Wait until everybody hears at school that you have a bearded dragon for a pet. But wait, there are some things that you should know in advance. Just in case anybody asks, do bearded dragons like to be held? That’s something you should know before getting one as a pet. Here are more interesting facts about bearded dragons.
Do Bearded Dragons Get Attached to their Owners?
Bearded dragons get used to their owners very quickly. Which means that they like the idea of being held. Because they have been taken into the family, bearded dragons get used to the idea of touch as affection. For younger bearded dragons, it takes time. Older bearded dragons are used to affection more along with being held.
Handling your bearded dragon helps you bond with your pet. For bearded dragons who are not around humans enough, holding one helps them get used to the presence of humans. Bearded dragons are solitary creatures who like to have their terrarium.
Tips on How to Hold Your Bearded Dragon
Everyone should know the right way to hold a bearded dragon before doing so. Nobody wants one biting their finger if they do something wrong.
Wash Your Hands
Before you pick up your bearded dragon, wash your hands. Don’t give the excuse that your hands are not dirty. You should clean your hands well because you may pass on lingering diseases to your pet. And vice versa.
Washed hands assure that no germs are transferred to your pet. Wear protective gloves if your pet is new until it gets used to being held. The gloves protect your hands if the bearded dragon snaps at you.
Cleaning your hands prior performs the same as washing your hands after you’re finished holding your bearded dragon. Wash your hands well with antibacterial soap. All pets have lingering diseases being carried off of them. It’s also carried in saliva.
Avoid Sudden Movements
Pet bearded dragons are not used to physical affection yet. Slowly getting them used to the idea of physical affection is a better judgment call. Look at it this way, we don’t know what physical affection is when we are babies. Over time it is something that we get used to.
Sudden movements could startle him. Also, don’t try to pet or hold a bearded dragon by bringing your hand down from above its head. Movement above their head makes them feel threatened.
Don’t Hold Them Immediately
If your pet is not used to being held yet, it’s best not to hold them. For now, lightly touch them or give a little pat to get them accustomed to physical touch. Bearded dragons will understand that you are not going to hurt them.
Bonding with your Bearded Dragon
Once your bearded dragon first arrives in your home, give it time to get used to its new living space. Wait for a second, your bearded dragon does not trust you enough to let you hold it yet. Here are a few ways to bond with your bearded dragon to get them comfortable.
Handling Your Bearded Dragon
When handling, slowly move your hand in front of their face and scoop them up from its belly. You should support the lizard’s limbs and tail at all times. Use two hands to hold their beard in place. And then when you are placing it back down on the ground make sure that all body parts are in contact with the ground first.
Give Them a Bath
To have your bearded dragon get used to you, go ahead and run a bath for them. Bathing them makes them feel clean and stay hydrated. It’s a positive experience that helps bestow affection.
Here are a few tips on giving them the proper bath
- Fill the tub to shoulder height
- Let him adjust to the water
- Gently pour water on his back to clean him, make little splashes
- Stay in the bathroom at all times to help them adjust to the water
- Once he is clean, take him out of the tub and dry him with a towel
- Clean the tub if there are any messes on the ground.
Give a Treat By Hand
Feeding your pet by hand is an excellent form of bonding. Put a treat in your hand and let them eat it in a 10-15 minute increment. It builds an association with food. It also makes your reptile excited to see you whenever you come into the room.
Feed bearded dragons live insects (as long as you are comfortable with that). Don’t overfeed them.
Help Calm Your Bearded Dragon
Once you sense that your bearded dragon is having a bad day it’s time to cheer them up. Lightly pick up your bearded dragon and sit quietly with them for a bit. Soon, they feel relaxed because of your tender touch.
Play With Them
Bearded dragons like to play with toys. Find suitable toys for them and then play around with them. First, make sure that they know you are in the room so you don’t surprise them. Be sure that he wants to play with you instead of wanting to spend time alone.
How Do Bearded Dragons Show Affection?
Once bearded dragons trust you, they do. Bearded dragons are known to quickly bond with their owners. The affection they show is a beautiful moment. Once they have your full trust a bearded dragon snuggles right in the crook of your neck. That is so sweet!
Bearded dragons register they like being handled by their owners by flattening their bodies and relaxing their muscles when picked up.
They also like to rest in the space of your elbow. Some bearded dragons go right to sleep in their owner’s arms. Bearded dragons become so comfortable by the touch of their owners that they want to be held for several hours at a time. Slowly, they tolerate the bond.
Bearded dragons also show affection by:
- Closing Their Eyes
It’s in an animal’s nature to feel threatened by other predators. They always keep an eye out for predators. When bearded dragons close their eyes it means that they feel safe in your arms and they feel protected.
