Trying to befriend my beardie

[St33lsh0tz]

I got my bearded dragon from my Uncle (I did a number of research but didnt anticipate this, according to my uncle the bearded dragon(toby) has never liked being handled) i’ve done reading and have found that some just hate it no matter what and that it varies by personality which makes sense, is there anything i can do to help him tolerate or even enjoy me handling him as as it stands he tolerates it on his back and despises his head (even just lightly) as he’ll quickly go full black and puffy, if it changes or means anything he is in the middle of his lifespan

 

[SkittlesK]

You can feed treats as a reward for hanging out with you.

 

[xp29]

Get him out near bed time and let him fall asleep while setting on you. Otherwise persistence is the key. Some take more work, but eventually all ofvthem will bond with you.

 

[ChileanTaco]

What has worked well for my beardie (got him as a baby) was sitting in the same room, next to the enclosure, and just being there, doing quiet things. Things like reading, working on a laptop...
After a while, he started watching me instead of hiding.
After a longer while, each time when I opened the enclosure, I touched him briefly (for a second or so) in case he was within easy reach (never catching him, never doing things like lifting a hide he might be under). Continued this with hand feeding, then after a much longer while with just picking him up inside the enclosure (also only if within easy reach) and setting him down again after a few minutes.
Each step only if he completely tolerates the previous one.

Get him out near bed time and let him fall asleep while setting on you.

Could be an option, depending on his routine. I would just not catch him.
(I have never taken him out near bedtime as he goes down in his burrow anytime between 6pm (then stays awake for some hours, just resting) and 9 pm (then sleeps soon). Him sitting on his branch, watching us while we have dinner, then he either might be down in his burrow "in a second" or he continues basking.
But beardies are so individual and for some this might work. I guess one can even get them used to this routine if it works initially, like for your dragons.)

 

[Chris.]

Handfeeding! It's a little disgusting but it does soo much.
Also just work slowly towards picking him up but be persistent. It might take a couple of times and a little bit of time until he realizes that nothing bad is going to happen when you handle him.

 

[Ilovebeardies!]

I like to reward Raine when I handle her. Also putting your hand in front of his face (not too close though) and then going to pet his back, might help.

 

[ChileanTaco]

Hand-feeding is a good idea - worked, for mine, however only after a while when he trusted me enough. My dragon is not very much "food motivated", despite he eats enough and without problems.

Also putting your hand in front of his face (not too close though) and then going to pet his back, might help.

I always too do this, it's basically what we have established as greeting A finger near his face and then under the chin, he licks (close to) the finger. Only after that, I pet him. Can recommend that - and it looks cute!

 

[St33lsh0tz]

You can feed treats as a reward for hanging out with you.

I just got some snacks today, it’s meant to stimulate wanted the snack and it’s tiny cubes that are 1 to 1 with how jello is, just working on getting him to actually take said treat

 

[St33lsh0tz]

Handfeeding! It's a little disgusting but it does soo much.
Also just work slowly towards picking him up but be persistent. It might take a couple of times and a little bit of time until he realizes that nothing bad is going to happen when you handle him.

He seems more content with me picking him up (he runs away 6 of 10 times but still gets mad when i pick him up, does it affect anything that he is doing a decent amount of glass surfing and tapping the glass walls with his mouth and head bobbing (i did research and none of the behaviors were concerning in terms of reasons, head bobbing for dominance/mating, glass surfing is unknown to me and glass tapping is bc he doesn’t understand his reflection)

 

[xp29]

Those are all normal behavior.

 

[St33lsh0tz]

Those are all normal behavior.

I figured as much based on my research, but thank you for the reassurance

 

[Chris.]

Especially in the beginning they seem to glass surf a bit more. My girl did this a lot before bedtime and I guess it was because she did not yet have a place where she felt comfortable to spend the night.
My boy did glass surf maybe twice in his life during his spring "fever".
They are all different, which is why they are so much fun to be around

 

[ChileanTaco]

@Chris.
Regarding in the beginning: Maybe she was so young that she hadn't learned "can see through here, but I cannot go through and no it won't open magically"?

My Taco didn't do that when I got him. He immediately saw the glass as a wall. But by that time he was approx. 1 month older than your Lilith and he, I guess, had already learned the "glass thing" as he was one month long in a glass enclosure in the pet store. Month later when he started showing an interest in standing upright on things, he also tried doing so on the bottom against the glass (we have a fish tank next to the enclosure and he loves watching, he also loves watching me doing things like crafts on a table nearby). Took him a while to find out that no matter how much he tries he just cannot grip the glass and he could stand there only if standing perfectly still but otherwise will slide off. As standing against the glass works better in the upper part of the enclosure (there is the fake stone wall and it goes a bit up, so he actually stands half his height against something rough) he was really puzzled why it won't work well down there.

 

[Chris.]

@Chris.
Regarding in the beginning: Maybe she was so young that she hadn't learned "can see through here, but I cannot go through and no it won't open magically"?

My Taco didn't do that when I got him. He immediately saw the glass as a wall. But by that time he was approx. 1 month older than your Lilith and he, I guess, had already learned the "glass thing" as he was one month long in a glass enclosure in the pet store. Month later when he started showing an interest in standing upright on things, he also tried doing so on the bottom against the glass (we have a fish tank next to the enclosure and he loves watching, he also loves watching me doing things like crafts on a table nearby). Took him a while to find out that no matter how much he tries he just cannot grip the glass and he could stand there only if standing perfectly still but otherwise will slide off. As standing against the glass works better in the upper part of the enclosure (there is the fake stone wall and it goes a bit up, so he actually stands half his height against something rough) he was really puzzled why it won't work well down there.

Could be, she was really young when I got her. She only did this for a week or so and only about 15min before her lights did go out though, which is why I made this assumption.