completly black **UPDATE**

[busymommie]

i posted in the breeding section what has been going on today


going on 2 days now Skippy is acting like a freek. paces his viv, attacks himself in the glass, and when i come near him he turns his hole body black or darker i should say. i try to pet him and he bolts to the other end of the cage hissing at me starting to freek me out a bit anybody have an idea of what t o do??

 

[Ethelia]

Hi there,
Is a new addition to your home or has he just started acting like this?

Holly

 

[busymommie]

we got him the day before christmas his previous owner could no longer keep him. there is a post in intros on him, he dose not seemto like me much was onlt ever handled by a male and not taken care of the right way at all.

 

[Ethelia]

Hi there,
Well in that case there is nothing to worry about just yet.
He is new to his enviroment and scared so is just behaving territorially. He is opening his mouth at you trying to prove he is dominant because he sees you as a threat.

As soon as he becomes secure in his new home, and with you he will be a happy cuddley little monster. All it takes is patience and perseverance.

I rescued an adult who had never been handled, who bit me, hissed at me and scratched every bit of me she could reach. After a little while using some techniques she became the most loving cuddlebug Ive ever had the pleasure to own.

I used the following tricks that helped her settle down:

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). 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.

It can also work wonders to add one of your old tshirts to her tank (make sure you've worn it for an hour or so), as it means she will become used to your smell in a non threatening manner.
When you handle her remember not to smell like food or aftershave.

and repeat!

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

Keep us posted.
Holly

 

[busymommie]

Holly, thank you for all of the great advise!! i put a tshirt in there yesterday and he flipped out on it would not even go near that end of his viv. question i am breastfeeding do you think the smell of my milk has anything to do with his reaction to the shirt? and to me? i have been picking him up wrong thank you for telling me how to properly do it we will try that next time. i want to move him into his new viv but was thinking i should wait until he is comfy here before makeing another change on him but his viv way to small for him i got him in a 20 gal. it is the home he has been in since a babe i guess and am afraid to change on him just yet. we have a 60 waiting for him once he i ready and his new viv dose not have the nasty sand he is in now. i hate that sand. and i will be brave and touch a worm just for him and try the hand feeding
thank you again

Heather

 

[Ethelia]

Holly, thank you for all of the great advise!! i put a tshirt in there yesterday and he flipped out on it would not even go near that end of his viv. question i am breastfeeding do you think the smell of my milk has anything to do with his reaction to the shirt? and to me? i have been picking him up wrong thank you for telling me how to properly do it we will try that next time. i want to move him into his new viv but was thinking i should wait until he is comfy here before makeing another change on him but his viv way to small for him i got him in a 20 gal. it is the home he has been in since a babe i guess and am afraid to change on him just yet. we have a 60 waiting for him once he i ready and his new viv dose not have the nasty sand he is in now. i hate that sand. and i will be brave and touch a worm just for him and try the hand feeding
thank you again

Heather

Hello there,

Im sure he did flip out when you put the tshirt in there ^_^ A new smell?? In HIS viv??? How dare you hehe!
Keep it in there, he will get used to it.
Im not sure about breastfeeding affecting your dragon. I dont think it will personally, but i will PM Peera for you.
She has raised beardies around children and is currently pregnant so Im sure she would be able to help you here.
To be sure you can try putting in a tshirt that you have not actually worn, but have had on your lap for a while so you avoid contact with your chest.
Everything that goes in my babies vivs are rubbed all over me first! As crazy as that sounds ^_^

Personally I wouldnt wait until he is comfy before you move him. 20 gal is tiny for an adult so he should be moved into his bigger viv asap.
Realistically if you wait for him to get used to you and his current home and THEN you up-route him you will have to start from square one again, and stress him out all over again.
It would be easier on your dragon if you only changed his enviroment once, so do the move and get all the changes over and done with then he will start to settle.

Dont worry, you'll lose your squirm over bugs in no time. I used to flip out when it was feeding time... now I could drop a whole box in my lap and I'd just sigh and pick them off me.

