Bearded dragons have one of the most docile demeanors of just about any lizard that people may keep as pets. It is this behavior that makes them so attractive to would-be pet owners.
Although, bearded dragons have a great attitude, it can take some time and patience when attempting to tame one.
In some rare cases, bearded dragons can cop a nasty disposition. This is usually occurs when a bearded dragon has not been handled very much, or after being mistreated and abused. Learn how to tame a bearded dragon so you can develop a better relationship with your pet.
Taming a Baby Bearded Dragon
The best thing you can do to tame a baby bearded dragon is to begin interacting with it soon after you bring it home.
You don’t want to start handling it right off the bat, because it needs to have a little time to adjust to the new surroundings.
Wait about two or three weeks after you bring the baby bearded dragon home before you start the interactions. Start off by lightly petting the baby on the top of its head and down the back.
Slowly move your hand into the enclosure and watch how it reacts. If the baby bearded dragon jumps, retreats, or cowers down, you may need to give it a little more time. These reactions are generally a sign of fear. It’s ok, it will get accustom to you, if you continue a little each day.
Once the baby is comfortable with your petting, you can begin to pick it up and handle it. Slowly place your hand around it’s mid-section and lightly grasping the baby bearded dragon. Once you have a firm, yet gentle grasp on the bearded dragon, begin lifting it slowly from the habitat.
It is important to keep a fairly consistent routine when taming your baby bearded dragon. A little interaction each day will go a long way towards building a great long-term relationship.
If you interact with your baby bearded dragon frequently, then stop for several months, you may find that you will need to start all over at the first step again. The key is be somewhat consistent.
Taming an Adult Bearded Dragon
If you acquire a bearded dragon that is already at the adult stage taming can be a bit more tricky. The ease of taming the adult will greatly depend on how it was treated before you got it.
Adult bearded dragons that were never handled previously, or mistreated may be resistant to any petting or handling at first.
Again, it will take some determination and patience on your part.
Once the adult bearded dragon has acclimated to the new surroundings, slowly lower your hand into the habitat. Keep a close eye on how it reacts. If it puffs its beard and hisses, then it feels threatened.
Try slowly rubbing its back and the tail very gently. Again, observe how it reacts. You may need some quick reflexes if it attempts to snap or bite at you.
Continue this petting a little every day. Within a month, or so, the adult should begin getting comfortable with you, and you can pick it up from the habitat.
Pet the bearded dragon lightly on the head, then move your hand gently around its mid-section. The first time you pick it up, it may give you a funny look. It’s OK, the adult is just wondering what you are up to.
Gently begin lifting him out of the enclosure with one hand, and gently stroking his head and back with the other hand. If the bearded dragon is fully grown, you may need to use both hands to hold him. You definitely do not want to drop it!
What To Remember
The best thing to remember is to be steady and consistent when taming a bearded dragon. It’s the steady interaction that will help your bearded dragon to gain your trust. Like any relationship, it takes time, patience, and a little work. The relationship you build with your bearded dragon is no different.
Hannah says
Thanks ill have to do that in a few weeks!!
Ginger says
And what is this doesn’t work? Mine tries to run the minute I start lifting, and he jumps too.
SonicBlu says
If yours keeps running and jumping away from you whenever you reach your hand in to pick him/her up, it means that the bearded dragon is not yet ready to be held. Don’t give up though. Eventually, the dragon will approach you after it’s developed a sense of trust with you. Some bearded dragons take longer than others to get used to their owners—it depends on its behavior, its personality, and its sense of acceptance and trust. These things differ from dragon to dragon. Baby bearded dragons are very particular on entrusting anyone at first, especially if they’re brand new to your home. Some bearded dragons take a little longer to adapt to their new surroundings than others do. Just keep being diligent and patient with it and don’t show anger or discomfort. The wrong signals could produce intimidation, which may greatly delay any development of trust between you both. After enough time working with the lizard, eventually, the bearded dragon will allow you to pick it up and interact with it. Don’t give up until then though. Continue to show interest in taking care of its needs. Sometimes talking softly to it through its terrarium also helps keeping it in a calm state of mind Work with your dragon and nurture it as much as possible. Make sure it understands that you intend to do no harm to the bearded dragon. You want to ensure your new pet is not in danger and is in a caring home. Once it’s had a chance to adapt to a daily schedule of feeding, pettings, and attempts at holding or picking it up, it will get used to you. The key to it is to not give up and don’t get upset with him/her.
vicki says
I have had my baby beardie for 2 weeks, he is very young, I try to pat him daily but all he does is hiss and run away and bite me. am I doing too much too soon
SonicBlu says
Sounds like you have one very overactive bearded dragon. The best thing you can do is to continue showing calm, yet strategic approaches. Try not to show signs of anger, intimidation, or fear. You have to basically ensure your pet that you pose no threat or harm to him/her and through daily feedings, it should get the notion that you’re there to help take care of its needs. It may take some time for his aggressiveness to go away, but just try not to be too impatient with your pet. Give him/her every benefit of the situation. If he hisses or tries to bite at you, try to react as calmly as possible, as the wrong signals can alert the bearded dragon as an act of intimidation. After a week or so, your pet should calm down enough to where it won’t hiss at you when you come around to feed him/her. It may also help if you stayed in the same room as the pet and interacted as much as you can with it through the glass of the terrarium. Keep a watchful eye on the lizard, and even though it sounds ridiculous, talking to him/her will also get your pet used to you quicker, but remember to always speak in a calm and gentle voice. The more time you put into working with your pet, the quicker you’ll be able to start forming that bond that will keep you both together.
