I scared my beardy, what to do

[Reza771]

So my beardy is with me for almost a month. He started trusting me and in the last few days, he would take his whole food from my hand and even hang around with me sometimes.

I guess I made a mistake yesterday by trying too hard to make him eat salad. I would pick up pieces of salad every while and try to get him interested in it and even try to put a piece of salad in his mouth after he was munching on an insect. So today he totally freaks out when I enter my hand into his enclosure and won't take any food.

Just want to get back where I was with him and take the slow approach. I definitely learned my lesson, but what do I do?

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

There are some problems when beardies start trusting you and then you did something that scares them and they lose your trust. You need to bond with him more by approaching him and just kinda "play" by like hanging out with him and pet his head to let him know that it is okay. When you try to pet him, DO NOT at ANY CIRCUMSTANCES approach him by the top of his head due to them having a third eye on the top of their head and approaching there will make him nervous or even frightened and he will run away thinking your a predator trying to attack. Just start on the back and see how he reacts. And then if he reacts chill and not running away, then you can SLOWLY approach him by the head and gently pet him. You can also take him out for like 10 mins or until he can't handle it.

Tell me if this helps a little

 

[Reza771]

There are some problems when beardies start trusting you and then you did something that scares them and they lose your trust. You need to bond with him more by approaching him and just kinda "play" by like hanging out with him and pet his head to let him know that it is okay. When you try to pet him, DO NOT at ANY CIRCUMSTANCES approach him by the top of his head due to them having a third eye on the top of their head and approaching there will make him nervous or even frightened and he will run away thinking your a predator trying to attack. Just start on the back and see how he reacts. And then if he reacts chill and not running away, then you can SLOWLY approach him by the head and gently pet him. You can also take him out for like 10 mins or until he can't handle it.

Tell me if this helps a little

Thanks for the repy!

I know about the third eye and was cautious about this . I think I was on a very good way to gain his trust, slowly taking one step after another. Until I messed up yesterday ofc .

But now I will take some steps back again and start as I did in the beginning and hope that he doesn't hold a grudge against me.

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

That sounds good!

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

I was just making sure if you didn't know about the the third eye

 

[smaugthebeardie3756]

Thanks for the repy!

I know about the third eye and was cautious about this . I think I was on a very good way to gain his trust, slowly taking one step after another. Until I messed up yesterday ofc .

But now I will take some steps back again and start as I did in the beginning and hope that he doesn't hold a grudge against me.

Animals are a lot better about living in the moment and not holding grudges than humans are. Doesn't hurt that their brain is a lot smaller so the memory is much more limited!

 

[Hazel_My_Baby_Beardie13]

Yea, I hope he is doing fine now

 

[Hazel_My_Baby_Beardie13]

A 3rd eye is for when they are in there natural habitat and a bird flies above them or other preditor that tries and approach them. I am so sorry that he is starting to act like this

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

That is not true. they actually use that eye to detect light, measure temperature and checks shade differences. That's how they detect seasons changing from summer to fall, fall to winter, winter to spring, and spring back to summer..