I have a bearded dragon that is slightly over a year old. Ever since I have owned him he has had a very aggressive temperament, biting at me anytime I try to pick him up. I have inquired about this before when he was younger but people told me that it would probably get better as he grew. I know the best way to calm him is to hold him but as I mentioned before he bites, and in the case I do get to pick him up he thrashes fiercly until I let him down. I can't hold him outside the tank because if he gets lose it will be very hard to catch him. I have tried to feed him mealworms by hand and he will take them, but it doesn't seem to calm him any at all. Is there anything I can do other than what I have mentioned to calm him? Thank you.
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aggressive behavior
justinmatthew
Jul 19, 2004 01:11 PM
Replies (1)
Joel R
Jul 19, 2004 01:42 PM
If he is too crazy, use gloves at first. Consistency is the key. If you do it for a couple days then don't for a few, you are fighting a lost cause! Hold him several times a day, every day. The only reason he is being aggressive is because he is afraid of you. Fight or flight is a strong instinct & trust is the only way around it.
It can take several weeks but it will work. It's up to you.
The only other thing to consider is other distractions, i.e. ceiling fans, animals, even open windows or curtains.
Good luck.
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Joel R
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