I GIVE UP

[moghue]

Its very frustrating i hear how other people can hold their beardys and everything. im almost to the point of giving up as now he even turns dark when i hold him.

 

[moghue]

im at my witts end i have tried everything and my beardy just gets meaner and meaner. im not sure how much more of this i can take. i hate getting bit every single time i put my hand in the cage. i have never had this happen with any other reptile i have owned and i have owned a lot. even my last beardy never acted like this. i am so close to finding him a new home and just sticking with my red foot tortoise and my frogs

 

[Fuzzyviper]

Try putting some gardening gloves/thin gloves on then picking him up. The gloves should protect you from his teeth and you can just let him bite to his heart's content. Once he figures out that biting isn't going to stop you from picking him up, he should start easing up on it. My guy is fairly tame but is getting into the "teenage" stage so he'll do lots of bearding and showing his teeth at me when I pick him up. Just throw some gloves on, talk in a soft voice, give a treat if he will take one, and let him know that handling is going to happen, whether he wants it or not .

 

[reptilegyrl]

Try putting some gardening gloves/thin gloves on then picking him up. The gloves should protect you from his teeth and you can just let him bite to his heart's content. Once he figures out that biting isn't going to stop you from picking him up, he should start easing up on it. My guy is fairly tame but is getting into the "teenage" stage so he'll do lots of bearding and showing his teeth at me when I pick him up. Just throw some gloves on, talk in a soft voice, give a treat if he will take one, and let him know that handling is going to happen, whether he wants it or not .

i absolutely agree! this is what I did with my Cupid (the wildest beardie ever! lol) she tore at those gloves like crazy! but once she got used to being held with the gloves, she would calm down. after that i would pick her up and wrap her in a blankie and pet her head. that was less than 2 weeks ago, and now she lets e pick her up without much of a fuss most of the time. she still is "nippy" sometimes, but her attitude has totally changed, and she loves being held!
please dont give up! try the gloves!

 

[dvillar9301]

Hand feeding is a great way of taming and giving baths and carrying him on your shoulder for 15 minutes are great ways of taming bearded dragons!

 

[moghue]

Thanks for all the great advise. my beardy just is getting worse and worse with the attititude not only does the beard turn black now his belly turns dark when i do eventualy pick him up. not sure how much more i will take of this. i have had nile monitors more easy going then my beardy. im going to give it a bit longer but my nerves are shot trying to deal with the aggresion.

 

[dvillar9301]

Maybe he wants more of your attention? Or maybe you don't feed him enough. Or maybe you don't have a healthy sleep cycle for him?

 

[LeapinBeardie]

I can barely remember taming my beardie, because he was the most docile thing you have ever seen.
He used to puff up and flatten, but never bit anyone. I think I just took him outside his cage for maybe 10-15 times, put him on my leg or next to me, and then just ignored him. He would either stay there or walk away.
Eventually, I could put my hand near him with a treat (Large lettuce leaves are good ones) and he would eat it.
Just keep at it, it takes a while for them to make the connections in their little heads but they get it eventually.

Best of luck!

 

[moghue]

he gets about 10 -12 hours of sleep and he def eats enough he is such a pig. hes fed at least 2 times a day if not more. i use to have a beardy a few years ago the nicest one i ever saw even as a baby never bit me never even flattened out or anything. thats why this one is frustrating me so much he def lets you know he doesnt want to be messed with.

 

[dvillar9301]

Do u spend time with him daily? If you do, for how long and what do you do?

 

[dadecitydragons]

with my smaller ones i usually wait til about 9:30 or so when the heat lamps kick off and the cages cool off a bit cuz then thier metabolism is slowed down much like stated before that thier out of energy... It even works with my older two dragons but they seem to like being held and my big male loves shoulder rides and would rather be on my shoulder instead of on my lap or arms...

Just be patient with him and keep working with him.. these arent puppies or kittens so they still have their wild instinct to defend themselves no matter what... It is common so just keep working with him and give it time... Each dragon is different... some will jump on your hand and be clingy while some will be standoffish...

Michael Drake
"Dade City Dragons"
Dade City, FL

 

[MissT]

Can you go over your set up? Lights, substrate, temps etc
how Are you measuring temps?
Have you had him for a vet check and fecal yet?
What is the lighting schedule?
How much does he eat each day?

 

[ChellBellz]

I am new at this but I thought I would input my advice, not based on my experience with beardies but with animals in general. I hope that you do not give up on him, as mentioned before if you 'get him off your hands' he may end up in an abusive environment. Also please try not to get frustrated, I am sure that he can sense this when you are handling him. I would suggest trying going slow, your movements and how much you expect out of him at a time. Get him out several times a day and do it for short periods of time. At least he won't feel like you are imprisoning him, just let him get adjusted to you picking him up, talk to him! yes talk! Some people may feel strange talking in a soothing 'baby voice' but this does have a calming effect and if you are at least vocal and 'gentle' he may be less prone to react aggressively. To me it sounds like he feels threatened, and if he becomes accustomed to you picking him up and releasing him only after a minute or two of holding he will start to realize that this is not a bad thing. If he starts fighting you too much or becomes distressed I would let him go, even if earlier than what you really anticipated.I would stay right there at his 'tank' so that he might feel more secure.Over time I would increase the length of handling and the distance you move. Also another thing that worries me is how is his eye sight? Does he have any problem eating crickets or roaches? If anything is wrong with his vision this could make him nervous too. I honestly believe you can tame him up and that when you do you will have a good bond. Is there anyone else in the house that could be mistreating him, not necessarily intentionally but perhaps someone too young to properly handle him?

 

[moghue]

I appreciate all the advise everyone has given me. here is what i am doing now in the morning before he is fully awake i will pick him up for about 5 to 10 minutes. i stay right next to his cage. then after work i usualy just sit next to his cage while im on the computer for usualy an hour or two. then after its lights out i wait about a half hour then pick him up for roughly 10 to 15 minutes. i find when he is still half asleep he doesnt try and bite or anything. as for his eye sight he sees real good as soon as his crickets or reptiworms go in hes scarfing them down. he is a big pig and he even eats his vegys. no one else in the house messes with him as they know he is off limits plus they have enough other pets to play with. my oldest daughter has 2 scorpions and a savannah monitor which has been so sweet from day one. im not giving up just yet but im getting close. im going to give it more time. also im using a reptisun 10.0 uvb bulb and on one side he has a ceramic heating element his basking side is around 95 to 100 using a what do u call it temp gun his non basking side is usualy around 80 degrees he has a platform to climb on and a few big rocks that he can climb on.

 

[MissT]

Try switching the CHE for a bright white light. The reptisun may be hurting his eyes without a bright white light to help him to constrict his pupils and to stop him from staring at the uv when you are not there. This could be making him very grumpy.