Ziggy, a juvenile, has a really bipolar personality.

[annieandziggy]

Hey guys. Today Ziggy went to the vet because he has been impacted repeatedly for 5 days at a time, but the vet said I have been overfeeding him despite only feeding him once to twice per day. Anyway, Z was pretty stressed from the vet trip, so when we got home, I let him roam around my room for the first time. I fed him only a few crickets, and he will take them out of my hand. But then the next minute, he runs to the wall and starts to "wall surf" and then hisses really loudly at me. Sometimes I'm afraid to pick him up because his trick is working and he's scaring me sometimes that he will bite me. He is a really tough little guy with a high temper. But then the next minute he will take some food out my hand and (sometimes) let me pet him. Usually he won't let me though- he will just flinch and close his eyes and hiss. Will he EVER like me? I'm seeing all these sweet happy beardies even at a juvenile age who love their owners already. It's making me sad that I haven't been able to bond with him. Is there like a trick or something? I really wanna be close with him. I've had him about 3 and a half weeks.

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

He needs to get used to you. If you bond with him by playing with him, taking him out of his cage on you for 10 mins a day, and let him go on you until he's done, then you can have a strong bond. Start small and then he'll get bond with you

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

You can let him out on you until he can't handle it

 

[annieandziggy]

Thank you, but how do you play with a beardie? I have a beardie ball but he’s not interested.

 

[annieandziggy]

You can let him out on you until he can't handle it

Thank you, but how do you play with a beardie? I have a beardie ball but he’s not interested.

 

[hdochow]

sorry, but they don't really "play". they will learn to interact and hang out in time. since you've had him such a short time he still could be in the process of settling in and having relocation stress. we got our guy used to us by just reaching in to his tank for a chin scratch whenever we walked by. didn't try picking up or taking out for a couple months unless it was tank cleaning day. it taught him our hands weren't dangerous. hand feeding works well too.

 

[annieandziggy]

Yeah he's completely fine with feeding out of my hand, and today I put a cricket near the crevice of my arm so that he could climb on me and get it. He has done that a couple of times. But my own reflexes scare me because Ziggy has fast reflexes. I'm afraid of what his instincts can do. He will jump to the side and flatten himself out and hiss at me in half a second and it startles me half to death lol. I admit that I wish this wasn't the case, because I just don't want him to bite me. If this continues to happen and I continue to be a coward, I'm worried that he will learn to always hiss to get his way and he will never become social.

 

[Hazel_Basil10]

I should of make that more sense. They do not okay but you can hangout with them and if they want they could chase around a beardie ball