Handling beardie

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Hello hello!
I have a question about handling and taming. I’ve had Bucky for about 2.5 months. He’s a growing boy! I try my best to handle him every day but he still runs away from me. When I go to pick him up I go from the side as I’ve read about them seeing shadows if you try from above. I’ve tried putting my hand in the tank and just letting him know I’m not scary. He sees my hand as food as well, always tries to eat my fingers. What taming strategies have you used/what would you recommend for a skittish dragon?

103486-9302774737.jpg
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
Best to let him come around in his own time.

It can take several months for some to decide they quite like being with their human and to "tame up" to the extent that they don't mind being picked up.

You can help this along by always having a food treat handy to offer by hand each time you pet him , this way he will learn
>> you are not going to hurt him
>> you have the food
>> and he will start to associate being petted by you with something he gets pleasure from (food).

When he no longer backs away when you pet him , you can try slipping your hand under his chest and arms , if he's cool with that he'll crawl onto the hand or allow you slip your hand under his entire body so his arms and legs are supported and then you try slowly drawing him to you to deposit him on your chest/tummy or lap , again have a food treat handy.

Before long he'll be snuggling into you and napping on your chest or lap and will be refusing to go back into his tank when you try to put back.

I had to do this with Toothless , and I'm now doing this with Caesar.
When Caesar arrived he wanted nothing to do with us , wouldn't even let me touch him. So I gave him the space he needed , and made sure he saw who the insects came from.
After a week he was occasionally letting me pat him on the head when he was basking or eating.

Caesar has been with us for a month now and he's starting to warm to me now , and doesn't mind being petted on the top of the head (when he's looking at me) and on the back. And today he didn't get up at all when I picked him up to place him into a clikclak tub to weigh him.
I think the silkworms I've been giving him each evening by hand (silkworm on my finger - Caesar takes it when I place it in range) has won him over somewhat.

His "sister" Cleo has always been a smoogy girl from the get go, she adores being on me and when I go to put her back she usually grabs hold and the crawls all the way back up my arm and back onto either my chest or shoulder.
 

VioletEclair

Member
Original Poster
kingofnobbys":a7mo263i said:
Best to let him come around in his own time.

It can take several months for some to decide they quite like being with their human and to "tame up" to the extent that they don't mind being picked up.

You can help this along by always having a food treat handy to offer by hand each time you pet him , this way he will learn
>> you are not going to hurt him
>> you have the food
>> and he will start to associate being petted by you with something he gets pleasure from (food).

When he no longer backs away when you pet him , you can try slipping your hand under his chest and arms , if he's cool with that he'll crawl onto the hand or allow you slip your hand under his entire body so his arms and legs are supported and then you try slowly drawing him to you to deposit him on your chest/tummy or lap , again have a food treat handy.

Before long he'll be snuggling into you and napping on your chest or lap and will be refusing to go back into his tank when you try to put back.

I had to do this with Toothless , and I'm now doing this with Caesar.
When Caesar arrived he wanted nothing to do with us , wouldn't even let me touch him. So I gave him the space he needed , and made sure he saw who the insects came from.
After a week he was occasionally letting me pat him on the head when he was basking or eating.

Caesar has been with us for a month now and he's starting to warm to me now , and doesn't mind being petted on the top of the head (when he's looking at me) and on the back. And today he didn't get up at all when I picked him up to place him into a clikclak tub to weigh him.
I think the silkworms I've been giving him each evening by hand (silkworm on my finger - Caesar takes it when I place it in range) has won him over somewhat.

His "sister" Cleo has always been a smoogy girl from the get go, she adores being on me and when I go to put her back she usually grabs hold and the crawls all the way back up my arm and back onto either my chest or shoulder.

Thank you so much! That makes me feel better knowing it can take some time. He loves when I hand feed him but he just doesn’t want me to pick him up and he shys away when I try to pet him in his tank. I’ll try the food rewards and see if that helps :)
And awww I’m glad you have a snuggle bug! That’s what I really want to have in Bucky but ik their personalities are all different
 

kingofnobbys

BD.org Sicko
VioletEclair":43e2vz45 said:
kingofnobbys":43e2vz45 said:
Best to let him come around in his own time.

It can take several months for some to decide they quite like being with their human and to "tame up" to the extent that they don't mind being picked up.

You can help this along by always having a food treat handy to offer by hand each time you pet him , this way he will learn
>> you are not going to hurt him
>> you have the food
>> and he will start to associate being petted by you with something he gets pleasure from (food).

When he no longer backs away when you pet him , you can try slipping your hand under his chest and arms , if he's cool with that he'll crawl onto the hand or allow you slip your hand under his entire body so his arms and legs are supported and then you try slowly drawing him to you to deposit him on your chest/tummy or lap , again have a food treat handy.

Before long he'll be snuggling into you and napping on your chest or lap and will be refusing to go back into his tank when you try to put back.

I had to do this with Toothless , and I'm now doing this with Caesar.
When Caesar arrived he wanted nothing to do with us , wouldn't even let me touch him. So I gave him the space he needed , and made sure he saw who the insects came from.
After a week he was occasionally letting me pat him on the head when he was basking or eating.

Caesar has been with us for a month now and he's starting to warm to me now , and doesn't mind being petted on the top of the head (when he's looking at me) and on the back. And today he didn't get up at all when I picked him up to place him into a clikclak tub to weigh him.
I think the silkworms I've been giving him each evening by hand (silkworm on my finger - Caesar takes it when I place it in range) has won him over somewhat.

His "sister" Cleo has always been a smoogy girl from the get go, she adores being on me and when I go to put her back she usually grabs hold and the crawls all the way back up my arm and back onto either my chest or shoulder.

Thank you so much! That makes me feel better knowing it can take some time. He loves when I hand feed him but he just doesn’t want me to pick him up and he shys away when I try to pet him in his tank. I’ll try the food rewards and see if that helps :)
And awww I’m glad you have a snuggle bug! That’s what I really want to have in Bucky but ik their personalities are all different

I think my Caesar is also learning by watching Cleo on me, he watches proceedings like a hawk or has been coming over very close to me and scratching at the corning of tub while looking up at me --- bearded language for " me too " , but so far he's been changing him mind when I go to pick him up , patting is fine , not so sure about being picked up ATM.
 
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