How did you get your beardie?

[duke11]

What is the story of getting your beardie? Let's hear them!

Mine (boring compared to some, but not too bad)
I got Duke at a reptile show up in Wheaton. There were 7 or 8 bins of beardies, each holding 2-3 dragons. There was a HUGE crowd surrounding these and I finally pushed my way into the last bin. In the bin was Duke, his brother, and his sister. His brother was very pretty, and big for his age too. I picked him up and he wouldn't stop moving! I put him back so I wouldn't drop him. I picked up Duke and he was so sweet! He was a bit smaller than his brother, and not as colorful but he was so sweet and he liked when I held him. I held him for 5 minutes and he fell asleep in my hands! So I got him. Duke is still as sweet as ever. He never bites, hisses, black beards, or puffs at anyone or anything (except broccoli).

 

[Leo123]

I got Leo from a breeder in Glasgow Scotland, I went with my Auntie and cousin on the friday as they read about them in the paper, i had never seen or heard of bearded dragons, as soon as i saw the babies and the mother and father i had to get one.
The next day i went to the pet shop bought all the set up and set off to glasgow to buy one, he was the biggest beardie there 6-8weeks old and very friendly, didn't mind being held and ate very well.
We have had our ups and downs in the past few months but i wouldn't change him for the world!
His personality it great :lol:

 

[KristenT]

I got my lil girl from a guy on craig's list... a class at my school had a beardie, and I brought it home over week or two week breaks to care for, and fell in love with the reptiles. I wanted one for so long, and kept saving up and saving up, and my sister called me letting me know about one on Craig's List she'd found. From the pictures, the beardie looked healthy and happy, and I called the guy a few times and spoke with him about the beardie. He assure me 'he' was huge, and ate great, and was very healthy and frendly, and he was selling it because he had no time for it any more. I set out on the hour long trip to see the beardie, and was shocked by what I found.
'He' was actually a she, was extrememly small, malnourished, dehydrated, and had severe MBD! He had been feeding her lettuce ( at least it was romaine instead of iceburg!) and about 30 crickets a week, and 15 superworms. The substrate was crushed walnut shell, that hadn't been changed since he got her - he just scooped the pooped areas up! She had NO UVB light - and though he claimed that there was one when she was growing up, I highly doubt that.
I was so dissappointed! I had wanted and expected to find a big, healthy beardie - what I found was a very sick runt, in horrable conditioins. I couldn't leave her there though, so I went ahead and brought her home, and immediatly threw out the lettuce (which was almost to the point of rotting!) and the substrate, putting down brown paper bags for the time being instead.
From there, we've had a lot of changes, lots of new furnature, new food and LOTS of vet visits - she's still a sickly little girl, but I love her.
She's so sweet, but shy around people she's not used to. She never bites (though she did get a little over excited about some canteloup before and tried to eat it before I let it go - and nipped my finger with it! :lol: ) and only hisses when I try to give her medicine or anything through a syringe. lol. She rules the roost as far as my dogs and cats go... all of them steer clear from her!
Even though she's not what I originally wanted, I wouldn't go back and change things for the world.

 

[duke11]

Poor girl, it's great that you 'rescued' her!

 

[LPacker79]

I work at PetSmart in the grooming salon. One day back in April one of the pet care associates approached me and said they'd found a baby beardie in a box on the fish podium that someone had apparently abandoned, and wanted to know if I would be interested in taking it. It was a tiny baby, just a tad bit bigger than the ones we had just gotten in. Since I've got a ton of reptiles they apparently came to me first. I said I would take her, but they had to keep her for a few days until I got everything set up at home.

My second Beardie came to me this past Sunday. Someone had left him in a box outside the store with a note that said "Please give me a good home." The stockers came across him at 5am when they arrived for work. They brought him in the store, and when the first pet care associate came in at 6 they put him in a proper tank and warmed him up and fed him. He downed some crickets and greens like a typical food crazy dragon. He's about half grown and very sweet. I fell in love with him and took him home that night. After a couple days of settling in, he's getting his first bath in a couple hours.

I am officially reptiled out! I've promised my BF that I will not bring home any more (to be honest, these two are the only ones I didn't already have when he met me 4 years ago)!

 

[Buggsy]

I picked Gizmo up from a local store in Leeds, i looked around, did some research (not enough it turned out). I bought a starter kit, which needless to say was full of junk that i though she would need. But they did tell me to go home and get it set up before taking her home.

After finding this site, she has grown up. She is over 2 years now, and a whopping 22" and 630g! She is a lovely pastel yellow colour, and is most definatley a princess! she has things her way, and my BF and i are slaves to her!

 

[MyLittleFoot]

Little Foot was a Christmas Gift from my Husband last year, and she is the best present that I have got in a long time

 

[Aznrainbowdime]

A co worker of mine and I went to her friend's house and he had a beardie. I thought man that's cool !! I've never been into reptiles .. in fact I hated them... anything with scales.. yuck. So anyway... I htought it was cute and calm.. and the guy said it was CHEAP to own one. Since my g/f is alergic to animals with fur.. and my apt doesn't allow cats/dogs, I thought why not. Without doing any research.. I went to a local pet shop and saw a baby one and purchased one. All in my heas was 'cheapness' lol.

After 2 weeks of getting the correct set up (I bought all the wrong kinds and had no idea babies had such big appetite) and $1000 later.. I fell in love. MJ is now 10 inches long, I've had her for only 2 1/2 months but she is my life !!! Beardies are like puppies of the reptile world and I love it ! I snuggle with her all day long and love sleeping together !!!!

I am a total reptile lover now ! (well.. i still can't do snakes just yet lol)

 

[duke11]

I wish I could take in every little beardie at the petstore.

 

[duke11]

A co worker of mine and I went to her friend's house and he had a beardie. I thought man that's cool !! I've never been into reptiles .. in fact I hated them... anything with scales.. yuck. So anyway... I htought it was cute and calm.. and the guy said it was CHEAP to own one. Since my g/f is alergic to animals with fur.. and my apt doesn't allow cats/dogs, I thought why not. Without doing any research.. I went to a local pet shop and saw a baby one and purchased one. All in my heas was 'cheapness' lol.

After 2 weeks of getting the correct set up (I bought all the wrong kinds and had no idea babies had such big appetite) and $1000 later.. I fell in love. MJ is now 10 inches long, I've had her for only 2 1/2 months but she is my life !!! Beardies are like puppies of the reptile world and I love it ! I snuggle with her all day long and love sleeping together !!!!

I am a total reptile lover now ! (well.. i still can't do snakes just yet lol)

Agreed! I have a dog and I have Duke, and they're both sweet and cuddly! I will never regret getting a beardie, even though Duke's yearly fee is a lot more than I expected.

 

[Aznrainbowdime]

yeahh.. the fees & expenses of owning a beardie is crazy. I remember the first week I had MJ, I went to petsmart to buy some tank furnitures and I saw a lady buying bags of dog food & cat food and I thought in my head "ha.. I never have to deal with spending money like I did with Yogi" Yogi was my childhood puppy I had that we had to give a way because we couldn't take care of it. lol But boy was I wrong !! I must've jinxed my self !!!!