Building Up Your Dragon's Trust

I have been reading a lot of posts lately about new owners that are concerned that their new dragon is very timid. There are plenty of articles on the Internet that talks about how the bearded dragon makes a wonderful pet because they become quite tame with their human family. OK, so if this is true, then why is your 8 week old baby running away every time you try and pick him up?!

If you can, put yourself in the baby’s shoes for a minute. You are 7" long and everyone around you is absolutely huge! What does this mean? It means the baby think because they are so small, everything is out to make them their next meal! 2 words you mustn't forget when purchasing a young dragon... Time and Patience!

When you get your new dragon, the best way to start letting him get accustomed to you is to approach and talk softly to him. He will soon learn your voice. He will also realize that voice is bringing him yummy food! Once he gets accustomed to his new surroundings, you might want to offer a cricket given to him with tweezers. This is another way to build up his trust. He'll realize your hand brings good treats and you are not harming him. Another thing I like to do is while you are talking softly to your baby, gently pat his head. They seem to really enjoy this and again, it's allowing the dragon to feel reassured you are not going to harm him.

Once you feel he is more comfortable having you approach (usually a couple of weeks) you might want to pick him up for a few seconds. Always support the dragon around his stomach. Very gently pick him up by supporting his tummy. For a small dragon gently cup him in your hand being very careful he doesn't try and run. He could easily hurt himself. For the first few times, pick up the baby for maybe 30 seconds. Once he gets comfortable with being held, you can lengthen the amount of time each time you hold him.

Don't forget to comment to this post if you have any other idea's to help the new dragon feel comfortable with his new Mom or Dad.