Free roam

[AlanHJ]

I was just wondering if anyone's enclosures are open for their dragons to roam around. I know a couple people who have iguanas that roam around the entire house anytime they want, but they know where to go for uv and heat and food. I wonder if a dragon would be so smart?

 

[Cheetanaruto]

Probably, I believe it's like a mouse stuck in a room with a lever, one day they hit the lever and they get cheese, from then on when they're hungry they learn to pull the lever to get food or, once a Bearded Dragon finds the place it's food is it will come to get food when it's hungry. I think it's smart enough.

 

[herpfreak]

I give Budo several hours of free roam every day in my bedroom... there are usually a few kids running around the house, so full free roam is not an option. But I let him roam around even when I'm not there; I have carefully observed all his hiding places and I have fully beardie-proofed the room. Free roam is a great way for them to exercise and have fun. They love exploring.

 

[ghr15]

I give Budo several hours of free roam every day in my bedroom... there are usually a few kids running around the house, so full free roam is not an option. But I let him roam around even when I'm not there; I have carefully observed all his hiding places and I have fully beardie-proofed the room. Free roam is a great way for them to exercise and have fun. They love exploring.

I have learned this fact the hard way.

 

[Ethelia]

I wouldnt necissarily allow for free roaming of the whole house. There are just too many nooks and crannies that you wont think of for your dragon to get into. No matter how much you think you've beardie proofed you've allllllways missed one or two.
Bookcases, wires, floorboards, kitchen panneling, laundry, shoes etc etc
I would possibly allow free roam in the room their vivs are in.
That way they know where to head when they want some heat and if they hide away you know that they ARE in that room somewhere. The worst cases of lost beardies happen when the owners dont know which room they could be in.

Ruben is allowed to roam around our lounge where his viv is during the day when Im home. We have two desk lamps in the room so I pop one on the floor for a basking spot for him to shuffle back to when he's cool.
Id also recommend tying a long piece of string or ribbon to your dragons tail. That way no matter if they have tucked themselves out of sight the trail should lead you to where they are hiding.

We may sound paranoid here, but I think we have all read one too many "lost beardie" story. They are escape artists.

Holly

 

[amylee159]

Id also recommend tying a long piece of string or ribbon to your dragons tail. That way no matter if they have tucked themselves out of sight the trail should lead you to where they are hiding.

We may sound paranoid here, but I think we have all read one too many "lost beardie" story. They are escape artists.

Holly

Agreed!!

 

[Freeie]

We give all of our guys free roam only in the room where their vivs are in (livingroom) Ill take one with me in the comp room here and their but they always run back to the room where the vivs are so they can tease all the ones who are still in their vivs (they can be little stinkers!) We dont wanna loose anyone.

 

[ghr15]

The string idea many times does not work if you're beardie can get out of it. Such as mine I let him roam around my living room a long leash figuring I can get him out from under the cabinets if he does go under them. I pull out the leash and there is no lizard on the other end he got off of it. I also tried the sting idea only to get string on the floor with no beardie attached.

 

[jscott]

they make reptile harnesses that go around the chest of the animal like a backpack; i dont think its safe to tie a piece of string around an animals neck, it would tighten like a noose.

i like the idea of beardy proofing a room, but i dont have any rooms without heavy furniture or gaps where i couldnt reach. if your able to beardie-proof your room then i say more power to you. just watch where you step, thats my worst nightmare; letting one of my dragons out to roam only to accidentally sit or step on him because i forgot he was out :shock: ... scary thoughts, get out of my head !

 

[ghr15]

they make reptile harnesses that go around the chest of the animal like a backpack; i dont think its safe to tie a piece of string around an animals neck, it would tighten like a noose.

i like the idea of beardy proofing a room, but i dont have any rooms without heavy furniture or gaps where i couldnt reach. if your able to beardie-proof your room then i say more power to you. just watch where you step, thats my worst nightmare; letting one of my dragons out to roam only to accidentally sit or step on him because i forgot he was out :shock: ... scary thoughts, get out of my head !

It was like a backpack and he got out of it. Now you saying stepping on him put a horrible thought in my head. I most of the time have to use a wheelchair and you just made me think of if I did that and run him over by mistake that would be horrible and be much much more graphic then stepping on them.

Not to mention very very messy.

 

[sweetiepie9]

We've let our beardies free roam our living room, which is beardie proofed, one at a time. They don't have lids on their tanks during the day, so far only our 7 mo old Rubio has been able to get out of his tank but only once. Not the other 4. They each get separate time to roam but are always supervised. The living room lets onto our balcony, which is also beardie proofed, so they get time in the sun & time in the living room. We have a separate basking spot with a power sun in the living room, attached to a cabinet, so they always have UV & heat avail during their free roaming times. We supervise because we've had to dig out a beardie or two, so are well aware of how they are escape artists, which is why they're always supervised. We've been doing this for almost 3 years and we have 5 beardies that we juggle, so we're getting good at this!

 

[ghr15]

We've let our beardies free roam our living room, which is beardie proofed, one at a time. They don't have lids on their tanks during the day, so far only our 7 mo old Rubio has been able to get out of his tank but only once. Not the other 4. They each get separate time to roam but are always supervised. The living room lets onto our balcony, which is also beardie proofed, so they get time in the sun & time in the living room. We have a separate basking spot with a power sun in the living room, attached to a cabinet, so they always have UV & heat avail during their free roaming times. We supervise because we've had to dig out a beardie or two, so are well aware of how they are escape artists, which is why they're always supervised. We've been doing this for almost 3 years and we have 5 beardies that we juggle, so we're getting good at this!

How does one beardie proof a room? I cannot think of a way short of buying new furniture.

 

[herpfreak]

You could try to block off (with a blanket or something) the area under the furniture, possibly, though you'll want to watch them closely for a while, as they can always seem to find spaces to crawl under.

Also, no hot objects on the ground (I have a roach bin over a heat pad on the ground, so that's something I personally watch out for), no small objects that could be swallowed, nothing that could fall over on them, etc. LOL, it's like kid-proofing a room.

 

[ghr15]

You could try to block off (with a blanket or something) the area under the furniture, possibly, though you'll want to watch them closely for a while, as they can always seem to find spaces to crawl under.

Also, no hot objects on the ground (I have a roach bin over a heat pad on the ground, so that's something I personally watch out for), no small objects that could be swallowed, nothing that could fall over on them, etc. LOL, it's like kid-proofing a room.

couldn't do that I would need allot of blankets. I have stuff all over they can get under such as a wall unit that is heavy and stuff like a large freezer they could get under and many other things. I would have blankets all over even if it is only in 1 room.

 

[herpfreak]

Hmmm, that's tough. It wouldn't be as good as full free roam, but you could get one of those collapsable wire dog fences (I used a small one to let my rabbits outside). They come in all different sizes. I guess you could section off a bit of the room that is beardie-safe.

Also, you can let them roam with a leash on, that way you can catch them before they get under anything.