Holly

 

[busymommie]

thank you i will be moveing him today after his bath then. that is if i can catch him for a bath :roll: if not my husband will move him tonight when he gets home.

 

[Ethelia]

No problem.
Do try to be brave and pick him up for his bath. He will squirm and you might get scratched, but that is jsut going to be part of the process Im afraid.
The sooner you start handling him the sooner he will get used to you.

Hopefully he wont take too long to settle down.
I rescued a male before christmas and he spent the first two weeks stomping around with a great big black beard showing me that this was HIS house.
Now he's much more mellow and even comes up to the glass when he wants me to pay his royalness some attention

Holly

 

[peera]

question i am breastfeeding do you think the smell of my milk has anything to do with his reaction to the shirt? and to me?

Hmmm... So it is mostly you that he's having the adverse reaction to? Your husband should smell like you too, to some degree, just from sharing a bed, cuddling your baby, etc. Your milk smell COULD be making you smell so alien that he doesn't recognise you as "One of those giants that bring me worms." just yet, but dragons seem to accomplish surprisingly little with their sense of smell, considering how advanced it is... I'm afraid I wasn't lactating during any of the "getting to know each other" phases with mine, but my pregnancy has never seemed to make it more difficult, and none reacted differently once I started leaking. Ms Priss has actually taken a fondness to cuddling with my tummy while he's kicking. I think she thinks it's a water bed. I think for now, the best thing to do is take Holly's advice (It works wonders with a little patience.). You can try washing one of your shirts with the same non-scented soap you're using for your baby's clothes, wash up well after a feeding (Are you using cloth or disposable nursing pads? You might try having a pair of cloth ones on hand to block as much of the smell as possible when dealing with him.) and wearing the shirt until the next feeding, so it never has a chance to become exposed directly to milk (although, of course, after being so careful, your little angel will take this opportunity to regurgitate all over it...) and giving it to him. I like to give baths in the evening because mine generally calm down in it, and then you can bundle them up into a burrito with little trouble and keep them on you for an hour or so (provided you actually have the luxury of being left alone that long, lol). If you cover the top of his head (see that little "bubble" in the center? He uses that to sense light and warmth, so if you keep it covered, he thinks it's night and will usually be content to stay put.) If it's to hard for you to get him to that point, try having your husband start out with him and hand him to you once he's asleep. As long as he smells you when he wakes up, he'll start to learn that you're not hurting him even though you're handling him at night when he's vunerable. I'll keep thinking, if I come up with anything else I'll let you know.

 

[busymommie]

yes it is just me he acts this way towards, hard to find quality time for my new little one to let him know i care i am going to do as holly said and take it slow with my hand and nighttime. i dont use nurseing pad should i with the shirt i put in with him? he seems truely intrested in the baby every time she crys he looks for her. the toddlers on the other hand he could live without

 

[peera]

If it's the breast milk he's having the issue with, nursing pads should help isolate the smell enough not to bother him. If he doesn't seem to be coming around to you soon (give the burrito and hand feeding a week or so) I'd try it (you don't even have to buy them, just some fabric wrapped around cotton batting or other absorbent material will do... a shoulder pad comes to mind, lol. ) I know time is precious and hard to come by with small children, but you can't let him continue to act this way or it will eventually become just the way things are. They are extemelly intelligent and quickly learn when they're allowed to get away with bad behavior or dominate you.

 

[busymommie]

tons of progress with Skippy!! i can go into the viv without hissing, i can stroke his head without his beard puffing out still black just not puffed, at night i can get him out afterlights out and when he wakes he is in my tshirt likes to explore the house now and when he is done comes to me to go back to his viv, his favorite room is the office i think because it is a kid free zone makeing more progress every day.

 

[Ethelia]

That is wonderful news!
Thanks for keeping us updated.

We hope to see pictures soon.
Holly

 

[busymommie]

this is yesterday he was helping me give the toddlers a bath he didnt like there noise.

 

[MyLittleFoot]

wow he is gorgeous, what a big fella

keep up what your doing, he will soon fit in