being around people, likes going for walks from time to time, can be let out of its tank to walk around in your room, likes to rest on your shoulder, among other great things.

On the other hand people make them sound as if these lizards are nothing but work, a hobby. A lizard that you just keep in your tank and spend hours every day cleaning and feeding with no bond being made between you and the dragon.

I don't expect these lizards to be a walk in the park and come with no responsibility. I fully expect that I will have to spend time out of my day to make sure the dragon is in good health. But I would love to have some sort of bond with it.

If I get a Bearded Dragon, I plan on getting it a large tank with all the proper equipment. I am willing to dedicate time and money to keep it clean, healthy and happy. All I want to know is if these lizards are actually social, interactive and intelligent ( to some extend ). I don't want to regret spending so many resources on an animal that will just sit there and be a burden to me. I am looking for something that has personality and can become a new member of my family.

Hi there....I raised a lot of dragons and can tell you that they can be delightful pets, but they do all have different temperaments/personalities. If + when you choose a dragon, pick one that is mellow as soon as you pick it up. It should not be very sleepy or too wild. Babies can be skittish but can grow out of it, but if you find a baby that is well fed, active + mellow then it's a good choice.

This forum can help answer all your care needs as well.

It's basically being a little slave.

JK (kinda..lol). Beardie dragons can be both the worst pet - but also possibly the best. It all depends on you and your lifstyle. Bearded dragons are sweet and funny pets, but are also very demanding and costly. Are you prepared to sacrifice hundreds (probably 1000s) of dollars over the next 8-15 years? What about not going on spontaneous weekend retreats with your friends or staying out late? Your beardie needs routine, which means compromising your schedule to his.

Is it worth it? To me, yes. They are rewarding, entertaining pets.

Are they for everybody, or beginning reptile enthusiast who just want a easy to care for pet? Absolutely not. Other than their docile behaviour, nothing about bearded dragons is 'beginner', though as long as you do your homework and are prepared for the commitment, you should be fine.

If you are minor, you have to also think about how you are going to have to figure out how you will pay for your dragon and his needs. Plan on spending $30-40+ per month on food, plus lights, electricity, etc. They are not cheap pets!!

Yes, dragons are a very loving and rewarding experience. They bond with you but, you will bond with your dragon first, they have a strange way of getting into you heart in a hurry. They have distinct personalities, very territorial, don't like change and have some of the cutest quirks of any creature I have ever had.
They will worry you, make you laugh and, entertain you all in the same week.
So if you have the time, money and commitment, they are wonderful pets.

I would research the costs of the equipment, livefood, vets treatment first to assess if a bearded dragon s financially manageable. Next, consider if you will have time to care for one.

If you decide to go ahead, personality is key. An adult dragon will generally be more mellow. If afopting a pre-owned dragon, take time to visit the dragon first. It should be alert, eyes following movement but not showing signs of aggression or fear around its owner.

That said, personalities do vary. Consider another dragon if you visit one who is a bit of a looney or is very anxious. You want your 1st one to be relatively laid back.

Best of luck deciding.

My beardie was my first reptile pet and he has changed the way I think about reptiles in general. I find caring for him and hanging out with him and watching him grow to be very rewarding. I did kinda rush into getting one, and have had to quickly learn as I go while also spending more money than I thought possible for a little lizard. I do believe we've got a friendship going on, though, and while it's kinda different than a bond with a dog or cat or other furry animal, I really like it!

It really depends on the individual bearded dragon. Some are more skittish and reserved, some are very docile and social. If you get a baby or juvenile, be prepared to spend a fortune on live prey. They will eat you out of house and home. But once they are grown, their diet should only consist of about 20% protein, so you won't need to spend nearly as much on live prey for an adult. You will, however need to keep a variety of greens, fruits, and veggies around for them to eat most days.

I haven't found my beardies to be the demand on my schedule that other's claim. They are desert lizards. In the wild, they would clearly not have a set routine and might go days without eating. Not that I advocate starving your lizard, but you can certainly miss a day or two of food without fear. When I go on vacation, I only have someone stop in to feed my adult beardie once or twice and he is fine. Just don't make a habit of it and be sure to leave fresh salad and possibly some commercial diet (not recommended for normal feeding!) in there when you leave.

As for what they are like, my current beardie is awesome. He hangs out with us on the couch while we watch tv and play on our laptops. He loves watching Youtube videos! We like to joke that he thinks he is going to grow up to be one of the dragons on Game of Thrones. He always watches VERY intently whenever that show is on. He likes to explore. He will voluntarily clime right onto us while we are hanging out. Yesterday he camped out on my legs while I had my feet up on the coffee table and both of my feet fell asleep, because I didn't want to move and disturb him. He also really really likes standing on your spacebar when you are trying to work on your laptop!

