My Beardie Hates Me :(

[Ancalagon]

I've had Charmander for 3 weeks now and everyday it's been this weird fight. Fight to get him to come out of his hide in the morning, fight to eat worms and greens, fighting against glass surfing, fighting (well, more like running) away (from) my hand, fight to bathe, fight to find the right toys, substrate, decor, etc. The only thing he doesn't fight is pooping. Little boy sure does love to poop.

Everytime he watches the screen move back, he glares at me and runs. I peak in his hide, he glares. I put him in a bath, glares or closes his eyes, pick him up, glares or closes his eyes. Everytime I move around his tank, he tenses up like he's going to run. I love him and I'm trying to provide the best care possible for him but it's so discouraging when he's so scared/angry that you're even invading his space!

At what point do I get the cuddly beardie that everyone else seems to have? I have friends that treat their beardies like garbage but still run to the door when they see their owner! I treat mine like a king and all I get is a nose up at food and the stink eye. I know he's not a dog and I don't expect constant affection or love. He's a little lizard for crying out loud, I'm just sad that my little guy is so afraid of me when hurting him is the least of my intentions.

Please tell me it gets better.

 

[DaddyGeek]

Let me tell you a little story.....

I bought a beautiful little hypo leatherback once online. I got her in the mail and I was so excited I could barely contain myself. I opened the box, put my hand in and SONOFAB***** she bit me! It didn't really hurt, just shocked me a bit because it had never happened before. Okay, no worries. She's just scared and needs time. I got her settled in her tank, fed her and kept handling to a minimum for a few days. She stopped glass surfing, she stopped hiding and she ate like a champ.

However, anytime it seemed like I was even going to touch her cage she started gaping and swelling up like a balloon. If I dared stick my fingers in her cage she did not run away from my fingers, she ran AT THEM. For six months and up to her being almost 17 inches long she hunted my hands and oftentimes got a good bite in, once or twice even drawing blood. I just accepted it as part of owning her and dealt with it. I still held her everyday, I let her sleep on my old folded t-shirts and despite her vicious personality I talked sweet to her and loved her.

Then one day I stick my hand in to pull her out for a bath and a cage cleaning. I had learned just to let her come at me and when she tried to bite to just slide my hand under her and pick her up quick. Sure enough, she comes charging across the cage......but....instead of biting me she stops, licks my hand and climbs on. That was it. She never bit me came at me again. She was still sassy to most other people but never bit again. After six months, countless bites and a whole lot of love she just decided one day that I was alright.

The point of the story is it sometimes takes perseverance and A LOT of it to raise beardies. No two of them are the same personality wise and they change a lot over time. Keep at it, be patient and soon your dragon will settle down quite a bit. I've raised 9 dragons to adulthood and quite a few clutches to selling size. Peach, the vicious one, was the only one it took more than a month or two of cuddling to break down and to this day the only dragon that has ever bitten me more than once. Your baby is still very young and everything you do is probably still scary to it at this point. Keep at it and they will settle down, they all do eventually.

Since everyone here loves pics, here's some of Peach from vicious baby stage up to adulthood lol

 

[Cheyenne1996]

I agree with daddy geek. It does get better. My bonnie used to be like that. What I did was around bedtime I would wrap her up in a snuggly blanket and lay her on my chest and stroke her lightly. After I did that for a month or two she really warmed up too me. I would try that. In my opinion cuddling near bedtime forms a bond. At least it did with me and my beardie.

 

[Ancalagon]

Well, I'm glad to see there is hope since I just sat in the shower and cried about it lol

 

[DaddyGeek]

Well, I'm glad to see there is hope since I just sat in the shower and cried about it lol

Every dragon is different, some take more time than others but they all come around eventually. My newest girl Harley has been a cuddler from day one. Peach took six months, Bevo was good after a week, Rory after two weeks, Tino after a month, etc....They are all different, just be patient and it'll get better. =)