DOMINANCE!!- truth about housing beardies together

hmmm.. I was wondering....and trying to get a discussion going...

I know its not safe according to most users on here... BUT some people do keep their beardies together with no problem...from young on, of course.... ONLY having problems when separating them and then trying to put back together.

And of course one will show dominance over another.... Just like any domestic animal group.... horses, dogs, etc. They respect one another accordingly and then YOU are ALL of their masters, including the boss of the pack. right? I know many of you have multiple of other critters and know their pecking order amongst themselves.

So, my question is... even if one of your dragon shows dominance why is that a bad thing if it doesn't get violent??.... now.. PLEASE don't bite my head off with answers if I'm sinning against the beardie bible b/c I'm planning on splitting mine before they hit puberty or if I see something more wrong.

I also just want to know others opinions and stories about their experiences.

Thanks!

So, my question is... even if one of your dragon shows dominance why is that a bad thing if it doesn't get violent?

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My first reaction is that life in captivity is stressful enough on a reptile. Why subject them to any further stress by housing them together when research shows that they are solitary creatures in the wild?

Additionally, animals are finicky creatures. Where a dragon may show dominance without violence today, tomorrow he may bite the foot off of his long-time cage mate. That is when we hear these long, sad posts that start with "Why did this happen; they always got along just fine?" or some variation on that theme. It has happened NUMEROUS times and to me, it is an unnecessary risk that I don't need or want to take.

Morning,
As a breeder I sometimes have to house a couple of My dragons together, and its always a twitchy time for Me. I have a few that just NEVER can be with another dragon, it just isnt in their make up to tolerate. I have a couple I can get away with it for a short time. The older they get the harder it is. Even at a very young age of 2 weeks I have had to single out individuals that just attach fellow clutch mates. The risks far out weigh the benefits in 90% of the cases. At least with the 100s of poopers I have dealt with.

Besides the possibility of violence suddenly happening, there is stress to consider. A dragon that is stressed all the time won't eat as well as its cage mate, which can lead to malnutrition. Stress is also a major factor in the immune system, stressed animals are more likely to get sick and if one gets sick there is a good chance it will pass to the cage mate.

You can't compare reptile dominance to a dog pack, they don't have the higher brain power to learn to cooperate with each other or respect their human as leader.

You said yourself that "Domesticated" animals establish a pecking order within a household. While Bearded Dragons are usually very tame they are not Domesticated and never will be. They are wild animals and act as such.