<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe best way to prevent bearded dragon bites is by providing ample stimulation and enrichment activities throughout the day.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nProvide plenty of toys and substrates such as paper towels and boxes that allow them to engage in instinctive behaviors like digging and exploring without putting anyone at risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Try offering treats as rewards for good behavior whenever possible – something like sliced fruits or veggies will encourage positive reinforcement each time your beardie does not attempt to bite through any materials.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, train them regularly using clicker training methods which have been proven effective for modifying unwanted behaviors in animals over time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What To Do If A Bearded Dragon Bites?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n If a bearded dragon bites you, the first thing to do is to remain calm and avoid panicking. In most cases, the bearded dragon will let go of your finger or hand once it realizes what happened.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the bite did not break the skin, simply wash your hands with soap and water as you always should after handling your bearded dragon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the bite broke the skin, wash and disinfect the bite with alcohol, peroxide, or Neosporin. If needed, apply a band-aid.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
If the bearded dragon does not let go, you can place it on a stable surface and gently but firmly try to pry open its mouth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Is It Normal For Bearded Dragons To Bite?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\nBiting is an instinctual behavior for many reptiles, including bearded dragons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But how can you tell whether it’s normal or not?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
To answer this question, let\u2019s look at why a bearded dragon may bite and what kind of biting behaviors are normal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\nBeard Biting Normal<\/strong>: A beard-biting reflex is an instinctive reaction that some bearded dragons have when they feel threatened. It usually happens when the dragon feels scared or agitated, such as during handling or visits from unfamiliar people or animals. This type of biting doesn’t usually cause injury and shouldn’t last any longer than a few seconds.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDragon Biting Normal<\/strong>: Bearded dragons also sometimes exhibit predatory behaviors like chasing and biting their prey items in captivity; however, these bites tend to be more gentle and do not typically cause serious harm. As long as the food item being bitten is appropriately sized and safe for the dragon to consume (no feathers!), then this type of behavior should be considered normal.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nBearded dragon owners must always keep in mind that all lizards can still display aggressive behaviors based on stress levels, environment, genetics, etc., so it’s important to monitor them closely and take appropriate steps if necessary to ensure their safety and well-being.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
5 Ways To Train Your Bearded Dragon Not To Bite Clothes<\/h2>\n\n\n\n <\/figure>\n\n\n\n\nHandle your bearded dragon regularly<\/strong>: It is important to get your bearded dragon used to being handled by you. This will help it to become more familiar with your presence, and less likely to bite you when you come close.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDesensitize your bearded dragon to clothing<\/strong>: Let your bearded dragon explore the clothing before you put it on. This will help it to become familiar with the material, and less likely to bite it when you wear it.<\/li>\n\n\n\nGive your bearded dragon its own toys<\/strong>: Providing your bearded dragon with its own toys is a great way to keep it occupied, and less likely to bite clothes.<\/li>\n\n\n\nDistract your bearded dragon<\/strong>: If your bearded dragon is about to bite your clothing, distract it with a toy or treat. This will help it to focus on something else, rather than your clothing.<\/li>\n\n\n\nReward good behavior<\/strong>: When your bearded dragon does not bite your clothing, reward it with a treat or praise. This will help it to associate good behavior with a positive outcome.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\nThe key to training a bearded dragon not to bite clothes lies in understanding why they do it in the first place.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Most often, it\u2019s because of curiosity \u2013 they want to explore and investigate anything new that comes their way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In order to stop this type of behavior, you need to provide positive reinforcement when your pet does something desirable instead of trying to punish them for doing something wrong.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Bearded dragons have a natural instinct to establish themselves as the alpha in their environment, and they may try to bite your clothes as a way of asserting their dominance. Other possible reasons include wanting to explore their environment, trying to get your attention, or simply because they like the texture of the fabric. Why […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":6,"featured_media":3737,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_gspb_post_css":".gs-box{padding:20px;border-left:5px solid transparent;margin-bottom:25px}.gs-box-text>p{margin-bottom:20px;margin-top:0}.gs-box-text>p:last-of-type{margin-bottom:0}.gs-box.update_type{color:#004458;background-color:#d9edf7;border:1px solid #bce8f1}.gs-autolist{margin:15px 0 30px;border:1px solid #dddddd7d}.gs-autolist-item{padding:15px 15px 15px 5px;display:flex;align-items:center}.gs-autolist-title,.gs-autolist-title a{font-size:18px;line-height:24px;text-decoration:none}#gspb_toc-id-gsbp-ca19a330-7263 .gs-autolist-item{background-color:#fff}#gspb_toc-id-gsbp-ca19a330-7263 .gs-autolist-item:nth-child(2n){background-color:#eee}#gspb_toc-id-gsbp-ca19a330-7263 .gs-autolist-title a{color:#000}#gspb_toc-id-gsbp-ca19a330-7263 .gs-autolist-number{border-radius:50%;margin:0 20px 0 15px;text-align:center;font-weight:700;background-color:#de1414;color:#fff;height:25px;line-height:25px;width:25px;font-size:16px;min-width:25px}","footnotes":""},"categories":[16,14],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3706"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/6"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3706"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3706\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11219,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3706\/revisions\/11219"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3737"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3706"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3706"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/jeffreyyounggren.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3706"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}