It’s not uncommon to find posts on these forums with titles like “baby bearded dragon hates me” or “struggling to handle my crazy baby beardie.” But rest assured that the hyperactive and skittish nature of many baby beardies is just a phase. I’ve raised four dragons from babies, and all of them started out as little Tasmanian devils. It takes time for these little guys to calm down and learn that the monster lurking outside their cage is their new best friend. You can take things slow by getting the little guy comfortable with the concept of your hand. Before jumping straight into picking him up, slowly place your hand in the cage and leave it there, completely still, for a while. He may get curious and approach or he may eye it warily from afar, but the point is to get him comfortable with your hand in the cage. Handfeeding is a great way to develop trust with a skittish baby and can be great for bonding. Sure, it’s cheap bribery but it works wonderfully. With my last baby, after a couple days of my hand bringing her treats (BSFL, her favorite) she decided she’d take our relationship to the next level by hopping into my hand. I began holding her inside her cage for brief periods so that she always felt in control and safe in her surroundings. After that it was easy to transition to casual handling/letting her explore my room. When you do go to pick Oscar up move slowly, being sure he always sees you approaching. Talk to him frequently so he develops a positive association between your voice/hand/presence. My beardies respond positively to their names and specific words. I talk to them frequently, and although they all have very individual personalities, they all perk up and become very attentive when spoken to. My current oldest beardie had gone the first four months of her life with virtually no human interaction. No one wanted her because she exhibited behavior that could be downright scary. She was terrified of people and initially would hiss and snap during any attempt at interaction. But over the course of several weeks, using the protocol just described, she transitioned from a miniature wolverine to a friendly, affectionate lizard that now hops into my hand when I open her cage and will come running across a room when I call her name. I’ve found that the feistiest baby beardies often have the best personalities as adults because although they become sweet and easygoing they still retain a little bit of spunk. What you’re experiencing is perfectly normal and I know it can be a slow and discouraging process, but over time Oscar will grow to trust you and look forward to your interactions. Hang in there!
- I was afraid if I left him at home while I was at work, he'd never get use to me. 
