There is a huge difference between dogs and lizards. Not to mention about 6000 years of domestication...



but that aside, lizards in general don't need or desire human attention. However, they do learn to recognize their owners and do respond to their presence. My bearded dragon will come right up to the doors of her cage when I come near, whether it is because she hopes I am going to feed her or let her own or just to show she appreciates seeing me (instead of me in the computer room out of sight most of the time.) who can say. I don't' feed her every time I go near the cage nor take her out, so its not just a pattern learned via repetition.



Perhaps they will never be as 'needy' of attention as a dog (pack animal, highly social etc) but bearded dragons do respond to their keepers to varying decrees. Also, they have been bred in captivity for 20 or more years now, perhaps all these generations in captivity they are becoming more 'people' friendly.



If doubts that some lizards do crave human attention, this vid (rather old now) may shed some light that every lizard even within the same species is different.



www.youtube.com/watch?v=nz5mvOpCnvI
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PHLdyPayne

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