Ethan says
I got my beardie from people who wasn’t very good peolpe and he was abused and I took him I tried to pet hime evry day and he was great he didnt have n problem with me now he is angry and tries to bite me all the time it’s rare that i pick him up and can walk arround with out him trying to bit me or run away what do I do
JR says
Hi Ethan,
I know this will sound strange, but perhaps your trying to handle him too much?
Like any living creature, beardies like to be given their own space aswell.
For example, if your mum keeps invading your room without knocking all the time, your going to get annoyed about it. Its the same with beardies.
Its worth just giving me the answers to a couple of questions so i can help you.
What gender is the beardie?
Is he/she still eating okay?
Is he/she shedding?
What are the temps in the tank?
Have you added any new ornaments/plants to the tank?
Is he/she still pooping like normal?
If you’d like to email me at jackreeman2@gmail.com with the answers, i might be able to suggest something to you.
Thanks!
JR says
Hi,
I’ve had beardies for a while now and after much experience with all types of temprements, i’ve learnt that its NEVER a good idea to pet a new/nervous dragon on the top of its head until they’re comfortable enough to sleep on you at night, or eat from your hand (although not every dragon will do this).
The reason for this is that they have a sensor, or “third eye”, on top of their head, somewhere in the centre of their skull. You can see it, it looks like a small black speck.
This is there so they can sense predators, like birds, in the wild. So approaching from above when going to handle a nervous beardie can result in not only getting bit, but stressing them out. The same goes for petting them there aswell.
Its always a good idea to start from the base of the skull, and work your way down the spine. Otherwise under their chin, or one of my beardies Spyro enjoys being almost scratched on the back, like you’d scratch your dog. However every bearded dragon is different, and its ultimately up to the owner to find out what they enjoy.
If you found this helpful, then please don’t hesitate to email me on: jackreeman2@gmail.com, if you have any other questions.
I cant promise i’ll have all the answers, but I will be able to point you in the right direction.
Hope this helped!
Mads.yo123455 says
I have not gotten mine yet but I’m sure it won’t be hard to tame him/her.my dad.said that he really wants one…..lets see how it goes
Bubs21 says
I have had her go three months and she poops and jumps around I tryed a plastic box with breathing holes and she let me pick her up and was running around having fun so the box helped a tad
Mackenzie says
Hey,
I have tried everything. Nothing is working. He is 2 months old. When I try to pick him up he bites me and hisses at me. I really need help.
Jacob says
I’ve been trying to pet him for a week now but when I get about 2 strokes in he runs. Doesn’t look like he’s getting any better.
Jacob says
I’ve had my dragon for about a week now and he is showing no signs of improvement. When I try to pet him he runs. I’m doing just as u said coming in nice and slow. I hand feed him his superworms all the time but still nothing.
Shawna says
We are working in getting our first Dragon but I feel like it’s kind of like a dog or any intelligent animal. If you don’t give them time and space to understand you’re not a threat, they’re going to keep being careful and cautious. One week is not enough time to fully trust you especially considering you are so much larger than he is. Give it time and patience.
serenity says
i haven’t had my bearded dragon for too long and shes my first one but i would like to say that i have figured out something that really lets them be comfortable with you very fast. i put her inside my shirt, on my chest and she falls asleep and everything. it helped her know who i am and make her comfortable with me more, i also try to take her outside and feel the real sun. i don’t put her down or anything, i just let her rest on my sholder or hand. i feel like it is only fair to let her feel the real things in life instead of staying inside, i also try to introduce her to different smells and light so that she isn’t scared of things too much. i obviously don’t do it all the time because that will just over welm her and i don’t want to handle her too much. i am slowly letting her run on my bed or on the floor if im near but i don’t let her go too far away from me. its only fair that she gets to experience things of the real world instead of in a cage or inside. you have to remember that they are real animals and also want real thing
Terrie Booth says
Hi, I have had my beardy for about 4 weeks. When I first got her she was about 2 months old. She was fine about me picking her up, up until she started to shed. I knew not to message with her then. I waited until she was finished. After she was through, I tried picking her up…she started to hiss and running away. Just resent she bit me. I talk to her in a calm voice and I don’t get angry. I have no idea what to do?
Tristan says
Hi, my name is Tristan and I really want to be able to hold my beardie; they are into their adult stage of life and they let me pet them often but I’m hesitant to try and slide my hand beneath it. He/She sometimes will puff his/her beard and it will turn black when I try to pet its head. I have had my beardie for probably close to two years now. I’m not sure how long my girlfriend owned it before, maybe 8 months. But I’m not exactly sure what I should do..
