Topics Forums Bearded Dragons Cricket Contest

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    • #816

      lolivera96
      Participant
      Cricket Contest

      Hi!  I’m Oscar and I love insects!  Truthfully, I can be a bit grouchy sometimes but when I have a belly full of insects I am a happier beardie!

      • This topic was modified 4 years, 9 months ago by lolivera96.
    • #821

      Zoodulcis
      Moderator

      Oscar does look like he has a bit of an attitude.  His expression is a little bit ‘go ahead, make my day’.  How long have you had Oscar the Grouch and was he always this way?

      • #852

        lolivera96
        Participant

        I’ve had Oscar about 4 months.  I believe his original owners gave him up because of his attitude – he bobs his head a lot and black beards a lot.  I’ve been trying to notice patterns to find out any specifics about his personality.  He seems most territorial early in the morning and if I linger too long around his cage.  He just got over a case of pinworms in which he had mellowed out and I new something was wrong!  🙂

    • #857

      Zoodulcis
      Moderator

      Oscar is indeed a grouch!  You might try this trick that I have used with birds of prey that were overly anxious or aggressive during falconry training sessions.  It’s sort of total immersion based stuff.  When you have the time, and not at a time when he is at his most territorial,  sit right beside his enclosure with a good book or Ipad or something to read.  Not a phone or anything requiring vocals on your part.  Pay attention only to your reading, do not make eye contact with him at all.  The idea is to stimulate him into paying attention to you, while not overstimulating him into a threat display.  Eventually, you will become boring to him, which at this stage is exactly what you want.  It will take more than one session, but it works more often than not.  I have seen this sort of habituation technique work for animals from raptors to terrified piglets to baby Ibex goats.  Eventually even the most schizophrenic of raptors would sit calmly on my hand, even on my head, and piglets could not wait to scramble into my lap for a nap.  Oscar may be a tough case, but the odds are good that this technique will soothe him at least a little bit.  I would love to know if you do this and if it makes any difference with him.  Keeps us posted here at the Critter Depot because enquiring minds want to know!

      • #907

        lolivera96
        Participant

        Thank you for the info!  I’ll give anything a try! 🙂

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