Handling my baby

[kobe24]

Hey guys me and my fiance have a new 3 to 4 month old dragon. I was wondering how often should i handle her and for how long. I really want her to be social with us now and when she gets older.
When i take her out of her cage now she is really good but after a little bit she starts getting grumpy and i know that is prolly because of the temp change but any other info would help. Thanks

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

Excessively handling your dragon really isn't the best idea. These creatures are not social animals by nature although their "docile"nature is often misread by keepers as their desire to be cuddled and to be with their owners. In the wild they live solitary lives and only come together for brief periods in order to mate after which they return to their solitary life. What you are actually witnessing when you pick up and hold your dragon is it tolerating you doing so. Your dragon recognizes you as a larger creature and as the being that provides his food source so he tolerates you picking him up and holding him. But that tolerance does have limits,hence your dragon "getting grumpy" or squirmy after you have held it for awhile. When they "snuggle" close to you it is because they are drawn to the warmth of your body not because they are particularly cuddly creatures.
Another thing to consider is that every time you remove him from his enclosure you are removing him from the safe environment that you have taken great care to setup to provide him with the perfect conditions he requires to be healthy and happy. Dragon's as a general rule are not great fans of change in their environment to begin with so it is important to understand that constantly removing him from his safe home is a stressful thing for him.
Stress is probably the number one source of illness in reptiles so it is best to reduce or eliminate stress as much as possible.
Does this mean that you should never hold your dragon? Of course not. By all means interact with him. Just be sure that you keep in mind what that interaction truly is from his viewpoint and keep things reasonable and all will be fine
Enjoy!

 

[river-7]

Fully agree with you-Bella-aka-river-7

 

[kobe24]

Thank you very much for your detailed and informational reply that was very kind of you. I will take into consideration what you said. It made complete sense after i read it. You should look at my new post and let me know what you think cuz i could use the advice. I really want my dragon to live long and i need help with this new environment im getting her. So if you can just help me out that would be great. Here is the link

http://www.beardeddragonforum.com/index.php?threads/getting-new-cage-question-about-lighting.8471/