Potty Training?

Status
Not open for further replies.

zachburnav

Hatchling Member
Hello everyone. I'm sorry for the frequent questions but with everything slowly opening back up I won't have as much time with my beardie as I did before. So my tank is set up like so: Basking rock w/ hammock on left, repticarpet, and some more decor/ hides on the right. I'm planning to switch to tiles and eventually get a bigger rank, but ever since the day that I got my bearded dragon, he's been going to the bathroom right on the basking rock or hammock. This got SOO annoying because I have to scrub it pretty much every day. He goes to the bathroom around 1 every 1-2 days, which is when I'm still in school. When I get home the poop will probably all dried and really hard to clean. What is the fastest way to retrain him to go onto some paper towls, or some kind of other specific place? Maybe I should remove the "poop rock" as a whole for some time?
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I've had success by building a routine. Get him up at the same time (using a light timer) usually a little ahead of when you get up. Take him out and put him in an easy to clean spot like with vinyl floor or tile floor etc. Set up a basking light (a plain halogen or household lamp for just heat is fine) in the area and make breakfast for him. Let him bask and eat while you do your morning prep. Keep him in the area until he poops (within reason, don't hold him there for hours) and then let him free to do something fun like sit in a window sill or roam around a bit. Keep doing this at the same time every day and after a while he'll start to get the routine and will poop in the easy to clean spot. It does take time and patience but that's what I've had success with.
 

saraho

Hatchling Member
I agree that routine will help. Charlie and I have a routine where his lights come on around the time I get to work each day. He has breakfast of salad and dubias and then just hangs out in is terrarium since the window gives him fabulous mid-morning sunshine. In the afternoons we go outside for a walk around 3:00. I try to stay out with him for 30 minutes, during which he almost always poops. He then naps as he basks for the rest of the day in the terrarium. I don't work evenings so I don't know how active he is after his lights switch off. Creating this routine has made it so easy to clean up after him, though it isn't foolproof. He does get outside on weekends unless I have time to come in, and I don't always.
 

zachburnav

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
Yeah I generally have a schedule whej it comes to lights on/off and feeding. I don't take him out at the same times though. I'll probably try to stick to a more exact schedule.
 

saraho

Hatchling Member
The schedule idea is great, but as with human children, being exact with it isn't always an option. I'm sure if you get into a rhythm the poop issues will work themselves out.
 

zachburnav

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
The thing is I'm fine with the time of the poop, but not the location. My beardo poops right under his basking bulb, and if I don't clean it up right away it gets super dry and hard to take off. I'm thinking of being on an exact schedule to try to make him go when I'm home, and also moving the location of the rock. I'm gonna see if it's the rock he likes going on or just that side of the tank.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.

Members online

Latest resources

Latest posts

Latest profile posts

I miss you so much, Amaris 💔
What is a quick way to warm up a cold beardie? His heating element went out overnight and now he's very cold.
Pearl Girl wrote on moorelori1966's profile.
i feel so sad reading your about me 😢
Clapton is acclimating okay I think. He's quick as lightning so I'm not sure how much I should bring him out of his house yet. He's not at all interested in his salad though. I wonder if I should change what I'm giving him. Least he's eating his crickets.

Things to do:
Buy calcium powder
Material to raise surface for basking spot
Scenery decals for back of tank

Forum statistics

Threads
155,899
Messages
1,255,685
Members
75,965
Latest member
williamyoung
Top Bottom