Taming

[Beardienatic]

Hi guys!

I'm getting my first bearded dragon soon-ish, and I was just wondering about the best way to "tame" him, and the easiest way to settle him into my routine with the least stress for him.
I've read that some people say not to handle them for the first week, while others say handle them from day 1. I will be feeding him his insects outside of his cage, so should I just handle him for feeding the first few days, then increase the time after each feeding more and more until he spends a "normal cuddle time" on me?

And slightly unrelated, but:
*Do sub-adults (I'll probably get a 7 or 8 month old), get the same care as adult bearded dragons? So do they have one insects feeding daily, or two, or three or one every 2 days?
*I was given some juvenile commercial pellets by a friend (their beardie died ), do the commercially prepeared diets have all the neccessary nutrients, and do beardies actually eat them? So basically is it worth using?
*If I do use the pellets, do sub-adults eat adult pellets, or juvenile, or does it depend on the size of the individual?
*What is a healthy size for a 7 month bearded dragon to be?

Sorry, I know the post seems kind of obvious, but I just want to hear from others' experiences and what they found best so I don't stress out my new beardie!

Thanks in advance!

 

[Beardienatic]

Sorry, just realised I probably should have posted this is "Behaviour", is there a way for me to move it?

 

[CooperDragon]

An older dragon may be less skittish but may not be used to handling. It depends on how they were cared for before. They require a bug meal all they can eat for 10 min or so about once a day along with a fresh salad daily. At 12-18 months they gradually move to mostly salad so bug feeding goes to a couple of times per week with daily salad. I don't use commercial diets. Fresh bugs and veg are much healthier and offer hydration so I stick with that. They respond to routine so if you handle them around the same times every day they're more likely to get used to it. I'd first try handling in the evenings around lights out. Just hold him for a little while and be gentile so he'll get used to you as being safe.

 

[jajeapierre]

I'm a brand new beardie owner--all of one week!--but have read this web site extensively and have a few suggestions for you.

First, I think it is really important to start with a "good" animal. Buy from a good breeder--it will pay off in the long run. The breeder will likely know some of the temperament qualities of each beardie baby they are selling.

Start with something that is not really little. Tiny babies are much more fragile than a larger animal. There just isn't a lot of room for error for your husbandry or illness.

Don't handle the beardie much at the beginning. S/he has just had a huge shock and will be very stressed even though you can't see it. Stress is a physiological response and is more than feeling afraid for the moment. All kinds of hormones flood the system and some of those hormones, the glucocorticoids, suppress the immune system.

When you do handle your new beardie, support their belly and try not to grab them around their body from above, which is how a predator would be grabbing your beardie. It doesn't take much handling for a beardie to start getting to know you and trust you. I was surprised that my beardie learned to start to trust me before I had even held him at the reptile show. I spent a long time talking to the breeder about beardies and he was calmly sitting on the breeder's hand listening and watching. After he had been home a few hours, I brought him out to show my husband, and he backed away from my husband and moved towards me--I was safer than this new stranger. Don't underestimate how much taming you can do without even touching your beardie. Just bringing food will teach your beardie that you are the bringer of all things good. From hand feeding, you can try to gently stroke his face and then his body and legs without ever picking him up. Try to anticipate and stop before s/he moves away from your touch. Remember that the younger they are, the more skittish.

I attribute what I think is quick taming to the breeder handling him correctly when he was a baby and the breeder knowing the temperatments of his babies--I wanted the calmest one he had. I am still not handling him other than to give him a bath or take him out for a quick handling session or some natural sun, but he still is very excited when I come up to the cage because I am the bringer of bugs.

 

[diamc]

[Moved here from General Discussion forum]

 

[Beardienatic]

Thanks guys, that helps a lot!!