Progress with handling!

[Augie]

I give my dragon a bath every Sunday to every other Sunday when I clean his cage and take that as an opportunity to try to handle him, and every time he skitters away for a bit. Once I can get him into his little Tupperware jacuzzi he'll chill out and let me drop a little water on his head and back. Of course then it's still always been a pretty tenuous time, when he's done he flys out and waits for me to replace the paper towels.

Yesterday was different.

As I was cleaning his cage I went through my normal ritual of offering my hands to handle him. He did more than let me pick him up... he ran up the side of my arm and to the side of my bicep! We just sat there looking at each other and I was talking to him - he was very calm and apparently is a good listener! My wife came in to see what was going on and got really nervous, reminding me she had just treated the carpet for fleas, so I put him back in his cage.

I know it's not earth-shattering, but definitely progress when you realize how he's acted prior! So to those other owners out there that have had issues with a feisty dragon, keep at it. Eventually they will come around.

 

[Mungi's Buddha]

A little bit of patience always pays off That was a big step toward his recognizing you as someone safe and that he doesn't have to fear...Well Done!!

 

[Augie]

I have another update. We've gone from bath time being tenuous to something he looks forward to. When I get the little tub out and put it in the cage he sometimes is still a little skittish, but now once I get him in the tub he loves it. He lets me pet him a lot more and is definitely more comfortable with me handling him.

He's grown A LOT. He shed last week and today as I was putting him to bed noticed he is shedding AGAIN (it's funny because I was worried he wasn't eating enough, now I know why). His nose is starting the shed. Buddha you will be happy to hear this I'm sure, his poops are getting... well.. intimidating in size LOL. I fully expect when I come home from work each day to see him sitting in my recliner, legs crossed, smoking a pipe, and reading the newspaper. If he asked me to fetch his slippers I bet I would!

I just wanted to take some time to give the forums an update, and to thank everyone for helping me get my dragon to where he is today. Thank you SOOOO much!

 

[Pat B]

Thank you so much for the update! I always give Spike a bath in the bathtub where he can swim around and get really hydrated.

 

[Jesse omg it's me]

I have another update. We've gone from bath time being tenuous to something he looks forward to. When I get the little tub out and put it in the cage he sometimes is still a little skittish, but now once I get him in the tub he loves it. He lets me pet him a lot more and is definitely more comfortable with me handling him.

He's grown A LOT. He shed last week and today as I was putting him to bed noticed he is shedding AGAIN (it's funny because I was worried he wasn't eating enough, now I know why). His nose is starting the shed. Buddha you will be happy to hear this I'm sure, his poops are getting... well.. intimidating in size LOL. I fully expect when I come home from work each day to see him sitting in my recliner, legs crossed, smoking a pipe, and reading the newspaper. If he asked me to fetch his slippers I bet I would!

I just wanted to take some time to give the forums an update, and to thank everyone for helping me get my dragon to where he is today. Thank you SOOOO much!

my autumn use to be the same way with baths she would jump on me and didnt want to let go she held on for dear life...i didnt have to water that deep at first because how much she hated it but now she loves them...my tub has a deep end and a shallow end(strange in a way) so i have a deep end for her to swim like crazy and a shallow end when she needs a break...my baths are roughly 30 to 45 minutes i let her decide because she climbs on me when she is done lover her to death