losing patients

[moghue]

Well its been a few weeks already and my beardie is just getting worse. I followed everyones advise about giving it time but he is getting worse now he runs all over his cage to get away and has even start to try and bite me. im losing patients not sure how much more i will take if he doesnt calm down. any suggestion would be appreciate before i decide to get rid of him.

 

[Bwalter]

Sorry, your at a loss, I was too when I got my little one. It took Booger at least 2 months of hissing, black bearding and a couple bites before he started to calm down, I know it just takes time. Now months later, he rides aroung on my choulder and loves just to be with me. All I can say, give it time.

 

[Gail]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Pig is the nastiest little dragon I've ever seen, if she was my first then I would be really disappointing. The running and hissing is usually just a fear response and some dragons take a long time to loose that fear.
Hold her every day, even if you have to chase her down to do so. She wants to bite? Oh well, if she is small it won't hurt and it will help her learn that biting won't make you go away. Never put her away when she is being bratty, only when she is calm can she go back in her cage.

 

[MissT]

I'm going through the same thing right now. Pig is the nastiest little dragon I've ever seen, if she was my first then I would be really disappointing. The running and hissing is usually just a fear response and some dragons take a long time to loose that fear.
Hold her every day, even if you have to chase her down to do so. She wants to bite? Oh well, if she is small it won't hurt and it will help her learn that biting won't make you go away. Never put her away when she is being bratty, only when she is calm can she go back in her cage.

I totally agree with this.... you just have to show her who is boss. I did it with an older beardie and got quite a few bites to my fingers etc. It took a few months to actually be able to just walk in and lift her. Just be persistant. Dont let her see that you are giving in to her - she has to learn that you are the boss.

 

[saleen89559]

Remember that bearded dragons are territorial and like to dominate anything entering their territory, even if that means hissing and biting to get your attention. Don't sweat it and be persistant, it will eventually no longer see you as a threat.

Another good idea would to place its cage in a very high traffic area of your house in order to get it used to being around humans even when not being held.

 

[BaskingBaby]

Out of all the dragons I've had, Greta is the only one who was a pistol from the start. She would literally LUNGE at me with her mouth wide open whenever I opened her cage. She was a nasty little bugger. I personally thought it gave her personality LOL.

I would highly recommend getting some THICK gardening gloves and putting them on...and just picking the dragon up. Let them bite the glove, let them see it doesn't hurt us. He'll get over it. If it's a baby, it really doesn't hurt. I just personally like the gloves because they can bite at it all they want. I shoved a towel, glove, or even some greens in Greta's mouth every time she tried to go after me. She's the sweetest thing now. Sometimes it just takes some time, especially if they haven't been handled much as babies.

 

[Drache613]

Moved by Moderator from General to Behavior

 

[DaddyGeek]

Peach is 5 months old and just within the last month is she letting me hold her and not trying to bite me. She still swells up at me sometimes but she lets me hold her and doesn't bite me. Before that she didn't just lunge every once in a while, if my hand was in her cage she was charging me leaping and lunging to try and bite me. Last night I got her out and after staring me in the face warily for an hour she finally went to sleep on my chest. It takes time, sometimes more than you think you are going to need but keep at it. If my vicious little peach can be tamed I think any dragon can lol

 

[midmichicer]

Summer had a tendency of running and biting around the 4 month old stage. What I did was whenever she opened her mouth gently close it with my finger and then petted her head or beard. I continued to do this whenever she opened her mouth aggressively. It took about 2 weeks of me doing this before she didn't act aggressive anymore when I was going to pick her up. Now when I picked her up, she would be very skiddish and would try to run out of my hands. I had to gently but firmly hold her in place and continue to pet her. She calmed down after a few min and would sit on my chest. She still does not like my face to close to her. If i move her to my face or my face to her, she goes crazy and tries to run. I must be THAT ugly lol. Autumn and Summer both have an article of clothing I wore and did not wash with my scent on. Autumn has been sleeping on my shirt for the last year. I take it out once a week, wash it wear it for about an hour and then put it back in. Summer sleeps on a pair of jersey shorts, kinda silkey. I do the same for her. She doesn't like cotton to much I guess. The scent from my clothing helps them tell its safe for me to hold them I guess.