IrishEyesMrsZ
Member
So, I've had my rescue Beardie, Buddy, for a month or so, now. He's a full grown male, normal phase fellow, and he and I get along great. However, we have problems with his behavior around my husband, whom he seems to hate.
Buddy swells up his beard, and turns it black every time he sees my husband, and then he charges at him from his side of the glass. I mean, he REALLY seems stressed by my husband, and for no good reason I can see, except for one issue, which I suspect is the cause:
Buddy is terrified of my little dogs, and goes all black beard and aggressive whenever he sees them through the glass. They are fascinated with him, and climb up onto my husband's lap to look at him up close and personal. My husband sits in his recliner, which is right next to Buddy's cage, and the dogs think it's a perfect viewing spot. They're only toy breeds, but they're still large compared to a Dragon, and I don't blame him for being afraid of them.
So, to hopefully alleviate this problem until we can find a better, quieter place to situate Buddy's home, we've temporarily covered 3 sides of the glass with opaque paper so that the dogs can't see Buddy and he can't see them. It's through this pane, and through the top, that my husband and I "visit" with and feed Buddy, or remove him for cage cleaning and outdoor (on a harness) time. Because of the dogs, Buddy never gets to wander around our house, so outdoor time is special time for him.
Despite now never being seen with a dog anywhere near him, Buddy still goes all Blackbeard and aggressive on my husband, and I'm not really sure if he just plain doesn't like him, or he associates Hubby with the dogs, even though he's no longer seen with them, now.
Buddy has never had any problem with me. I can handle him, harness him, hand feed him, clean his cage, bathe him (he tends to drag his tail through his poop if I don't see it in time and clean it up), and sit and snuggle with him w/out ever getting the blackbeard thing. I can also calm him when he's in that state from seeing my husband by picking him up gently and taking him into the bathtub, where I pour about 1/2 inch of lukewarm water, and he just sits there, looking serene. Before long, the black beard goes down, and he's his normal, sweet self.
So, any insight beyond what I've mentioned, above (please read this whole post, first, so you don't have to repeat advice or questions about what I've already mentioned :lol: )? Besides covering 3/4 of his glass until I can move the habitat to a better, less dog-filled spot in the house (good luck with that, I'm thinking), can you think of another way to help keep Buddy calm? And do you think he dislikes my husband so much, now, that their relationship is beyond repair? Rehoming the dogs is absolutely NOT an option! If it can be avoided, I don't want to rehome Buddy, either.
Just FYI, if it helps, Buddy lives in a 40 gallon breeder tank, with a full-length Arcadia 13% UVB bulb running the length of his habitat and a 75 watt basking bulb. The thermostat is set to turn the light off temporarily when the temp reaches 105 F. Coolest end of the tank reads between 80 and 85 F. We have a digital thermometer/hygrometer in the viv, and we use our IR temp reading gun for spot checks. He eats loads of "salad", plus a couple of dubias and a half dozen superworms, etc., given, one or 2 at a time out over the course of his 14 hour day.
Thanks in advance for any (polite, non-repetitive) advice or insight you may have for this issue.
Buddy swells up his beard, and turns it black every time he sees my husband, and then he charges at him from his side of the glass. I mean, he REALLY seems stressed by my husband, and for no good reason I can see, except for one issue, which I suspect is the cause:
Buddy is terrified of my little dogs, and goes all black beard and aggressive whenever he sees them through the glass. They are fascinated with him, and climb up onto my husband's lap to look at him up close and personal. My husband sits in his recliner, which is right next to Buddy's cage, and the dogs think it's a perfect viewing spot. They're only toy breeds, but they're still large compared to a Dragon, and I don't blame him for being afraid of them.
So, to hopefully alleviate this problem until we can find a better, quieter place to situate Buddy's home, we've temporarily covered 3 sides of the glass with opaque paper so that the dogs can't see Buddy and he can't see them. It's through this pane, and through the top, that my husband and I "visit" with and feed Buddy, or remove him for cage cleaning and outdoor (on a harness) time. Because of the dogs, Buddy never gets to wander around our house, so outdoor time is special time for him.
Despite now never being seen with a dog anywhere near him, Buddy still goes all Blackbeard and aggressive on my husband, and I'm not really sure if he just plain doesn't like him, or he associates Hubby with the dogs, even though he's no longer seen with them, now.
Buddy has never had any problem with me. I can handle him, harness him, hand feed him, clean his cage, bathe him (he tends to drag his tail through his poop if I don't see it in time and clean it up), and sit and snuggle with him w/out ever getting the blackbeard thing. I can also calm him when he's in that state from seeing my husband by picking him up gently and taking him into the bathtub, where I pour about 1/2 inch of lukewarm water, and he just sits there, looking serene. Before long, the black beard goes down, and he's his normal, sweet self.
So, any insight beyond what I've mentioned, above (please read this whole post, first, so you don't have to repeat advice or questions about what I've already mentioned :lol: )? Besides covering 3/4 of his glass until I can move the habitat to a better, less dog-filled spot in the house (good luck with that, I'm thinking), can you think of another way to help keep Buddy calm? And do you think he dislikes my husband so much, now, that their relationship is beyond repair? Rehoming the dogs is absolutely NOT an option! If it can be avoided, I don't want to rehome Buddy, either.
Just FYI, if it helps, Buddy lives in a 40 gallon breeder tank, with a full-length Arcadia 13% UVB bulb running the length of his habitat and a 75 watt basking bulb. The thermostat is set to turn the light off temporarily when the temp reaches 105 F. Coolest end of the tank reads between 80 and 85 F. We have a digital thermometer/hygrometer in the viv, and we use our IR temp reading gun for spot checks. He eats loads of "salad", plus a couple of dubias and a half dozen superworms, etc., given, one or 2 at a time out over the course of his 14 hour day.
Thanks in advance for any (polite, non-repetitive) advice or insight you may have for this issue.