I got my bearded dragon in January. It's my very first one. He was a tiny little baby (I think it's a he, I tried checking with instructions from a website but I'm a noob.) Now about 6 months later... I feel like I am doing everything wrong. I always see videos and pictures and stories of how everyone's beardie is lovable and cute. While he looks lovable and cute, I'm pretty sure he hates me and is miserable.
First, he does not like to be picked up still even 6 months later. And he scares me, he will whip around real fast like he wants to bite or something or take off running fast as can be. He hasn't bit me so far but I pull my hand away when he scares me like that. Which I feel like is making it worse because if I'm scared he is gonna feel more scared but I can't help it. How badly will it hurt if he does bite me? When I do pick him up, he either stays rigid with his body flattened or he tries to escape my hands and I have to catch him. Since he hates it so much and I don't want him to get lost in my house or hurt, I usually just put him back in his home unless I'm trying to give him his soak, which he also hates. He sometimes, though rarely, will let me just gently pet his head and back, its usually when I'm putting his veggies in. Then, he still doesn't really eat those often, but he has finally started to eat them sometimes. I give him collard greens and butternut squash every day, and sometimes carrots. Then he gets dubia roaches every other day. (I started a colony when I bought him and they are now having tons of babies so at least I got that part right) And every single day he gets Black Soldier Fly Larvae or Nutrigrubs or whatever they are called. One thing he does that is really cute, if I'm across the room at my computer playing a game or something and he wants his bugs, he will start crawling against the tank near me to get my attention until I feed him. I feel like he knows I'm there to feed him and take care of him but he still just is very scared and mean towards me.
I want to know if I am feeding him correctly also?? Is he being fed enough/is he as big as he should be for his age? Should he be eating more veggies at his age? For a while I thought I was doing so well and feeling proud but now I'm not feeling that way.
http://imgur.com/a/wxydY
This is the day I got him...
http://imgur.com/a/txKti
This is him a few weeks ago on the same rock.
First, he does not like to be picked up still even 6 months later. And he scares me, he will whip around real fast like he wants to bite or something or take off running fast as can be. He hasn't bit me so far but I pull my hand away when he scares me like that. Which I feel like is making it worse because if I'm scared he is gonna feel more scared but I can't help it. How badly will it hurt if he does bite me? When I do pick him up, he either stays rigid with his body flattened or he tries to escape my hands and I have to catch him. Since he hates it so much and I don't want him to get lost in my house or hurt, I usually just put him back in his home unless I'm trying to give him his soak, which he also hates. He sometimes, though rarely, will let me just gently pet his head and back, its usually when I'm putting his veggies in. Then, he still doesn't really eat those often, but he has finally started to eat them sometimes. I give him collard greens and butternut squash every day, and sometimes carrots. Then he gets dubia roaches every other day. (I started a colony when I bought him and they are now having tons of babies so at least I got that part right) And every single day he gets Black Soldier Fly Larvae or Nutrigrubs or whatever they are called. One thing he does that is really cute, if I'm across the room at my computer playing a game or something and he wants his bugs, he will start crawling against the tank near me to get my attention until I feed him. I feel like he knows I'm there to feed him and take care of him but he still just is very scared and mean towards me.
I want to know if I am feeding him correctly also?? Is he being fed enough/is he as big as he should be for his age? Should he be eating more veggies at his age? For a while I thought I was doing so well and feeling proud but now I'm not feeling that way.
http://imgur.com/a/wxydY
This is the day I got him...
http://imgur.com/a/txKti
This is him a few weeks ago on the same rock.