How many house trained Beardies are there?

My Beardie, JL, is a bit over 2 years old now. He tips the scales at about a pound, and he's 18" long, as best as I can measure. For the last year I have been taking him outside on occasion, usually a couple times a week, except when it's too cold. When he was younger I used a leash, with a custom made harness. As he got mature, he no longer has the "rocket ship" mode of travel. So, since about March he has been going out under close observation, on our patio, sans leash. There are no "hidey holes" he can reach without a long march, so I just keep an eye on him all the time, and don't let him get beyond 20 feet or so. Don't get me wrong, you can't sit there and read or multi-task, you have to watch him, all the time, but it's worth it! He appears to just love it, it's amazing where he likes to explore, and he is very alert. I put out some greens for him, and the occasional super worm drops close to him, and he gets to discover those items. Anyway, to the point, about April he started doing his "business" outside. And since May he has not gone in his cage a single time. It seems outlandish, but he has become house trained. Just wondering if others have experienced such actions?

We have zero pesticides or fertilizers in use since 1995. We've discovered one does not need them, it took about 5 years to build up an ecosystem of natural insect munchers, but we are now fertilizer and poison free. So he is safe from contamination. I would not recommend allowing a youngster to run free, they are lightning fast, but JL's current top speed is quite manageable. Also, the patio is covered and he is very cautious when he leaves "cover". He will go about 2 or 3 feet into the grass when he potties, then he comes back. Quite amazing.

cheers
cactus

 

[Drache613]

Hello,

I have ours that go out of their tanks all of the time. At the moment, I don't always take them outside, but I did have one awhile back who usually just went outside.
They are much smarter than most give them credit for.
That is great JL trained himself. I guess he loves a clean house!
Great story.

Tracie

 

[CooperDragon]

I'm glad to hear that JL has trained himself. It's much easier when they go outside of their tank. I also let my dragon have free reign of the house when we're home and provide outside time when the weather permits. I found that they tend to be responsive to routine. With supervision, it's fun to allow them to explore and roam freely. In my opinion it enhances their quality of life and makes them a more interactive and rewarding part of ours. They are smart little critters and it's common for them to be housebroken and fairly tame from what I've seen.

 

[HaleyRose]

I've trained my female to poop outside the cage. She defecates in the water when I bathe her anyway, so that's how it started. She only goes in her cage if I get busy and can't take her out for a couple days.

I tried to get my male to do the same thing, but he doesn't do it routinely like the female does. He's OK with pooping in his cage. He just does it in one corner.