taking my Baby Bearded Dragon to work with me

I have a baby bearded Dragon I have had for less then two weeks. I have thought since he is still small enough I could set up a back up tank at work and take him with me to work my 4 days a week. Pending my works approval but they let me keep a beta fish so I am thinking I could talk them into it. I work Graveyard shift so I am away at night for the 4 days a week and thought he might feel more secure seeing me when he sleeps at night and I normally turn on the lights when I get off work at 6:30 a.m. so he should be able to get sleep ok all night in the tank at work. I have a small portable habitat I can put him in to take to work which is only a 20 minute drive each way.

I also figure my work should be warm enough for night that he wouldn't need any special lights but maybe a heater to put on the side of the tank. Which I am planning on getting him or building him a bigger tank soon so I can just use his old 10 gal tank at work.

My main worry is that the transfer back and forth with him being so young might cause him stress and defeat the purpose of having him close to me all the time.

well i really think the whole thing would be more stressful really

especially since he is young and new he is already stessed moving to a new home

he will sleep fine without you there when he is sleeping he really is not going to notice if you are there or not he will still fall asleep

they are not like humans or dogs they do not get anxiety attacks if the people they are around are not there he will sleep much easier if you just leave him be

if turning lights off is the problem then get a timer

I would have to agree. The added stress of being transported to and from may not be worth the benefit.

Ernie

I second those opinions, to much hassle, and stress on teh beardie...

thanks, I was thinking of that but just wanted a second hand opinion to confirm it, I'm being almost over protective of Draco right now

What a good beardie parent!!!! :wink:

I should be getting a bigger cage for him, which I am going to sit the 10 gal tank inside, and use the 10 gal tank just for him to be able to hunt and eat his food, This reptile cage measures 36" Length x 24" Depth x 32" Height and is good condition. Includes heat lamp and light fixtures (no bulbs yet). I might have to block more of it off too so he doesn't get too scared

Yes I'm bringing this up because someone linked to it.

It might be stressful in the beginning but wouldn't the dragon get use to it much like he would get use to his normal schedule at home?? Just wondering.

I agree with everyones opinion to a point, remember there are always exceptions to the rules.

sunkist":417b5 said:

Yes I'm bringing this up because someone linked to it.

It might be stressful in the beginning but wouldn't the dragon get use to it much like he would get use to his normal schedule at home?? Just wondering.

Click to expand...

Sunkist you have actually made a good point. Let me explain where I'm coming from.

My Thoughts on Transferring Baby Back and Forth
It really depends on how much time you spend with your baby in the first place. You can always give your beardies more attention than in the past but once you do you can't go backwards and give them less. They are creatures of habit an if you reduce the amount of attention they most likely will become depressed which in return can cause them to become ill.

Cons
If you were to take your beardie with you..........you would have to continue to do so as once your beardie becomes accustom to this routine changing it could possibly depress and stress him.

My Experience
I have handled Zak-n-Wheezie sense the day they hatched and have taken them everywhere with me. They go to pay bill, errands, an even out of town with us. They do not stress over any of this because they have become accustom to things being this way.


Might I ask though that sense you work during his normal sleeping hours why would you need to take him with you? He's asleep. (I'm guessing you're a worry wart beardie mommy. :laughing6: )
He really needs to be allowed time to get his proper rest.
In this case I think (and this is just my opinion) sense he is asleep during these hours I would let him remain asleep. Then when you get home you can get your beardie fix from a well rested beardie.

I will give you my experience. I adopted Semi when he was 3 months old. We already had Magick. My husband being disabled, I was afraid he would not be able to care for Semi while I worked. I set up a tank just like at home only a bit smaller. I took him to and from work daily for 3 months. He thrived on all the attention and was not one bit stressed. I stopped taking him when the weather got bad as it was really cold. He adapted without any issues. When spring came, he would come with me for a couple of days a week and loved it. He just loved all the attention he got from all the guys in the workshop. He became the company mascot. Even today, I bring him in to visit and I am now retired. But please remember, every beardie is different. If I worked nights, I would not consider taking him as he would be asleep. I worked five 10 hour days with a total of close to 2 hours driving time.

I agree, I shouldn't mess with his sleeping.