Spoiling your dragons?

[OhNoChloroformx]

Does anyone else have a spoiled-rotten beardie out there?


I swear, Bentley just watches his meals hop away now. I have to pinch a cricket or waxworm in my fingers and hold it in front of his face or he doesn't even bother. If I don't swish him around in the bathtub to his heart's content, he refuses to go potty. At bedtime he will sit at the top of his branch and glare at me until I wrap him in his Disney Princesses blanket under his nightlight. And if I DARE to spray Fluker's vitamin spray on his kale-and-caterpillar salad (his favorite) then he ignores it and skulks off to the other side of his tank.


Is there any hope for my boy, or will he never again lift a finger unless I do it for him? :roll:

 

[Ethelia]

They can become spoilt VERY easily.
Ruben is an absolute nightmare if he doesnt get his own way! I feel your pain.

I would try to cut down on the handfeeding. There will be times when you arent there to do it so he has to learn not to be such a lazy bum.
If he has a good appetite I would simply offer him his live feeders daily and if he doesnt chase them, take them out of his viv.
A few days like that and he'll figure out that chasing them is better than being hungry ^_^

Good luck slave!
Holly

 

[MissT]

Haha, my Miss Abu sits and waits for the food to come to her.... I swear, the expression on her face yesterday as she looked at her salad, it was as if she was saying 'come to me greens'. She is a spoilt little brat but we love her anyway!

 

[Neromom39]

Our male dragon, Nero knows when its the weekend.... he stays in his cave until I go in there and take him out. After that he zooms all over the place. Lights go on at 7, yesterday it was almost 9 before I finally got tired of watching him lierally "centimeter" his way out. He had his head poking out at me the entire time with the "Good morning slave, I'm waiting" look on his face. Definitely spoiled :roll:

 

[Theresa20]

I swear, the expression on her face yesterday as she looked at her salad, it was as if she was saying 'come to me greens'.

Ahahaha!! I know that look all too well. Spike is the same way with his salads. He just stares at them, I can almost see the little cartoon thought bubble popping up over his head... "Why you not hop towards me??"

 

[Trickseedog]

Heh, hey! Breyas used to would not touch a mealworm if I didn't hand it to him. Then he decided my fingers looked much tastier and would nip me first! :silent: I refridgerate his crickets and serve them to him in a bowl. Wouldn't want his royal highness to strain himself hunting! :laughing6: Actually, he just refused to eat when his food started climbing on him. :dontknow:

Bearded dragons easy to spoil? No way!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[MissT]

I can almost see the little cartoon thought bubble popping up over his head... "Why you not hop towards me??"

Lol, thats the exact expression.... followed by, 'if you aint hoppin, I aint eatin'

 

[tyryce]

Yeah I have to wonder if my beardie is showing that he is somewhat spoiled as well. He doesn't self feed that well because he has reduced mobility so I try to make this as easy as possible...so butterworms are placed right in front of him so that he can reach them better yet I have seen him drag himself across his cage to reach his salad and eat it. I am beginning to think that he might be getting too used to this extra help...for instance two days ago for breakfast I tried giving him feeders but he would not eat so I put some greens in front of him and he stuck out his tongue as far as he could but wasn't able to grab a peice so instead he just stuck his tongue back in and looked back and forth between me and the greens like "you have to move that closer". He only had to move like 5mm closer and I KNOW he can do that! I am pretty sure he can slide up enough to get his food. I also think he is starting to hold out for babyfood from feeders because when offered butterworms he gets excited and licks it like it is the syringe nipple then just looks at me like"what is this...it isn't what I ordered!" ALways takes the babyfood though while I am holding him. Like I said I know he has special needs that I need to tend to but I think that sometimes he is taking full advantage of that...I don't mind though because I have become a beardie slave for sure!

Danielle

 

[Freeie]

Lexi is lazy! Yes she has one leg that dosnt work well BUT that dosnt stop her from jumping 5 inches to get out of the playpen and running up and down her tree but when it comes to food..... thats a diffrent story. If she dosnt catch a cricket on the first try she refuses to chase them even tho she realllly wants it now if i grab that cricket pull off its big legs and hand feed it to her gobble gobble........I no longer do that for her. She can run like the wind with her 3 legs. I have to drop the worms right next to her because if one is 2 inches away she refuses them too she is VERY spoiled. Im trying to break her habit because at 8 weeks if shes this spoiled i cant amagin when she hits a yr!

 

[tyryce]

Hello Freeie,

I am glad to hear your story because in one way I feel like I am not being a good beardie mom to try and make him do things himself...he doesn't use his back legs very well and mostly just gets around using his front legs right now but he CAN get around. This morning I caved in and moved some greens close to him to eat which he did and he took one butterworm but I refused to give him any babyfood and he kept looking up in anticipation for it. I think he has figured out that he is just easier for him when I pick him up and syringe feed him! I am going to slow down a bit with the babyfood so that he starts to try and eat more on his own!!

 

[jeitzen]

Spoiled? I live to serve!

 

[erdeem]

On weekend, I usually take Bill out of her tank and let her play on the floor, or just put her on my chest and have quality time.
This weekend we have a guest and I did not do Bill's weekend routine. She was so upset, her belly all pattern, black, and gave me a death glare. I felt so bad, I took her out and lay her on my chest, within 5 minutes, she seemed relaxed, and her belly turned white. She DEMANDS attention! :lol:

 

[valcash]

From experience I suggest not hand feeding a healthy able Dragon :mrgreen: