HELP... aggressive dragon

[bee vue]

Okay before all the info I been reading alot and for what I thought was getting a older dragon would be good but in my case I got a aggressive dragon. I bought my beared dragon from a 10yr old kid saying he don't have time for the dragon. So I thought the dragon would be tame since the dragon is about 1 yr old now. I was wrong the day I picked up the dragon the boy couldn't even touch the dragon him self. So I thought it must be the moving that got the dragon moody. So I got the dragon home and let him settle in for 3 weeks now and every day I would put my hands in and clean his cage and hand feed him. Now everything sounds find right... well I didn't rush to do anything to the dragon letting him settle in. So for the past 3 days I would try to touch his back and he would turn around and puff up. Then I'll leave him alone then after 1 hr I'll feed him a few cricket from my hand but once I touch him he does the same thing again puff up. So here's were I'm lost I have him a 55gal tank all the temps are good from the hot side to cold side. He eats well and his veggies are always gone. So for my only thoughts is this dragon did this to the kid I bought it from so he was scared of the dragon and stop taming it so now the dragon thinks it's okay to do this as long as he still gets fed. So what should I do so the dragon will calm down.

I read alot of forums and I don't like the idea of force holding the dragon to tame it but if I have to then I guess I'll have too... so please any idea on helping me.

 

[PatsyB]

That's a bummer that the dragon is so aggressive. Main thing is don't show fear. When he puffs up at you and shows his beard don't back away from him or flinch this will show him that you are not afraid of him. Keep putting your hands in the tank to feed and clean and let your hands just linger in there so that he gets used to you. Don't let your fingers get too close to him when he's angry though, a 1 year old has a strong bite! Put something of yours in the tank with him, like a shirt or something so that he gets used to your scent. You are going to have to handle him because he is going to need to have baths. I have a little one that showed aggression for the first 3 months we had him. Two more things that really helped us was he was more afraid of the bath than us, so as long as I could get him to the tub he calmed down and actually held on to me because he was afraid of the water. The other thing that worked was I would wait until his bed time, about 30 minutes before bed he would get into his sleep position and his eyes would droop and then I would reach in and rub his head for a few minutes. He was too tired to be mad at me!

 

[bee vue]

Thanks that's what I was planning to do later was put a shirt I warn all day and do that for a few days hope it works.. and for the bath lol I guess he have to deal with me grabbing him and putting him in the water hahah I guess I'll be on the save side and use garden gloves just incase he try to snap my finger haha but he going to be a tough one compare to my little red female dragon.

 

[PatsyB]

I used to grab mine with a towel and cover his head and bring him to the tub, it would stun him for a minute and then it was SURPRISE, you're getting a bath! Our female dragon is 18 months and the most gentle animal I have ever come across. We got spoiled with her and thought getting another one would be easy, NOT! He has really calmed down a lot though and is turning into a sweetheart. He doesn't puff at us or try to bite anymore but LOVES to run.

 

[bee vue]

Yeah ill give the towel a try if he keeps running around his enclosure and I can't catch him thanks.

 

[bee vue]

Well I guess I'll close this thread and start a new one how to tame a beared dragon lol I seen people post them up but it's hard for a new comer to understand how a untamed beared dragon would act so I'll do a good thread and hope some people will follow it. I'll be taking pictures of how my dragons reaction. But lol the dragon didn't like it when I gave him a bath he just puffed up even wider ahah and kinda darken it's beard but it was worth it. Since I noticed he starting to start his shading again. Witch means he's doing good this is his 2nd time shedding since I had him over 1 month

 

[diegothediggy]

