WHEN WILL HE CALM DOWN?????

[allaboutfish]

so my new bearded dragon decided he'd eat a cricket and then be done and he wanted back in his cage, so when i picked him up, he ran up my arm and jumped to the floor. then he took off. i was so scared hed hide and i wouldnt be able to find him. i just got him today in the male so maybe its just stress but is there anyway for me to not let this happen? i feel like he'll commit suicide if i pick him up off of his branch.
thanks

 

[catUK]

My beardie is nearly 2yrs old and i've had her since she was 4 months old. When i first got her she was like yours- very jumpy and i thought she'd never settle. I used to handle her little and often and made sure i held her near the floor so if she did jump it wouldn't be far. I also held her and let her run around in the bathroom so there was nowhere she could hide. It took a couple of months but eventually she settled down a bit and finally began enjoying just sitting on me. It takes time and persistance but you'll get there with yours. I've had to lizard proof my living room so theres no where she can hide (i put large towels under the sofa etc so she couldn't get under- i pushed them back a bit so they aren't visible).

Sometimes people recommend letting your beardie settle in for a week or so until you handle him and hand feed them treats or stroke them in their cage to get them used to you. You can also put a worn item of clothing in his viv so he gets used to your scent- this sometimes helps with the taming process. It can be painstaking but its worth it in the end the bond you build up with them

 

[GoPurdue28]

LOL! Not lAughing at you, it's just you sound like me a little while ago.
Okay, so I had been stalking this beardie at the pet store. It's a certain thing I go through when I am about to get a new one I guess, lol. I can't make up my mind whether or not to do it so I keep going back to check on them every week or so until I finally break down and do it. Anyways, so I finally got him. He was so cute. I got him home, and the next day, omg!

He was soooo bad! I have had many lizards but he was just downright evil!
Every time I woul get him out of his talk he would his and open his mouth all the way, and his whole motive would be to bite me. He was really fast and very successful at it too. Getting bit by him became a almost daily occurance. I named him Demon (the devil lizard!). It's funny now but it wasn't then. I even want to return him to the pet store at one point! My friend who was really experienced with them kept saying its just a phase, it will pass, but I kind of hated him for a while.
Well the biting got less and less, and he started not opening his mouth, and then he became good!
He now is the best behaved lizard I have, and have ever had, honest!!
Sometimes I don't even believe it. He is so calm and laid back.

Anyways, moral of the story: they can be feisty for a minute, but don't give up.
With Demon it took a lot of handling, talking to him calmly, and letting him explore.

Firstly, I would be as calm as possible when you get them out. Don't reach in fast or talk loud right now. If they try to run, gently kind of place your hand around the body so they feel snug, not squeezed. Is he really small? If only a bit smaller, you may want to let him get away, but not far. I have a lizard room. An office that we keep really clean without many hiding places. I can put them down on this rock that's in there with a heat lamp and just keep an eye on them while on the computer. It helps them get used to be outside their tank without freaking out, because it's always the same. I try not and bother them, just let them explore and mess around. If your really worried about them getting away you can take them out and hold them/fees them over a sterelite container (large) or even a laundry basket, that way if they get away they can't get far.

Sometimes they are really feisty when they are young, but it will pass.
Hope this helps.

 

[allaboutfish]

see my last beardie barely ever ran, so im kind of used to that i guess. the only thing im really worried about is that when i take him out or try to take him out he'll jump off his branch and kill himself, or run a way and hide somewhere. i cant feed him in his enclosure bc the crickets can hide pretty much everywhere. he's like 6.5 inches and 10 grams.