Heavy Breathing

[ejuncker16]

My juvenile bearded dragon (I've had him/her for about 2 weeks now) always breathes really heavy when I hold it. I am trying to handle it a lot because I was told that if I do not handle it a lot as a juvenile it will become aggressive as an adult.. so whenever I am holding it it breathes heavy but whenever my boyfriend holds it it seems totally content, no heavy breathing, and it even falls asleep and licks him all the time.. is it possible that it just does not like me? I don't know what I'm doing wrong

 

[kingofnobbys]

I'm betting he's reacting to your perfume .... he doesn't like the scent ....

Try handling him perfume free and I'm betting he'll respond lots different to now.

Of cause it may also be that your boyfriend exudes confidence when he picks up your beardie and is himself calm and relaxed and gives the beardie good body support where you are anxious, stressed worried and maybe don't support the beardie properly so it feels less relaxed / secure when you pick It up.
Watch very closely how your boyfriend approaches the beardie and picks it up. And off cause no perfume.

My favour bonding / taming trick for lizards is to offer some of their fav food as a treat/bribe when you want to pick them up or (if wild) pet them. Works wonders, they soon learn you are the giver of yummy stuff and soon they will be very relaxed when you pick them up ---- I've done this with wild skinks ....
I place my open upturned hand where the lizard can see it just outside it's personal space (a few inches usually) with a worm or disabled bug on it.
Wait for the lizard to come over and claim the bribe.
Repeat a few times and each day.
Soon I've a lizard who will come straight over and take the treat and loiter on my hand, I've been known to handsurf wild skinks and if I do it slow and gentle they seem to enjoy it because they stay and just look around, even look under the airborn hand (oo.... how did I get here ??) and when I put my hand back down they don't run away, they calmly crawl off after a while and if I offer another treat they come right back.

My wife refers to me "the lizard whisperer" as do most the kids in my street.