baby beardie becoming aggresive

[shocka2430]

i have had nip for 3 or 4 weeks now and it opened its mouth a little at first, then it stopped and would get in my hand for the last week now its running and biting me.i handle nip everyday and want him to like me i dont know why he has started doing this any info guys?

 

[ErinMeetsMachine]

have you tried putting a t-shirt (that you've worn for a couple hours) into the viv? The scent will help him recognize you and become more familiar with you. He'll be tamed at some point.

 

[shocka2430]

i wrap him up and he sleeps in a sleeve off one of my shirts every night,he usually wont sleep untill i wrap him in it.and he was fine with me picking him up and then he just changed.my wife would pick him up but now she is scared to and i want him to be a family pet so i want him to be tame.nip is awesome and i really want to bond with him but its hard to do with him biting and running when i get him out,of course the bites dont hurt but i feel like it is stressfull on him.

 

[Ethelia]

Dont worry, this is reasonably normal.
Your baby will have been docile to begin with because he was still frightened of his surroundings, now that he's confident he's trying to show his dominance over you and your wife.

I promise you its nothing to panic about.
When I first rescued Dex she had never been handled and was pretty much feral. She bit me, scratched me and hissed at me.
With some patience and a few tricks she turned into the biggest cuddlebug in the world who constantly wanted to sit in my lap and be stroked.


When this behaviour starts its much easier to go back to square one handling wise to condition their behaviour.

Start putting your hand in her tank, flat but dont touch her. She'll see your not there to grab her. Do this every now and then for a day or so.
Once youve done for a while start only hand feeding her (wriggley worms work best, or whatever her favourite treat is). If she goes to bite you be brave and try not to flinch, just raise your hand up and remove the food. She'll soon learn biting isnt a good idea.

When you try handling her try it an hour or so after lights out when she'll be sleepy and bored of fighting. At this time you can try the 'beardie burrito'. this involves wrapping your beardie in a blanket/towel like a newborn baby and laying them on your chest. If she doesnt like the beardie burito try wearing a dressing gown, alot of beardies enjoy softness. Dexter loved mine.

When you begin to start trying to handle your little one during daytime id get her out, and let her run around near you, like on the bed or on the floor in a room (close the door and make sure all gaps are blocked with cushions/pillows). She'll get used to just being near you and learning that your not big and scary. Also if she runs around exploring she'll tire herself out and so will be more submissive when you finally pick her up.

Remember:
When you go to pick up your beardie do not approach her from the back or the side, this is predatry behaviour and will spook her.
Lay your hand flat in front of her for a few seconds and then slide it underneath her. Once you have picked her up like this yuo can reposition her on your hand.

Whilst you are calming your baby down it really is advisable not to have the both of you handling her. Changing scents and sights will only spook her and make the process longer. Once you have tamed your baby completely your wife can step in and start spending time with your little monster.
Trust me Ive tried it both ways and it always works better this way.
Although your wife wont be hands on at this stage It might be worthwhile to add something of your wifes into your babies tank aswell.
Miso, my 8 week old has a patch of my bath robe at one side, and one of my partners tshirts made into a ramp for her to climb at the other.


Although you might end up getting a few bites when she squirms to run away it is VERY important not to just put her down if she gapes at you or bites. She will learn that fighting gets her her own way and will make the process longer and harder.

Hope this helped.
Be patient and be consistant.

Holly

 

[shocka2430]

thanks for the info that was a good post,i will try all these things and hopefully they work.i already have my tshirt sleeve in there for nip to sleep in, so i will have to put something of my wifes in there.hopefully this works i'm suprised my wife even will hold and play with nip she aint much of a reptile person but she loves nip,so i don't want him being agressive to make her not want to hold him.

 

[LJean]

I went through this with Calypso. She bit all of us at one time or another. Those tips above helped us. While she still hates to be held, she doesn't usually bite now. Good luck!