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so my baby luna...

amygeee

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
just seems like she hates being handled. ): im bummed out and scared that i will hurt
the poor thing. just now i was trying to bathe her (she enjoyed it yesterday) but she kept scampering out of the bowl
and she jumped out of my hands on the floor! it was a long jump that didnt hurt her one bit but definitely
scared me. any tips on handling babies? especially ones that seem uneasy? i dont want to make her unhappy,
but i want to play with her! ughhh.
 

D00UUBLEB

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
54
Don't worry about your beardie being jumpy or not as calm as an adult. They are young and in most cases from what I read like to explore at this age.

My Little Spike races around the tank and there are a few things I do to calm him down. I try not to chase him with my hand, instead I wait for him to settle down and try to gently put my fingers under him allowing him to in turn hold me. I also try to stay by his tank for a few minutes before traveling with him. Then when he's calm, I take him to a quiet part of the house because I find he only fidgets when there is unfamiliar noise. Finally, when walking with him, I always keep him facing my chest giving him to option to grab me instead of leaping to the floor.

The people here would prob have some better advice, but I think what I ultimately try to do is keep my beardie calm when he's out of the tank.

Hope something I said helps.
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
It will take a bit of time to get acclimated with your beardie. Don't give up. You two are getting to know each other. Once Luna realizes that you are not a predator, she will most likely bond with you.

As D00uubleb pointed out, don't pick your beardie up from behind. A gentle way would be to let your beardie know you are there by showing your hand to her face. Scratch her head, as you mentioned in another post. Rub her chin. Then gently pick her up from underneath her chest as you gradually slide your hand under her belly.

And don't give up with the bath. I remember some pretty intense battles with Bernie. We had waves galore. But he came around. It takes time....be patient. I'm talking months before Bernie was swimming around.

Hope this helps!
 

amygeee

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
thanks you guys!
i was not facing her towrds my chest when walking, i will definitely do that.
and i tried picking her up from the front and she seemed calmer.
im excited for her to grow up and calm dowwwwn. :)
ahhh i love being a part of this forum because no one else shares my obsession with this beautiful lizard!
i could stare at her basking for hours on end!

-amy
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
Haha! I remember those days. When we first got Bernie, I couldn't stop staring at him either....my boyfriend at the time, now hubby, was worried about me....

But they are so comical when they are that small. It fascinated me. :D
 

chucks parents

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
I'm with you.... I love to watch them they are so funny I sometimes sneak off especially in the evenings and kinda hide...shhhh don't tell my kids and hubby..... In the room where the beardies are just to watch them play. Chuck last night fell asleep in the weirdest position... It was so cute. I would have taken a picture, but I didn't want to wake him up.....
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
Don't worry about waking them. Once they are asleep, they are dead to the world.
 

amygeee

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
hahah they are sooo cute when they sleeep. :)
what time do y'all turn your lights off?
 

DragonLover1

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
55
I turn my lights on at 7am and turn them off at 7pm. I've had no problems handling my 4 month old bearded dragon even when i first got her at 3 months old. I was lucky that i picked out a calm baby. Safira is very active but is quite happy to recieve cuddles. She loves to run around on my bed and while she is she keeps looking back at me. Every dragon is different some love to be handled off the bat where some take some time and patience to tame down.
 

chucks parents

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
112
My lights come on about 7:15 to 7:30am and go off about 9pm. The time varies slightly (like 30 min) depending on the day.... but never more than 30min one way or the other....
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
Just a quick note - for those who are manually turning their lights on and off, you can get a cheap timer that will be a lifestyle saver. You can find them at pet stores or local hardware stores. They are typically a couple of bucks. You'll be amazed how much freedom you will have.
 

amygeee

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
arent you guys nervous to let your baby dragons roam around in case they run and hide?
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
When beardies are outside their vivi, they should be supervised. I have heard countless stories of owners losing their beardies in the house....
 

amygeee

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
57
ughhh i tried letting her chill on my bed this afternoon...
it was unsuccessful, to say the least.
she is just freaking out all the time!
i get frustrated about it and just put her back in the cage after chasing
around my bed and scrambling to get her in my handsssss.
AHHHH I JUST WANT HER TO LOVE MEH!
is that so hard? :)
i mean, she even runs away from me in her tank
when im trying to get her out.
 

corrine

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
850
I'm going through the same thing with YoYo now but be patient and she'll learn to love you. Yoyo went from running away from me to clinging to my finger in a few days. Try not to be to stressed about it. If your stressed she's going to sense it and be stressed too. Be calm and patient and she'll come around
 

renich

Juvenile Dragon
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
3,001
Yes, give it time. This is all new to Luna and she is very young. Take baby steps. Stroke her, scratch her chin, hand feed her some greens, keep talking to her...
Let her get to know you. Don't rush things.

Once she figures out that you are her food source, she'll be jumping at you and not away from you. :D
 

Fidget Midget

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
37
I think a dragon's ability to sleep through disturbances differs... depending on the dragon. Both of mine wake up when my room lights turn on....Scuttle more easily than Tango (I peek at them). A blanket over the cage at night seems to keep them peacefully asleep.
 
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