The bearded dragon is a lizard that’s native to Australia. It’s known for its colorful and beautiful scales, but what you might not know is that these lizards are also known for their behavioral characteristics.
They can be sweet and affectionate, but they can also be grumpy, stubborn, and downright mean at times. However, one thing all bearded dragon owners agree on is that they’re incredibly clever, so much so that they’ve mastered the art of learning their names.
So how do you teach your bearded dragon its name? You’ll need to understand what makes these lizards tick to make sure you get the results you want from them, and we’ve got all the info you need right here.
Do Bearded Dragons Know Their Owner’s Voices?
Bearded dragons are intelligent and can recognize their owner’s voice. If you’re a bearded dragon owner, you might have noticed that your pet makes an unusual noise when they see or hear you.
The lizard will make a “hissing” sound when it sees its owner, even if it hasn’t seen them in a few days. This is because bearded dragons recognize certain sounds as belonging exclusively to certain people (their owners).
In addition to responding to their owner’s voice, bearded dragons will learn their name if you repeat it often enough while talking to them.
How Do You Teach a Bearded Dragon Its Name?
Bearded dragons are social animals that need plenty of attention from their owners. Teaching your bearded dragon its name is essential for bonding with your pet and ensuring that it is happy in its new home.
Here’s how you can teach your bearded dragon to recognize its name:
Step 1: Call Your Beardie With Its Name
First, you will need to call out your bearded dragon’s name when they are out in the open, not hiding or sleeping. For example, if your bearded dragon’s name is Frank, you can say “Frank!” while they are walking around the tank or even while they are eating.
Step 2: Reward Your Pet With Food
You should use food as a reward when training your bearded dragon, but not just any kind of food. It needs to be something special that they love, like crickets or mealworms (crickets are especially good).
When they do what you want them to do, reward them with this special treat right away.
Step 3: Use the Name Often
The more often you use a word, the easier it is for your pet to learn it. So make sure that you’re always saying their name when they’re around so that they can hear it and learn it easily.
Step 4: Show Patience
Teaching your bearded dragon its name is a process that requires patience and consistency. Once you find the right way for your lizard to learn, stick with it until he knows his new name.
If you change how often you say his name, he may become confused and not learn his new name at all.
Step 5: If Nothing Works, Use a Clicker
If your bearded dragon doesn’t respond to your voice commands, try using a clicker. A clicker is a small device that makes a clicking sound when you press its button. It’s used to teach animals to perform specific behaviors by rewarding them with treats or attention when they do what you want.
How Do You Read a Bearded Dragon’s Body Language?
If you want to know what your bearded dragon is thinking, you need to be able to read his body language.
Bearded dragons are very expressive animals and will often use their body language to communicate with their owners. They can also use this body language as a warning sign if they feel threatened or scared.
Reading your bearded dragon’s body language will help you understand what your bearded dragon is trying to tell you, and that will also help your beardie feel more comfortable in his environment.
A study suggested 73 different behavioral patterns in bearded dragons based on external stimuli and other variables.
Here are some examples of bearded dragon body language so that you can spot it and understand what it means:
Waving
This is one of the most common ways for beardies to signal their happiness. They will usually wave their front legs in the air when greeting their owners or another bearded dragon, so look out for this behavior.
Basking
Bearded dragons often bask in the morning and late afternoon.
They usually lie on their backs with their legs stretched out, but they can also sit upright or even climb onto branches.
This is one of the most common ways that they show happiness and contentment.
Head Bobbing
Head bobbing is a behavior where the bearded dragon moves its head up and down quickly. Head bobbing can have different meanings depending on the context in which it occurs.
For example, if your bearded dragon is head bobbing at you, this means that they are happy to see you. On the other hand, if your bearded dragon is head bobbing at another bearded dragon, this might mean that they want companionship from them.
Eye Bulging
Beardies have several different ways of communicating their feelings. One way they do this is by bulging their eyes. When your bearded dragon is scared or nervous, its eyes will bulge outwards.
This is a natural reaction that helps them see better in low-light conditions. However, if your bearded dragon has high blood pressure or is about to shed its skin, its eyes will also bulge outwards as part of these processes.
Tongue Flipping
This behavior shows that your bearded dragon is interested in something in its environment. It may be food or another animal (including people). Your lizard might flick its tongue several times before going closer to investigate whatever caught its attention.
If your bearded dragon has plenty of space in its cage or enclosure, allow it to explore new areas by removing obstacles such as branches or rocks so that nothing blocks the way from one part of its habitat to another.
Tail Wagging
It’s seen during hunting when they’re sneaking up on prey, but it can also be seen when they’re feeling particularly happy or affectionate with their owners.
Closing Thoughts
So there you go! All the secrets to teaching your bearded dragon its name. It’s not that hard, and it’s a great opportunity for you to get to know your pet even better. Your bearded dragon will quickly learn what its name means, and you’ll feel like you’ve made an incredible connection with them.
You’ll have a pet that’s loyal, affectionate, and so friendly that it’ll be the envy of all your friends. So what are you waiting for? Get out there and start training your beardie today!
