Training and habit changing

[ROOMA]

OK Ouros has had this issue for months, he surfs....like crazy. He has always ran up the sides of his 40gal terrarium since I got him. I have tried adjusting temps and lights and this has no effects.
I have installed a foam background he can climb on and he runs up it and claws at his light on top.

I installed Reptihammocks on the sides to prevent side surfing...he climbs up these and starts banging his head on the glass on the corners.
On this note the side with this food he will rarely climb anymore due to negative reinforcement. IE if I catch up climbing it and jumping into his water/food dish, I will flick him pull him off and hiss at him telling him NO BAD. Then putting him back in....I got tired of him running up that side empting his water dish and scattering his food all over the tank.

Front...he now this month has started to try surfing the front....with his nails it hurts my ears, and he will run up it almost vertical fall off then repeat. >.> I initially thought he was insane to the very definition of “doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.” And he does it to the point of hurting himself when he runs up full speed flips off and hit his head on the basking rock or climbing limb.

I have been doing more reading...I am considering it might be the glass and him seeing reflections or seeing through it. I am also considering at his current size his tank is too small....or the fact he is really mentally ill.

I will try to sell his current enclosure and get him a new one that is 48x24x24 and made of wooden from a reptile expo in January and see if this helps. Just finding him to be a real money hole lol.

HOW DO you train your dragon to not wall surf, or inhibit him to claw like crazy at it? Is there something I can do to stops this? I have tried adjusting heat, lights, putting paper over the outside etc.....Well turning off his heat lamps for a hour worked but then he just got lazy when the tank dropped to the 60s.

But even after all of this it is nice to have someone to live for and talk to sometimes.....I just wish he was as introverted and calm as I am. Tired of having to yell at him when I start hearing the racket of the running up the wall and banging, and "nails on chalkboard" of him trying to run up the glass.

 

[CooperDragon]

Some of them are just really active. My guy is like this and has been since I got him. His tank is definitely too small but fortunately I'm able to let him free roam when I'm home. I keep the floors vacuumed and areas he could get trapped in are blocked off. I have a few basking lights set up around the house for him and he just returns to them and basks when he gets cold. Sometimes he gets tired and will curl up and sleep but he has developed a few favorite spots over time so it's easy to find him and put him back in his tank. Even when he's out he will surf the walls of the house the way he does in the tank. I see it as more about catering to his adventurous nature as much as possible rather than being restrictive. Another thing I've found helpful is setting a dog bed up in a window sill. This gives him a soft spot to sit and look outside which he loves to do. This usually provides enough stimuli to keep him still for a while. That may be worth trying in your case as well if you have an area to allow it.

 

[ROOMA]

THE WINDOW, I have a 20" deep display window (building use to be a store front and is downtown). I could set up some wall panels tacked to it and give a 2' wall then put a hut/hide, Bed, and a heat lamp there. Be his little playground area....IT would also give him natural sunlight so no need for UVB bulb there and let him out there a few hours a day.

 

[CooperDragon]

That sounds great! Keep in mind that glass intercepts UVB so it's not a substitute for a UVB lamp. He will get plenty of natural light and some infrared heat though which is helpful. If you can get a mercury vapor bulb (PowerSun or MegaRay 100w should do) and set that up on a clamp lamp or stand about 10-12'' above the floor that will provide a good amount of UVB for outside the tank though.