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I love my little Draco beardie, my first and my only. Had him since he was a few weeks old at the pet store. He is a very very sweet boy, loves to be pat! Especially right on his head and upper back. He has a 40gal breeder tank, a crazy climbing stick, a bridge and a food dish, his heat lamp, UVB bulb and repti carpet.
When Draco was a baby I had to handle him for the first few weeks to give him baths because he wouldn't poop. I always handled him very gently. One day though he became very spooky and aggressive, biting me everytime I reached in to pick him up. I didn't let him win, I still picked him up to show him everything was okay and made sure to end on a "good note"...
When Draco was a teen things got worse
...I decided to take a break and let him grow and age. We moved him to a room where there was more activity and he could see more people. This helped him mellow out 10 fold. He was consistently entertained by the people who came and went and adored over him. He became very gentle and I was able to start over in a sense. I began patting him and keeping my hands in the cage more. He came to LOVE patting and all aggressive issues faded. When he was around 1 I started trying to handle him again. First I tried inviting him onto my hand, nope that wasn't going to happen lol, then I tried getting him used to me touching his belly, it went just "okay", then I went to gently move him by lifting him and boy did he flip out! Darn near broke a leg. This is how he is when I go to handle him even to this day, he is 2 this month and I wish I could take him out and show him this side of life! However the last thing Id want to do is panic and hurt himself in the cage or out.
I see so many people with their dragons on their shoulders and hanging out on the couch and I would love to share these experiences with him but I'm afraid he'll hurt himself when he goes into a ridiculous panic :/...I also cant imagine him living 12 years in a 40 gal breeder with no sense of freedom. Do some Dragon prefer the cage life? Did I mess up somewhere a long the lines? I feel like ive failed him somehow, like a bad BD mom! It just makes me sad.
When Draco was a baby I had to handle him for the first few weeks to give him baths because he wouldn't poop. I always handled him very gently. One day though he became very spooky and aggressive, biting me everytime I reached in to pick him up. I didn't let him win, I still picked him up to show him everything was okay and made sure to end on a "good note"...
When Draco was a teen things got worse
...I decided to take a break and let him grow and age. We moved him to a room where there was more activity and he could see more people. This helped him mellow out 10 fold. He was consistently entertained by the people who came and went and adored over him. He became very gentle and I was able to start over in a sense. I began patting him and keeping my hands in the cage more. He came to LOVE patting and all aggressive issues faded. When he was around 1 I started trying to handle him again. First I tried inviting him onto my hand, nope that wasn't going to happen lol, then I tried getting him used to me touching his belly, it went just "okay", then I went to gently move him by lifting him and boy did he flip out! Darn near broke a leg. This is how he is when I go to handle him even to this day, he is 2 this month and I wish I could take him out and show him this side of life! However the last thing Id want to do is panic and hurt himself in the cage or out.I see so many people with their dragons on their shoulders and hanging out on the couch and I would love to share these experiences with him but I'm afraid he'll hurt himself when he goes into a ridiculous panic :/...I also cant imagine him living 12 years in a 40 gal breeder with no sense of freedom. Do some Dragon prefer the cage life? Did I mess up somewhere a long the lines? I feel like ive failed him somehow, like a bad BD mom! It just makes me sad.