Both of my dragons (7 1/2 month old juvie and 2-3 y/o adult) are fun, interactive pets, but they both have very different personalities. Although the baby leatherback (Latigo) is somewhat nervous about being handled, still, s/he is extremely interactive and interested in what is going on around it. S/he "waves and bobs" at me, which I find charming beyond belief. From the safety of its viv, it enjoys watching our toy breed dogs and they love watching "lizard tv". Buddy, on the other hand, is more relaxed when being held, but he absolutely HATES our dogs. If he can even see them, he goes all black beard and starts charging them through the glass. We have much of his viv sides covered so the dogs and dragon can't see each other.

Neither dragon is allowed out on the floor because of the dogs, naturally. You wouldn't believe the high prey drive of most Chihuahuas and some Pomeranians! So Buddy gets to go outside on a leash, which doesn't bother him in the least, and he really enjoys sunning himself on the flat (1x4 inch) top of our 4' high fence. I sit with him, in a comfy chair, while he enjoys sunning. I don't ever let my guard down, though, because Peregrine falcons love our area, due to the pigeons we feed on a daily basis.

Despite their different personalities, they're both amazing in their own ways. Time consuming? Yes. Expensive? Yes, because even though the dragons were reasonably priced (Buddy was a $30 rescue), their vivariums and food costs a fortune. Check out pricing for a T5HO Arcadia 13% basking bulb, with its fixture and reflector if you don't believe me. And although you can get a good aquarium of a decent size for cheap on places like CL, the heat/light and nighttime CHE, as well as their fixtures, is expensive. Digital Thermometer/Hygrometers, as well as the IR thermometer we use to spot check the basking spot heat on a daily basis are/can be relatively expensive, as are the thermostats and timers we use to keep the heat in check and the lights going off and on at the right time. None of those items are optional, imho. Making or purchasing cage furniture and decor can be either expensive, or time-consuming, or both! Making up their salads each day, as well as dusting and feeding insects to them, takes up a goodly amount of my time. Luckily, I'm home 24/7, so I don't have to rush around like a headless chicken to get them fed before going off to work. Each animal has its own viv, so multiply those costs and the time spent on each dragon by 2, and you get an idea of how expensive and time consuming their care can be.

No creature is inexpensive to keep, if you care enough about their welfare and "happiness" to do it right. Our favorite reptile store told us this past weekend that we keep them in business! We never get out of there for <$200, and once, when I bought my Leachie baby, the trip cost us $600! We visit them every two weeks to buy supplies and stock up on things we run low on. We purchase the insects (dubias, crickets, hornworms, wax worms, superworms, etc.--I only raise wingless fruit flies for my baby day geckos--I won't have the other nasty creatures in this house en masse because I don't like them--they creep me out, and because I'm afraid of the dogs finding a way to get into them if we raised our own dubias and crickets) there, plus we order Phoenix worms on a repeating schedule online. Pangea diets (for our geckos) are super expensive, no matter where you buy them. That doesn't even count vet visits when necessary.

So, think about the cost involved with keeping any pet, as well as the time needed to attend to their needs, and decide if you're up to the pet's lifetime of care and love. If you are, I personally think Beardies are excellent, interactive reptile pets! Good luck with your decision .

A handful as a hatchling and juvenile ... but worth it.

As an adult (especially once they have bonded with you and decide they really like being with and on you) think a spikey cat-dog.

Every one has a distinct personally and has different quirks and well it all comes down to nurturing , if you do it right they become wonderful companion animals who will show amazing levels of intelligence and can be mega affectionate.
My Peppa lives for her snuggles ....

Careful with petstore advise , my advise is get yourself a book on caring for bearded dragons
https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-bearded-dragon-manual-philippe-de-vosjoil/prod9781620082539.html?source=pla&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIyuip8cei1gIV2AgqCh0MIwduEAQYBSABEgK68_D_BwE
https://www.amazon.com/Bearded-Dragon-Your-Happy-Healthy/dp/1630260231
these good (I have them)
https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/bearded-dragons/id499281907?mt=11 also good

and bone up on their needs and do LOTS of research and ask lots of questions places like here BEFORE buying one , and before buying one be sure you are ready for a big commitment in money and time to care for it and set it up and be aware they can live nearly 20 years and sometimes they get sick and vets are EXPENSIVE.

So, did you get a beardie?

I agree with everything said before.

My dragons are awesome! When they are out in my room free-ranging they come to me when I sing to them! They love it when I sing to them! They are still small so they are more interested in running around and exploring than they are in cuddling, but they still get cuddle time with the whole family everyday! My boys and I are always talking to them and patting them when we go by.