Beardie with ATTITUDE! Help!

[Sage]

Hello. I’m a new BD mom. I’ve had snakes before, and dogs. But I got a beardie for Christmas (well my nephew got him, but I’ve been doing the work lol). Since January I have been working to tame this guy and it’s just not happening. He is FEISTY! Anyone putting their hand in the tank, he puffs up & is ready for war. But, if i have food in my hand, he’ll eat it then run. If i’m just sticking my hand in to pet him, he puffs up. If i try to pick him up, he runs (or bites, whichever suits him at the time). I take him out anyway, even with the squirming, and he eventually calms and then will sit on my chest for a bit. But the next day, we’re back at square one. What am i doing wrong??

 

[iris123]

i have a beardie who does the same and he's almost two years old i think it's something to do with their past since i got mine from a pet store[petco] i think they abuse them when they hold them and that gets embedded into the beardie's mind

 

[Sage]

i have a beardie who does the same and he's almost two years old i think it's something to do with their past since i got mine from a pet store[petco] i think they abuse them when they hold them and that gets embedded into the beardie's mind

Omg 2 years?! I guess this is just his personality. Hopefully when he gets older, it doesn’t get worse. The way he is now, I can manage. But if he gets any worse I don’t know if i can handle it! I guess time will tell

 

[iris123]

Omg 2 years?! I guess this is just his personality. Hopefully when he gets older, it doesn’t get worse. The way he is now, I can manage. But if he gets any worse I don’t know if i can handle it! I guess time will tell

i mean you just have to keep holding him like i do with mine even if he doesn't like it mine used to be like that as a baby but now he likes being petted at least believe or not but it's very good when your bearded dragon does this because it means it has wild instincts

 

[Leslie C]

I bought my guy, Bowser, at a pet store on Halloween last year. I think that was a bad sign. He wasn't a baby at the time, maybe about 5-6 months. He HATED being handled and would do the same, puff up, bite, hiss, the whole thing. I thought it was just the fact that he was in a cage for all that time rarely held. After a while, he stopped biting but still puffs and sometimes hisses. He always squirms and tries to get loose once I have him in my hands so I tried picking him up with a towel and he accepted that a bit easier (and made it easier to hold him). Now, he has been in brumation since early March, just coming out for a day or so every few weeks. I thought I was making a tiny bit of progress, but now I'm sure I'll be back at the beginning. Our first beardie just loved being held - wish this guy would!!

 

[iris123]

I bought my guy, Bowser, at a pet store on Halloween last year. I think that was a bad sign. He wasn't a baby at the time, maybe about 5-6 months. He HATED being handled and would do the same, puff up, bite, hiss, the whole thing. I thought it was just the fact that he was in a cage for all that time rarely held. After a while, he stopped biting but still puffs and sometimes hisses. He always squirms and tries to get loose once I have him in my hands so I tried picking him up with a towel and he accepted that a bit easier (and made it easier to hold him). Now, he has been in brumation since early March, just coming out for a day or so every few weeks. I thought I was making a tiny bit of progress, but now I'm sure I'll be back at the beginning. Our first beardie just loved being held - wish this guy would!!

i've just been handling my guy [smuag] everyday since it's been nice outside and he is more sqirmish than anything he only bites me when i stick my hand in his cage while he is eating

 

[N W]

Is that pic of him now, at what must be around 6-7months?

Do you know for sure that you have his environment set up correctly with temps & uvb?

 

[iris123]

Is that pic of him now, at what must be around 6-7months?

Do you know for sure that you have his environment set up correctly with temps & uvb?

who me yes i have a long reptisun 10.0 bulb and a infrared basking bulb