Tala says
I have about a middle age dragon and i got him like 3 to 4 mouths ago iv been loving on him and time to time I pick him up when I do this some times he lets me but then once he is in my hand he tries to run and other times when I try to hold him he just runs so I leave him alone. But to day I was just going to love on him but right when my hand entered the terariam he bit me. Now he’s never hissed or bit me before I don’t know if he can hiss or just don’t won’t to but he just doesn’t hiss. But any way how can I make a closer bond with my dragon.
amelie says
hey i bought a beardie he is around 5-6 weeks now he was very handleable until recently when eveer i try and handle him he hisses and tries to bite me. have you any techniques on how to tame him? thanks
Amy Cassie 38 says
I’m reading that some of you have only had your babies for about a week or so and are getting discouraged and disappointed. Don’t be. It takes more than a week just for them to get used to their surroundings. Babies especially take a good amount of time to settle. They are getting used to every noise, movement, and activity going on around them. They have excellent hearing so they’re taking in all of the noises. I gave my little girl a couple of weeks before first attempting to get her out. Even then she was still jumpy. It takes time. Don’t give up even if they show aggressiveness because they start to learn that bad behavior gets you to go away and they will keep doing it.
What helped me was having a room where she could safely run around wherever she wanted and me not hovering. Just being around and talking to her. Letting her come to me if she wanted to. Rewarding her ‘treats’ she likes for good behavior. She’s still squirmy when I first get her out until she gets a more comfortable footing, but once she’s out she’s super excited and has a blast just exploring.
Advice that was given to me as well was don’t pick them up from above. Use a scoop method by going underneath. If you go from above they will likely see you as a predator, and it scares them. So use the scoop from underneath method.
Amber S says
I’ve had my Juvenile bearded dragon for about 2 months she is actually about 2 months old according to her length. When I first got her she was a little skittish so I would talk to her, my husband and children would also talk to her when we started taking her out and holding her she would just lay in my hand she wasn’t active. Now she runs all over the place I usually sit on our couch with her and when we first get her out she will automatically walk over to my husband and lay on his chest as hos body heat is a lot warmer then mine. Once she comes back to me she wants to get under my shirt and sleep but before she does she rubs her neck on me (this I would like to assume means she is loving on me). She is very spoiled she won’t drink her water unless we are holding her (my fault) so I get her out several times a day to water her. But she stays out for at least 2 hours between 4-6 Alabama time.
Jacqueline Baldwin says
Hello, I got my daughter a baby bearded dragon for her birthday. She has been talking to it and spending a lot of time with it. Is it a bad idea to try to pet it underneath its chin? She attempted this the other day and she said that it tried to bite her. She has also said that it has been running away from her when she tries to get it out of its habitat. I told her that it will take time for it to get used to her and to be patient with it. I also have a lot of questions, I have never owned a bearded dragon before and I want to help her as much as possible at least for the first couple of months. I got it for her about a week ago, and it is still very small. At the pet store I got it from said that it might be about 4-6 weeks old. When I hold it, it holds on to my pointer finger and it’s body is about the size of my pointer finger(maybe a little smaller) without including its tail. We can’t tell if its a male or female yet. How much of the calcium supplement do we give this little guy when feeding it crickets or mealworms when the lizard is so small? How much time should I tell my daughter to spend with it so that it gains trust in her? Should she back off on holding it and taking it out and for how long? At what point are you able to tell if it is a male or female? I will be getting a 40 gallon breeder tank for it next week hopefully, is that too big to put it in right away as it is still so small? I have so many more questions, if you could please answer these questions and contact me as soon as possible, I would greatly appreciate it.
AllyJ says
I got my bearded dragon in November of 2018, he was just a tiny baby, and he rarely lets me pet him anymore. I follow everything that I have been told about how to approach and hold him, and when to leave him alone. I handled him every day when I first brought him home, and he stopped liking being held for the most part. Sometimes he will tolerate being held with a blanket when he feels like coming out of the tank, but usually just leans against the glass or lays on his log. Do some beardies just never grow accustomed to being held? He always shows off his beard to me when I try to hold him and nothing works. I don’t want to just leave him in the tank all day everyday, but petting his head gently to calm him has not been working. I have tried worms already and that didn’t work as well as I would have liked it to. Any suggestions for this almost 2 year old beardie? I want him to let me hold him so badly, but he stopped liking the attention when he was about 6 months old. I have also tried spacing the times that I try to hold or pet him, so I don’t bother him too much.
Dan says
Hello
I acquired a beardie from my god daughter who couldn’t care for him any more. Hes a beautiful sub adult that wasn’t handed very much. I hold him from time to time just for him to get used to me. He doesn’t like being held at all but calms way down after a few seconds. He seem to love my warm hands and relaxes his limbs . What an awesome pet! Ive had him for several months now and really grown attached to him. I hope my god daughter doesn’t take him back.