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Man! Any ideas on taming a very aggressive dragon will be greatly appreciated. He was traded to me about a month ago and he always has a black beard. Every time a reach in the cage he puffs up like he was going to strike. Tonight I found out he is not all talk. I had a glove on, but dang! He bit the hell out of my hand. It would have broke skin if I didn't have protection. Anyway, I was told by the previous owner that he is really tame out of breeding season and he's lost a lot of weight recently because all he thinks about is breeding. I was told he's from Sandfire Dragon Ranch and is 18 months old. Here is a picture of this guy....

Jeff

Hey Jeff,

Slow and steady is the best advice I can give you. If he's just scared that should solve it. If he's truely mean you may have to dominate him. Hold him and when he puffs and gapes out at you push down on the top of his head until his mouth closes. Then slowly move your hand up and when he does it again repeat. I had a female from DD that I had to do this way, she never really got friendly but at least she stopped trying to take fingers off.

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

I'll try again to show him some tough love. I keep trying to pick him up but nothing has worked yet. I even resorted to picking him up by the tail, very gently, but he was trying to to a back flip lunge for my arm. I'll keep you guys posted.

Jeff

If you put the arch of you hand under his armpit, thumb on the chest and wrap your hand around his back, he won't be able to bite anything. Betty calls it a beardie straight jacket lol.

Sean
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Heart Mountain Herps

!
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Is it possible that he just woke up from brumateing?
I heard that this sometimes kicks in those breeding
hormones.

Try also with what Sean said to do some hand feeding with like super worms so that he starts to associate you with full tummy.... also holding him in your hands and restraining him for 5 or 10 minutews a day might help as well..... I had one that was like that and nothoing worked really...... he was a baswtard till the day I sold.... Minus a chunk of my finger consequently...LOL

Later,
Robert
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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

Well, I somewhat tried to hand feed him without losing a finger. I'd try and get close enough to hand feed him superworms, but he'd lunge toward me so the best I could do was play basketball with his mouth and then it didn't phase him, he just looked at me like I was his lunch!

Jeff

Might have to tame a bit with what Sean was saying first.... You may just have a bastard beardie...LOOL.... Good Luck buddy!

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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds,
adored by little statesmen, philosophers and divines.
Ralph Emerson

I worked with him for about a half hour tonight. He's an enry bastard alright! I had to use a deli-cup lid as a shield just so I could position my hand to hold him head down. He just seemed very uncomfortable and hissed. After about 10 mintues of going back and forth doing that I lifted him up, but had to hold his mouth shut like I was wrestling an aligator. I'll continue to work with him, but after a few weeks I'm going to give up and sell the guy. He will make a good breeder only dragon, but then again, I don't want him to have any little ones that are as aggressive as he is.

Jeff

From the angle of the picture, it looks like you approach the dragon from above when you reach down to him. Any movement from above instinctively make dragons defensive. To them anything coming from above means a predator is coming to eat them. Try bringing your hand in from below and a foot or so away then hold your hand still. Don't try and pick up the dragon right now as he will only associate the hand and you as something rather unpleasant.

Being picked up the tail isn't a safe way to hold a dragon. It's better to bring your hand under the dragon and let him climb onto your hand and lift him that way. I wouldn't attempt to lift him at all till he calms down. There is just more chance of dropping him as you pick up a madly struggling dragon. I don't really agree with forcefully pushing their mouths closed.

You have to keep in mind the dragon has been moved from one place to another, somewhere were he was for well over a year (of not the full 2 years). It may take him longer toget used to his new home and owner.

Once he is used to having your hand in the cage, remove the glove and see how he reacts to it then. Then offer him some treats so he learns the hand offers tasty things. Once he is much calmer then try and pick him up and hold him, even if he struggles. Once he calms down, put him back into the cage. Every couple days, hold him longer after calming down before putting him back in the cage. This gets him to associate being calm in your hands is the best way to get put down. After a month or two you should see noticeable improvement, providing you keep at it a few times a day. Don't expect him to improve over night, or even in a week.
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PHLdyPayne

Don't know how he did it, but actually made his way out of a 2ft enclosure last night. I picked him up with no problem outside of his cage, but after about 30 seconds he started to puff up and as soon as I set him back in his enclosure he wanted to kill!

Jeff

Maybe he needs some entertainment, try letting him out once in a while see if his demeanor changes any over time.

One of my males that when I bought him I was told he was "girl crazy" but i insist he is bloodthirst. He lunges for me, and used to attack anything that moves. I've found out, as Sean said, that slow and steady works, and overpowering him will show him who is boss. My male has significantly calmed down, but by no means is he tame at all! Ive also found that taking him to a neutral room away from his cage(whether it be in a box or in hand) and then take him out and my male usually calms a bit more than near the cage.

Good luck...at least you could get good color genes outta him! Mine was a Chris Allen orange X Red/pastel - AWESOME color but soo angry!

Pictured is him - when I get him out how I handle him. - My forefinger(index) and thumb are ready to push his mouth shut if he opens and hisses. You can tell he looks a lot more dull in the photo, meaning he calmed down quite a bit. He is really light orange when fired up or angry!

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