Breaking my heart

[Whitenerj]

I've had my 3 month old girl Roxy for a week. She eats very good and seems to love her tank. The issue is every time I try and pet her, she takes off running around the tank. Tonight I tried to pick her up to give her her first bath but she hissed at me and even snapped at me. It really broke my heart and makes me wonder if she will ever like me. The whole week I've given her space and only put my hand in the cage to clean poop and feed her. At night when she's almost asleep she lets me pet her but that's the only time. I've been talking to her and just holding my hand in the tank for a few minutes to try and get her used to it. Any suggestions to unite us as friends?

 

[BeardieButler]

Sometimes you just have to let it play out. Even if she doesn't love you, you can still do some slight interactions such as just having your hand in there everyday and slovvly getting closer to her to get her more familiar vvith your presence as her friend, not a random nevv face that is trying to potentially hurt her. Haha, i remember that my nevv bearded dragon Talon vvould black beard anything that moved. A cricket, a spider, our turtle, even his vvater dish. He got more used to them and slovvly learned to love them.
Thanks!

 

[Mordecai]

Just have patience and keep doing what you are doing. You can also put a shirt of yours in her tank so she gets use to your smell. You can also pick her up after lights out when she is really sleepy and hold her. Just give her time. It will be worth the wait.

 

[kingofnobbys]

Don't chase her and try to grab her . This to her is a big scary five headed monster trying to catch her and she's scared of being hurt or eaten by it/you. This will only reinforce it's fear of you.

I find if you have long stick, you can place it gently under the front legs and chest and then gently lift the young dragon closer to you (they will instinctively hold onto the end of the stick) and then you can pet it and slip your hand under the dragon (make sure it's entire body is supported) and place the other hand over it and lift out and place it on your lap/tummy or chest with a hand cupped gently over it's body and your wrist gently resting on it's tail (to discourage it from dash off).

Best to keep nurses to minimum for a while , and spend lots of time hanging out where the young beardie can see and hear and smell you , let it observe you from the safety of it's tank , while you to talk to it often (in a calm reassuring way).
OK to open the tank and place your hand near the young beardie while talking to it, maybe with a tasty bug inbetween the finger tips to coax it to you and to restrict petting to while it's in the tank and while it's basking or sleepy.

I also find it helps form a bond if you hand feed some the live insects to it each day, this way it will first learn you are the source of yummy insects
second it will come to associate you with nice things
third it will begin to trust you and eventually bond with you.

 

[Whitenerj]

Well not a good day today. I went to grab her so I could give her a bath and she opened her mouth. I stuck a dubia in her mouth twice and she ate them both but still was not happy. I finally had to grab her from behind quick so she would not bite me. She then ran up my arm and jumped off my arm onto the floor and took off running. I caught her just in time before she ran under our sofa. UGH!!!!

I then gave her a bath and she of course hated every minute of it. She even pooped in the water. Then I took her out and wrapped her in a towel and she calmed down while I sat on the sofa with her petting her head. After 5 minutes I put her back into her cage.

Can she go a long time without a bath??? Reason I ask is if I didn't have to get her out at all and only interacted with her in her cage, she might calm down eventually. I though about letting her stay in her cage a couple of weeks and I could just put my hand in there and try to get closer without picking her up. Right now she is not having me pick her up.

Also I have seen 2 sides to taming a BD on the forums. One says to leave them be and not handle very much and the other side says to handle everyday and make them get used to you. Which is right?

 

[Mordecai]

When I first got my dragon a read the same thing about handling them all the time and even chasing them around the tank so that is what I did. He is a very friendly dragon but he never tried to bite me or anything. So I don't know what way is better. I'm sure not chasing them around is probably less stressful. As far as baths go mine gets a bath every once in a while. They don't really need them. You can keep them hydrated by using a dropper and put water on her snout. Good luck.