"I'm like, so totally neutral towards you."

[zye1984]

My beardie isn't all that friendly with me..I mean, she doesn't squirm the moment i pick her up or try to get away when i hold her (though she does casually move about to attempt to go elsewhere) but she just doesn't seem too interested in me at all. Hand feeding RARELY works with veggies, (haven't tried live things) and she never comes to me on her own volition. if anything, she trots away and looks at me, trots some more and then finds a spot to lie down. I can walk over her (usually) without her moving, so i know she trusts me to a degree. I sometimes bring her out to sleep beside me since that's generally the only time she'll stay put for more than 5 min. (and i want her near me sometimes...)

She also tends to let out this..."chtu, chtu" sound most of the time as i'm picking her up. i'm pretty careful when doing so.

TBH, not much has changed since i first got her as a little one, in this aspect. = \ well...she did use to "hiss" (if you can call that leaky tire sound "hissing") at me when trying to pick her up when she was little, but that's all i can really tell that has changed.

 

[Wolfeden]

I think you should remember this is not a puppy or kitten.

Reptiles have relatively small and simple brains and they live by very basic survival instincts. At best, IMO, BD's will tolerate us once they are conditioned to realize that we are not trying to kill and eat them. But not much more than that.

I know there are those that will disagree with me, and say their beardie loves them, but too often I see (read) owners trying to impart higher mammal traits to these basically instinctual creatures.
Yes, they can be conditioned to respond to some circumstances and they can get used to us or associate us with food and warmth.

I think you've made good progress with your BD now that it doesn't hiss at you. That means it no longer fears you and that's good.
But I wouldn't expect it to come when you call or wag its tail etc.

 

[label]

On the other hand, they may be smarter than we give them credit for. This research link was posted the other day on the Aussie beardie board: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/wildlife/11127874/How-to-train-your-dragon-lizards-taught-to-open-doors.html . Anoles and monitors have also shown pretty impressive learning abilities. It's tough to study species that are so different from us mammals. They've shown that an octopus can learn to open a jar by watching another octopus do it. But whether our beardies really love us or just see us as mobile cricket dispensers is another question.

 

[Taterbug]

@OP - it might just be her personality. Pepper is much the same way with us - he is his own lizard and I think coud take or leave me any day. It's doesn't sound like your little one is unhealthy or defective to me. I'd try working around her habits and enjoy her for her. I will let Pepper come out on his own, he'll have a wander then go back in. He never seeks me out. :roll: I sort-of accept that he has lizard buisness to attend too and I'm just not part of that business.

It's sort of silly that for a long time we have just assumed that animals can't learn - or are surprised that they can - because they don't think/learn/care about the same things we do. Studing them is only tough because humans have been so egocentric that if something can't solve a human puzzle it must be stupid. Once we began to design tests that employ an animals natural condition/behaviors/abilities animals really do shine. Even snakes who have long been considered basic and instinctive animals show pretty keen learning/memory skills.

Intelligence doesn't preclude conditioning thoigh, and sort-of makes the idea of pet ownership creepier. I agree, pet reptiles are at mostly tolerant and conditioned to us but not ignorant of their situation. They all have their own priorities either as a species or individual, it's sort of like having little aliens in the house. I'd sooner believe that when one of my reptiles rubs at the window and "begs" to come out that it just wants to come out, not spend time with me. I'm just the only way it has to get out of its cage. Same with begging for food, It's a learned behavior too.

Now octopus... That's a smart animal.