I thought I should share this special event with you, although it's more a mental post-it to my future self about my mother's stupid son ... anyway, bear with me =)

One of the Bearded Dragons I bought from Germany in September was a foot long male. Every time I moved my hand towards him, he would flatten himself out and open wide his mouth, puffing a serious warning that I should keep my distance.
For 4 long months it has been like this, and during this time I kept working on him, trying all my best to gain his trust and tame the beast, which never happened.

Two weeks ago I moved him to another enclosure and today I can pick him up safely and quietly because he has become quite the calm sheep. Why? Pretty simple.
Remember all those warnings that you shouldn't pick them up from above because they might see you as a predator? The same thing goes for enclosures and particularly nervous Bearded Dragons.
He was in an aquarium like enclosure, placed a bit bellow my waist and where he always saw me from bellow and everything I did in the enclosure was from above, even feeding him.
As soon as I moved him to a high enclosure where we come "face to face", he began to calm down.

This has crossed my mind so many times you wouldn't believe it but for a lot of reasons I never tried to place him somewhere else and see the result.

Now I know.... again =)

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Wish list: Blue Tongue Skinks and Uruplatus =)

I would have to agree now that I think about it, we had the same problem here with our littlest Bearded Dragon, he was all way on the floor under the girls large enclosure. At Christmas we had to re-arrange the livingroom to fit in the tree. He got moved on top of the girls cage, his behavior has totally changed, I can now pick him up most of the time. He is also showing male behavior as he see the girls and smells the girls. He is really comical to watch.

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Colleen

Another reason why aquariums are not for reptiles.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Thats awesome Ricardo, glad he has tamed up for you. Mike feel free to use your cabintry skills to make me an enclosure so I can get my Bearded Dragon out of the 40 gl tank ...

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MARSHA

:D I'm smiling because I have no idea whats going on!

If it wasn't a 26 hr drive I would definitely help you out.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Awesome glad you figured it out! Good luck! Although, my Bearded Dragons are on the floor now they don't mind they are used to me, but haydees was my bros at first and it was a hatchling when he got it and he was soo freaked he used to do that all time until we moved him up to eye level as well!

Yeah Zola was a changed lizard once we got him out of the 20g that he came in (it was way small) and into a larger enclosure. The people we picked him up from gave us a pair of thick leather gloves and said "We don't use these ususally....just when we have to open the cage" and then the guy assured me that he was 'for looks' and not to be messed with.
Vicious? I think not!

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Those who say it can't be done should get out of the way of those who are doing it.

~*~Lacey~*~

My Photos

But Mike I'm only a 3 or 4 hour drive LOL.

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Colleen

Actually google earth tells me that's only a 2 1/2 hr drive.

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Mike
"Never worry about numbers. Help one person at a time, and always start with the person nearest you." - Mother Teresa

Glad he's with youand not those dummies anymore!!