when can a beardie learn to "hold it"?

[tudorrose1595]

Is there a typical age that when beardies approach it it seems they are more capable of waiting to go to the bathroom (henceforth "holding it" cause it's easier to say :wink: )? Thanks in advance!

(even personal experiences are more than welcome!)

 

[label]

Our girl Shayvele would poo in pretty much the same place in her enclosure (so we'd put newspaper down there) till she was about 1 1/2 years old. She always hated being in there with the poo and would look out disgustedly. After that she'd poo in her bath; at the moment it's about every 5 days or so (she's about 2 1/2 now). We just had her out for about an hour, running around my wife and me and all over the sofas but within about 10 min of putting her in her little plastic bathtub she let fly. Only one time when I had her out for about an hour was there a failure to hold on, as I realised when I heard a squishy sound. But your beardie's mileage may differ, of course.

 

[superyynju]

For my beadie, I bathed him everyday at noon. He poops during the bath in his plastic tub. I think he really hates it when I don't have time to bath him. He'll poop in his cage but after that he will turn dark and become very frustrated until I take him out for a bath and clean his cage. Then He will turn bright in colour. I think he is used to a clean tile floor in his cage.

You can give your dragon a bath everyday and wait long enough in the bath until he/she poops. If you do this for some time, I think your dragon will learn to hold it until in the bath.

 

[tudorrose1595]

thanks for your replies!!

he doesn't seem to mind having poop in his tank, he poops all over the place, on his blanket, on his basking wood, etc. and he HATES baths, they are his LEAST favorite thing in the world! I of course would love if he only went in the bath but he hates it so much, i think if he HAD to poop he would just hold it :dontknow:


:help:

 

[superyynju]

In the beginning, My dragon also tried to escape from his tub during the bath but he had no where to go. He would jump and struggle but the water in the tub is not deep and he gradually learned that the water will not kill him. When he stayed in the water for 10 to 15 minutes, he will poop. I think that's some instinct behavior an he cannot hold in water. The warm water will help his bowl movement somehow.

Anyway to me, I tried to let my dragon understand that I love him but he can not always get what he wants. He has to take a shower to keep himself hydrated and also he has to poop in his bath. So eventually he enjoyed the bath and his clean tank.

 

[Jaycies]

For my beadie, I bathed him everyday at noon. He poops during the bath in his plastic tub. I think he really hates it when I don't have time to bath him. He'll poop in his cage but after that he will turn dark and become very frustrated until I take him out for a bath and clean his cage. Then He will turn bright in colour. I think he is used to a clean tile floor in his cage.

You can give your dragon a bath everyday and wait long enough in the bath until he/she poops. If you do this for some time, I think your dragon will learn to hold it until in the bath.

Love how they show us their personalities! How old is yours?

 

[Jaycies]

Our girl Shayvele would poo in pretty much the same place in her enclosure (so we'd put newspaper down there) till she was about 1 1/2 years old. She always hated being in there with the poo and would look out disgustedly. After that she'd poo in her bath; at the moment it's about every 5 days or so (she's about 2 1/2 now). We just had her out for about an hour, running around my wife and me and all over the sofas but within about 10 min of putting her in her little plastic bathtub she let fly. Only one time when I had her out for about an hour was there a failure to hold on, as I realised when I heard a squishy sound. But your beardie's mileage may differ, of course.

I'm dying over here about the squishy! :lol: We haven't had that experience with our babies as of yet but I'm sure it'll happen in time.

 

[tudorrose1595]

Things are getting a little bit better!

He pooped right by his basking area today, and wouldn't go NEAR it until i cleaned it up! :roll:

little by little...

 

[tudorrose1595]

HE POOPED IN THE TUB!!!

and then he stood frozen, whether in shock or fear is yet to be determined, but he scrambled close to me when I picked him up and he gave me a look like "I don't know if I'm mad at you or impressed..."

I'M JUST SO GLAD HE DID IT!

:mrgreen:

 

[Sauzo]

Mine poops on her basking rock and then hops off and waits for me to clean it before getting back on. She did poop in her tub once and then freaked out and wanted out NOW. It's like she knew she was in the water with her poop and didn't like it. I ended up cleaning out her tub and then refilling it with warm water and putting her back in which she loved. It was like a fresh bath to her again :lol:

 

[tudorrose1595]

Aw! Poor baby! haha Spike is starting to understand that he has to swim around so that he can poop as soon as possible then scramble to my hand and climb up, it's become a routine. he HATES baths! His head is starting to shed though, so where I'll usually just drip some water onto his head, I dunked it (really quick!) and he didn't get upset at all! Maybe one day he'll enjoy baths, but for now, it's just for pooing. :roll:

 

[chrism1]

My beardie holds it until bath time. I think he learned this because he didn't poop for along time, probably one of the crickets he ate was a little oversized, and was kinda impacted. I waited about 5 days until I gave him a bath (before he would poop on his basking spot). Then after about a half hour he pooped! Then, I started giving him regular baths every other day and he started pooping in the bath, everytime!