New baby behavior

Hello all! We have now had our baby for 5 days. When I picked him out I chose him because he was active, interested in me and let me hold and pick him up without any freaking out. Since being home with us he will not let us anywhere near him. I am careful to slowly reach toward him and not from above or behind. I have tried just resting my hand near him hoping that he will become more confident. It has yet to work. He completely flips out and runs for his life so frantically that I am afraid he will injure himself in the process. Hand feeding doesn't interest him either. If we are in the room he will not move from his basking spot. If we leave and return he is almost always out and about but goes right back to his basking spot when he sees us. I see so many people interacting and cuddling with their new babies and I am getting a little jealous! Haha. His housing, temps and bulbs are all good, he is eating well, pooping twice a day and even drinking from his water dish. What can I do to move this socialization process along? Should I just give him more time?

Yes your gonna haft to be patient w/ him -- it could take months- take a piece of clothing or fleece blanket and set it in his hide or tank so he can get used to your scent --- keep trying to hand feed him set a routine up of feeding every morning his salads and insects / worms --- we need to go over your lighting to make sure your husbandry is correct -- if you got a thrive "kit" most of the stuff in there is no good and useless what size tank is he in? What are your basking temps and now are you taking them? NO stick ons they are inaccurate ---- UVB ? NO coils they are bad! We need to get your lighting in order so he keeps eating ---- if any of this stuff is incorrect he will stop eating - right now he is probably eating very little which is normal - as he is going to go thru relocation stress --- but for him to completely stop eating is not good --- if you want you can post a pic of his tank ---
https://www.beardeddragon.org/useruploads/ click on XIMG at top of the message box then click on the pic and it should post
Karrie

Thank you we actually went through this a couple of days ago under introductions. He is in a 118 gallon enclosure. We have a Reptisun t5 HO that is in a sunblaster fixture with reflector. It is 14" from both his basking spot and his favorite log. I have 2 digital probe therms and basking is 105-110 and cool side is 80-85. He is eating his crickets very well now 4 times a day. Salads...not so much. His crickets are dusted with Repcal multi vitamin twice a week and Calcium with D3 5 times a week. I do have Dubias and BSFL ordered and will be here in a couple of days. I will try the fleece and see if that helps! Thanks!

Sorry ---- set up is good and your gonna haft to be patient w/ the little dude- just keep working w/ him ---- and hes eating try some super worms and the BSFl w/ the salad so hes getting some greens - add them to his salad in front of him to get his attention--- trust you will haft to build on that ---
Karrie

I also just had this thought...his hide/cave is very large for him at the moment and probably doesnt feel very secure. Infact I have never even seen him in it. I will go out and grab him a smaller second one today. Maybe that will help!

Not really --- he will use it when hes ready --- Blaze didnt use his right away either for like a month or two --- he will find it --- the smell in the cave or hide will get him used to your smell so w/ that and working w/ him every day petting in the tank if you can approaching from the side and your hands in the tank cleaning putting food in and trying to hand feed will get him used to you -- hes a little guy and your hand is big to him so he will be afraid till you build up some trust w/ him --- try holding him a few minutes at a time in the tank
Karrie

Millgirl":21kwgtz4 said:

Hello all! We have now had our baby for 5 days. When I picked him out I chose him because he was active, interested in me and let me hold and pick him up without any freaking out. Since being home with us he will not let us anywhere near him. I am careful to slowly reach toward him and not from above or behind. I have tried just resting my hand near him hoping that he will become more confident. It has yet to work. He completely flips out and runs for his life so frantically that I am afraid he will injure himself in the process. Hand feeding doesn't interest him either. If we are in the room he will not move from his basking spot. If we leave and return he is almost always out and about but goes right back to his basking spot when he sees us. I see so many people interacting and cuddling with their new babies and I am getting a little jealous! Haha. His housing, temps and bulbs are all good, he is eating well, pooping twice a day and even drinking from his water dish. What can I do to move this socialization process along? Should I just give him more time?

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This sounds so much like my own experience that I had to check to see if I hadn't written it. :lol:

EDAD (Each Dragon Is Different) and some are like this. I agree P&P (Patience & Perseverance) are the way to go, and eventually, he will come around.

I did all the recommended/suggested stuff, and it didn't seem to make much difference; despite everything I tried, ZᴀRDᴏZ convinced himself that my only purpose in life was to eat him. He ran away, turned and bearded (it was pretty pathetic at his small size :lol: ), hissed, and even bit me a few times. I figured out a way to disarm him by petting him on the head or under the chin when he hissed, but that can put your finger at risk of a chomp. :laughing6:

A couple of things I tried:
1. He wouldn't take any food from my fingers, but if I put my hand out flat--palm up--and put a worm on it, he would (a little at a time) venture out on my hand to get that worm.
By the end of a few weeks, he'd come halfway up my arm to get that worm (but if I made any moves toward him, he'd jump/run away as usual).
2. I could take him out of his enclosure in the evening--at or shortly after "lights out"--for some "taming time". It was difficult at first; all he wanted to do was squirm & get away--even at the risk of jumping to his doom (he never did, but he tried). After he cooled down (from enclosure temp to room temp) my body was the warmest thing around, and I could get him to settle down & fall asleep on me.

As he got bigger and learned I wasn't all about eating him, he seemed to tame down on his own. Perhaps his comfort & confidence grew along with his size, but one day, he stopped trying to bite. After another period, he stopped hissing at me every time I came near (he'll still hiss if/when he's grumpy, but he knows I'll win, so he doesn't keep it up or try to bite.) By 6 months, he stopped running away.

Now I can go into his enclosure, do whatever it is I have to do, and he just watches. If I get too close, he may give a little hiss, but from experience, I've learned to tell he doesn't really mean it. I can approach from any angle, pick him up, and do whatever (weigh/measure, bathe--rarely, bring him out for "taming time"--which now includes some petting; DW says it's like petting a rock) and he's fine.
He's shaping/taming up very nicely. Next week he's getting his Learners Permit! :laughhard:

Now that it's mostly over & done with, I'm hearing more & more that it's often easier to tame an adult than a baby/juvie. Figures. :roll:

My story may not be typical; a lot of dragons may come around quicker/easier, but the caveats are still the same--patience & perseverance--and learn about him as he learns about you. :wink:

Best Wishes!