- When They Press Close to You
Bearded dragons don’t cuddle with other objects they find threatening. If bearded dragons press up close to you, it’s a sign they trust you. In reality, it’s most likely your pet is cuddling you because of the heat transmitted from your body. They also smell food. Even if they are not cuddling, at least they are warming up to you.
- Climbing Onto your Hand
Let your bearded dragon come to you. The more and more you bond with them, the bearded dragon recognizes that you are not a threat. However, if you approach the bearded dragon without warning it may have these reactions; run away, stay still, open its mouth and hits, wave its arm.
However, after bonding with your bearded dragon, it may start coming right to you to be ready to be picked up.
- Giving your hand a lick
When a bearded dragon licks you it’s not like a dog licking your hand out of affection. They lick because they like your scent. If a bearded dragon licks the air when you come near, it smells you and is thinking of how you may take it out to adventure.
- Pressing Flat and Relaxing
Young bearded dragons and tend to panic when being picked up. After picking up your bearded dragon the right way, it will still struggle for a bit. This is perfectly normal behavior. In the wild, there is no actual equivalence for being picked up. They feel like they are being attacked. However, they’ll slowly adjust to this as a pet. They learn to enjoy being handled.
How to Correctly Hold a Bearded Dragon
Once your bearded dragon is ready to be held, follow these steps.
- Step 1: Place your hand under its body and lift it
- Step 2: Use your thumb and index finger to lift if you cannot place your hand under their body
- Step 3: After placing your thumb and index finger, slide your hand under the bearded dragon and slowly lift.
Always Support a Bearded Dragons Legs
Don’t let the legs hang loose over your arms. Then they are uncomfortable. Use your other hand to support its tail. Supporting the tail is very important. Otherwise, the bearded dragon may wiggle its tail around or move it in circles and injure its back.
Hold a bearded dragon for as long as they want to be held. As soon as they start to wiggle away it’s your cue to do so immediately. As we mentioned, never keep a bearded dragon retrained for long.
Bearded dragons who cuddle largely depend on their personality. Just because your friend had a bearded dragon that cuddled up with you does not mean that this one will.
More Tips for How to Hold a Bearded Dragon
If a bearded dragon is big, you should sit down with it instead. Carrying around a heavily bearded dragon is not good for your back. Let the bearded dragon move around on your body. Restraining it may make the dragon feel unsafe. Ensure that the dragon feels safe until you start petting them.
Check their body temperature, especially in rooms that are cold or warm. A bearded dragon’s body temperature can dip causing its digestion to halt.
Be Gentle
Yes, be gentle. Always be gentle handling your bearded dragon. As the pet owner, it’s your duty that they remain in good health at all times. You want to create a healthy relationship with your bearded dragon.
Hold your bearded dragon with care. Squeezing it too tightly will only hurt it. Keep a loose grip so that it can move whenever it wants to. Don’t tease or play tricks on it.
When to Avoid Holding Your Bearded Dragon
Not everybody has a good day. There are some days where we want to be left alone. Bearded dragons have those days too. Respect your bearded dragons when they don’t want to be held. To tell that your bearded dragon is in a bad mood, follow these steps.
On days where your bearded dragon doesn’t want to be held, happily comply with their wishes. Before showing physical affection, talk to it. Yes, it’s a one-way conversation but you’re getting used to the sound of your voice. Spend time with them. Let it get used to you before touching it. Time alone is essential for any creature or person.
- Signs of Being Afraid
If your bearded dragon is backing away from you, don’t grab them. They may bite you. Back away and try again another time.
- Signs of Stress
A bearded dragon’s skin darkens when they are stressed. Their new living situation could be too much at first. Pay close attention to the color of their skin before picking them up.
- Signs of Aggression
Upon hearing your bearded dragon make a hissing sound or puffs out its beard, back away immediately. When they are in an attack stance it’s best to avoid them. You don’t want to give them the wrong impression that you are the enemy.
- Attempt to Bite You
Don’t hold your bearded dragon if they attempt to bite you. Getting bitten is never a good sign. Leave them be and wait until they cool off.
- Waving Their Arms
People tend to get confused with this one. Bearded dragons who wave their arms aren’t going to attack youIt’s the opposite of what most people think. Arm waving is passive and subservient behavior. This is showing you they acknowledge you as the dominant and fear your displeasure.
- Bopping Their Head
Don’t take head bopping as cute behavior. It means something different than what you’d expect. It is an aggressive posture. They’re ready to fight back if you dare to hurt them (which you won’t. They still think you’re a threat).