Tbh all u can really do is slow steady bonding. Altho i dnt have an aggresive beardie i recently homed a beardie that wasnt gettin bothered with much and at first he was very skits and frightened but with constant time and love he has.now.cum rnd. We had him less than a month n for the first couple of weeks he was very dark and puffed a bot when he held him or got him out. Ive neva seen a beardie as dark.as.he was. But altho he was very dark and puffy he neva went.to bite me so tbh i thought theres only so much damage a beardie can do obviously but so can a.puppy or any other animal. So i just kept puttin my hand in the viv and sittin it there not trying to touch him just so he can c its just a hand. I done that for a few days and gradually sat my hand closer and closer. All u have to remember is they know when u r scared so try not to flinch or jump i no its easier sed than done but do ur best. Wen i got close enough to him like a few cm with him moving he then started to lick my hand so i done that for a few days. After the first week.he relised i was.t gunna hurt him and stopped puffin but still dark. Then i stroked him in the tank and held him in the tank for a day or two talkin softly all the time. He clings ob really tight when you pick him so i cud tell he felt uneasy. The first few day when i got him out i put him dwn in the hall where his viv is so he knows where he is, shut all the doors so he cud have a walk around and c that it was safe he bobbed a lot but we also have another beardie Diego so think thats just coz he can smell him. Sorry to babble on but wot im tryin to say is u have to gain his trust and it does take time but now little by little Boris is now.happy n loves gettin out. He still clings real tight wen we get him out and he still bobs and gets quite dark.every now and then but theres such a difference in a month. So u can do it.
This was Boris when he first cum here.

And this is.him now

 

[bee vue]

Yes I know I'm not going to give up and mine has proven that beardies are smart. He knows his feeding time from me and he will come right up to the glass and look up at me till I feed him lol. I'm slowly getting his trust and I know it be worth it in the end. He has been neglected for too long that's all.

 

[bee vue]

now heres the big bad dragon lol he looks so cool

 

[PatsyB]

Awe, he doesn't look so scary!

 

[bee vue]

I know that's what I said lol he today or more like this morning he let me rub his back while he just look at me. So I could say he's coming around that I'm not there to hurt him.

 

[diegothediggy]

How u gettin on with ur little 1?

 

[bee vue]

Oh the little ones fine she wound run up to my arm when I clean out the tank and she will come take food from me with no problems. She have a relax personality even my kids could hold her and she just lay in there hands. As for the big dragon I'm starting this week holding him in his enclosure for 30 min he fuss a little but I don't let him go till 30min is up and when I try put him down he just lay on my hand for 2 min then takes off to the other side of the tank lol.

 

[diegothediggy]

Aw that gud my kids r very involved with our beardies aswel. Little progress is gud. Just takes time. I wish they cud understand wot we say life wud b so much easier

 

[bee vue]

Yeah my kids had like 1 million questions about the beardies and I made sure they understand the point of using hand sanitizers before and after they hold the beardie.

 

[bee vue]

Here's a update. So everyday I'll wear a old tee shirt under my work uniform and every night I'll put it on my big bad beardie lol. And every day when I feed him I'll rub his back for 3 sec then he takes off running. Today he show me a new side I didn't expect to see. As I was feeding him I rub his back then instead of running he put his head down so when he did that I try something new I rub his head and to my amazement he close his eyes and let me rub him no fear at all. So I thought it was a glitch in him lol...I waited 30min now I didn't give him any food I just rub him and yes it work time and patience he low his head and let me rub him... I'm so happy I'm almost therewith taming

 

[diegothediggy]

Well done you thats awsum, it wnt b too long.b4 he will b snuggling up with you n goin sleep

 

[PatsyB]

It's the best feeling in the world when they start to trust you! Glad you kept up with it. He may go through moods where he doesn't want to be touched, but don't give up!

 

[diegothediggy]

Here's a update. So everyday I'll wear a old tee shirt under my work uniform and every night I'll put it on my big bad beardie lol. And every day when I feed him I'll rub his back for 3 sec then he takes off running. Today he show me a new side I didn't expect to see. As I was feeding him I rub his back then instead of running he put his head down so when he did that I try something new I rub his head and to my amazement he close his eyes and let me rub him no fear at all. So I thought it was a glitch in him lol...I waited 30min now I didn't give him any food I just rub him and yes it work time and patience he low his head and let me rub him... I'm so happy I'm almost therewith taming

Have yas got as far a a little cuddle yet?

 

[bee vue]

You can saw a little now I can pick him up out side the cage and hold him. But he is shedding again so some times he gets fussy when I touch the dry skin by mistake...lol