Taming a bearded dragon

[equuskat]

Someone gave me a male bearded dragon today that had suddenly become aggressive. The previous owner was really scared of it - enough for her to beg me to take it. lol It's a shame he's such a jerk, too, because he's very beautiful. His name is Nietzsche.

I've had a bunch of beardies before, but never had one that was as beastly as this one. He's definitely mean. Tries to bite, hisses and puffs up at any provocation. Whips his tail and gets quite frantic. Supposedly, he used to be pretty calm and manageable, and only recently became such a spaz.

Is there any hope for him becoming relatively handleable/calm again? Will handling him gently just freak him out more, or will it help him to accept that people are no threat to him? I am not afraid of him, and have handled him twice now to move him from his old home into a travel box and from that box into his home with me. I just am quick and pin him to pick him up, so he doesn't bite me.

Suggestions, please.

 

[bhamgreg]

get him checked by a vet. bearded dragons hide there illnesses well and if he is ill it could explain the aggressiveness. something in his environment may have been causing him a great deal of stress also. Get him checked out then give him time to settle in and see what happens. I've only heard of beardies begin this aggressive if they are never handled or sick.

 

[equuskat]

He seems to be ridiculously healthy, and his housing was immaculate. I will get him checked, though, just in case. Stress might be the case, apparently there was a 6 year old living in the house who had gotten pretty obnoxious lately. Since the dragon bit the owner unexpectedly about 4 months ago, she has been afraid to handle him...so...4 months without handling could do it, right?

We'll see how it goes!

 

[Will Hunting]

Since the dragon bit the owner unexpectedly about 4 months ago, she has been afraid to handle him...so...4 months without handling could do it, right?

We'll see how it goes!

It would certainly add to it. I echo bhamgreg's sentiments, as even in a perfect enclosure an animal can still get sick.

Also, maybe he's having some existential conflicts that could lead to a mental break down and possibly his death!

 

[blazetown]

A little THC introduced into the environment has worked for me with lizards....or cats.

 

[bhamgreg]

not being handled for so long might have a bit to do with it. its also possible though unlikely that this was a wild caught and smuggled specimen but again highly unlikely for several reasons. The new quiet more calm environment may help him to calm down a bit.

 

[equuskat]

Nah, he's not wild caught - was raised from a hatchling by the former owners.

He seems to eat well and appears very outwardly healthy. I picked him up this morning and he wasn't nearly as frantic, just puffed out a little and opened his mouth, but didn't struggle. Maybe it's just a handling issue...

 

[bhamgreg]

sounds like it. she probly jsut freaked cuz he nipped ehr whiel tryign ot feed him or scared him or somin and stopped handling him. lol Good luck glad he has calmed down a bit. If all goes well I'll be picking up a female a lil over a yr old later this week from a guy. I have a male but hes far to young to be in the same enclosure as her right now.

 

[Fluke]

Hold it, let him know who is boss and that you aren't a danger to him. Sounds like he just wasn't handled enough. Non hand fed budgies (parakeets) are the same way. They don't trust humans becuase they were not instilled with the belief that we are part of their family. I have had a parakeet that was not hand fed and it became very tame. took a month of it biting the hell out of me but it became one awesome bird!

 

[equuskat]

Thanks a lot for the advice!

 

[Harrod]

I had a breeding group of beardies for a couple years with a friend. We usually had about 14 adults most of which were docile. We did notice quite a few of our males became much more aggressive when they matured escpecially when it became time to mate. They were very close to our females at all times but not in the same enclosure. We assumed this had something to do with the sudden spurts of aggression much like male iguanas can exhibit when females are near.

 

[Lachdanan]

My first post on arachnoboards is not about inverts. Go figure what ive found helps quite a lot is to put a piece of worn clothing in his/her cage, it makes them used to your smell. worked wonders for mine

 

[equuskat]

I have been using some of your suggestions, and the little monster seemed to be improving...well, until he bit the crap out of my middle finger. hah I still hold him, though, and have been able to ignore his antics, even though that bite wasn't, um, shallow. It bled and bled. lol I don't get to rattled by bites, though, and he still has to put up with me.

 

[Laceface]

Someone gave me this link for a different article on the site (getting them to eat their veggies) but it also has one on taming adults (and babies) Maybe it will help you too

http://www.bio.miami.edu/ktosney/file/BDtame2.html

 

[Austin S.]

Hey Katy! I've had two male beardies since being hatchlings. They have been together their whole life and still are. Never fight, never show aggression towads eachother or anything. A while back, one of the males was a constant spazoid. He would just puff his beard out and flatten out just when oppening the cage lid! But you know what cured it? I held him everyday. More than the other too. Constantly held him, all the time. He bit me several times yeah, but it never really hurt. Everytiime I'd hold him, I'd gently stroke his back and his beard. He became very use to me and hasnt showed any signs of aggression in about 4 months. I can get them both out and they actually follow me. Handling is the key to beardies I believe.

Now my guys can be hand fed, they fall asleep against my neck sometimes at night. They follow me around the house. Its pretty sweet. Good luck Kat!

 

[equuskat]

Well, that's encouraging! Thanks Austin!

I've been holding him a lot...about 3 or 4 times a day. If he's good, I don't hold him for very long - maybe 5 or 10 minutes. If he gets rank, I just hold him firmly and gently until he's calm, and then I put him away. I try to touch him all over and then I give him a treat (mango baby food or a male dubia) when I put him away.

This was only day 3, so we'll see if he gets better. He's only a year and 3 mos old, so maybe he's just in a nasty adolescent stage.