Bearded dragons have different behaviors. Some are a little more aggressive than others. Some are docile and can accept being handled more than others. One thing, however, is the fact that it is pretty important to potty train them all.
I am pretty sure you wouldn’t want your bearded dragon pissing around the house or leaving its waste just anywhere in the house. It becomes even more frustrating when you have to stomach the smell as you clean the waste.
This is why potty training your bearded dragon is important. Let me put you through the steps you should take if you will like to potty train your breaded dragon.
What Do I Need To Potty Train a Bearded Dragon?
When it comes to training your beard dragon, there are a couple of things you will need. Below is a list of things you will need.
Step 1: Comprehend the Habit of your Bearded Dragon
This is the first thing you need to get yourself acquainted with when it comes to training a bearded dragon. You need to take your time to understand the habit of your bearded dragon as they differ in habit and behavior.
Most bearded dragons have a specific place they sleep. They also have a specific place where they eat and the time of the day they usually eat. All these behavioral patterns are things you need to understand when it comes to training your bearded dragon. By understanding this behavior, you will have an idea of where you should place the potty.
Step 2: Put your Bearded Dragon on a Schedule
This is another thing you need when it comes to training your bearded dragon. You need to put your bearded dragon on a schedule. One thing you should know about these pets is the fact that they usually act based on the schedule of the day. You should create time to expose your dragon to 12 hours of sunlight and 12 hours of dusk or darkness.
It is based on this cycle that you should provide food for your pet. You can give it food during the sunlight cycle. You shouldn’t care too much about the fact that it doesn’t eat the food immediately. It might be that the pet is basking in the sun. it will eat the food eventually.
Step 3: Confirm the Time the Dragon Likes to Poop
The moment you have done the previous two, the next thing you need to do is confirm the time the bearded dragon likes to poop. You will find this very important when you want to train the bearded dragon.
If you give the dragon food every day based on routine, your dragon will get used to pooping every day based on the routine. All you need to do is to check the time and you are good or set to go.
You do not have to worry too much if your dragon doesn’t poop for a day, this happens occasionally. Your dragon will eventually poop. Simply confirm the time its poops at least 3 to 5 times.
Step 4: Know where your Dragon Likes to Poop
While this might be the last thing, it is just as important as the other ones listed above. You need to take your time to confirm where your pet likes to poop. You should know that these pets are relatively clean, they do not poop in the same place they sleep. They also do not come back to a particular place to poop if the place is dirty.
You need to confirm where it poops and ensure you clean up the stop if you want it to come back there. The moment you clean it, there is an increased chance of the bearded dragon returning there the next day. It becomes a routine for the dragon the moment it does this at least 3 to 5 times.
How To Potty Train a Bearded Dragon?
While potty training a bearded dragon might not be an easy task as it requires patience, it is still a task that is very possible. Two main methods work when it comes to potty training your bearded dragon. Below is a list of the two methods.
Method 1: Training Them to Poop in a Certain Place on a Liter Box
When it comes to using a litterbox to potty train your bearded dragon, you should know that there are several steps involved. These steps can be a little complicated for your bearded dragon. However, with time, your bearded dragon will get used to it as long as you turn it into a routine.
The moment you are familiar with your favorite pooping spot, you should get a towel paper and place it on the pooping spot. It might take a while but your beardie will start pooping on it eventually.
Once your beardie starts pooping on it, you can change the paper and put a new one. Then add some sand each time your beardie is done pooping on the paper. After a while, your beardie will get used to the litterbox and the substrate.
Once it has gotten used to this, you can add or move the litterbox into the enclosure of its cage. Your bearded dragon will poop in the litterbox as long as there is a distance between it and where it sleeps.
This method takes a lot of time but it is one method that always works.
Method 2: The Bath Method
This is another method you can use if you want to potty train your bearded dragon. You can always use the bathing method. You should know that pets like these love to poop in an enclosure. However, you need to take your time to find out the exact time your pet likes to poop.
It is possible to find out the time as bearded dragons do things on routine. Once you fit out the time, you can take advantage of it and bathe it during that time. Make sure you use warm water. Most of these bearded dragons love warm water. They often tend to drink or even defecate inside the war water as the water helps their body to relax.
The moment they defecate, you can drain the water and put the dragon back in the cage. You will need to always use this method whenever your pet wants to defecate. The good thing about this method is the fact that you don’t have to clean the cage every day.
How Often Should an Adult Bearded Dragon Poop?
This is one question a lot of people tend to have when it comes to bearded dragons. You should know that the number of times an adult bearded dragon poops largely depends on several things such as the diet and the amount of UV light it is exposed to. If it has a diet of silkworms and other proteins, your dragon should poop once a day.
On the other hand, if your dragon feeds on mainly insects and crickets, with less UV light, your dragon should poop around 3 to 4 times a week.
Conclusion
Training your bearded dragon requires a lot of patience. There are a lot of things you need to consider when it comes to training your bearded dragon, and a few of those things have been discussed in this article.
There are two methods you can use to potty train your beard dragons. All these methods and more have been addressed above.
