It’s okay for a bearded dragon to feel stress.
Any number of things can go wrong in their daily lives—Recently updated their enclosure? Stress. Too hot? Stress. Mating season? Stress. Oh, they caught a glimpse of their own reflection? MAJOR stress.
In any case, humans have unlimited resources to manage stress. Our pets are completely at our mercy and only have access to what we give them, so let’s give them the best!
This post may have affiliate links, which means I may receive commissions if you choose to purchase through links I provide (at no extra cost to you). Thank you for supporting the work I put into this site!
Bathe the Stress Away
This is the easiest and most common way to calm stress. There’s nothing a warm soak can’t cure for my boys.
Add some rocks or décor to act as anchors that’ll make them feel safe. You can even gently brush them with a toothbrush behind the ear holes if they’re feeling upset.
I generally soak my boys in the tub anywhere from 10-20 minutes. They’re typically pretty stationary but they do “swim” and they porcelain surf when they want out.
Bath time also functions as a way to separate my boys. When Grimm is in the tub, Norman gets to free-roam and vice-versa.
The Legendary Window
World-watching is a common hobby for bearded dragons.
They’re just enjoying the view but it is a sad commentary on the ills of captivity.
My suburban area gets a ton of traffic coming through—from passersby, drivers, and diverse wildlife. My boys are the nosy neighbors who see everything. I often wonder what secret things they don’t even know they’ve seen.
All this to say, if your bearded dragon is glass-surfing and you think it’s because they’re feeling trapped, try setting them up by a window that gets some traffic so that they experience the world outside and the illusion of open space.
I suggest putting down a towel or small throw pillow so they can relax, but also so they can feel secure if a predator swoops by.
If the weather is cold, I use a dome lamp fixture with a detachable clamp so that they can stay warm by the window.
Auditory and Visual Stimulation
Singing is a free and easy way to interact with pets who are experiencing stress.
Depending on the trigger, playing soft music for my bearded dragons can calm their stress. I keep the volume low, I’m not trying to blow out their cute little ear holes.
When I have to leave the house I arrange the environment in such a way to keep my pets safe and happy. I manage stress for ALL of my pets by playing nature videos when I go out.
Having a nature scene play on a 55-inch screen is typically enough to keep them calm and prevent them from glass-surfing or tearing up their enclosures from lack of visual stimulation.
Walk Off the Stress
If you observe signs of stress in your bearded dragon, and it seems like they feel trapped, then maybe a little walk around the yard (with a harness on) will help!
Quick disclaimer, this doesn’t actually calm ALL bearded dragons—Norman gets even more stressed when he’s outdoors because he wasn’t socialized by his previous owners (I’m working on changing that) so being outdoors generally makes him feel uneasy.
Grimm, on the other hand, thrives under the warmth of the sun. Being outside makes him happy (a rare sight). If he seems troubled, I know that taking him on a quick walk will calm him down. The next time your dragon is glass-surfing, give them a walk and let me know if it calmed them down in the comments!
Free-Roaming
Grimm often feels trapped when he’s in his enclosure. Curiously, letting him roam free doesn’t necessarily make things better. He’s out of his enclosure from morning to night, but being “free” indoors just makes him realize how trapped he really is. For this reason, he sits by the window all day long and it gives him a larger “worldview” than he gets from wandering about. I don’t know how many times I can say he’s meant to be a wild dragon, but it’s true.
So, this one is all about Norman, the nomad.
When he’s good and ready, I let him poop in the tub and then I release the little monster. He knows where he’s not supposed to go and he goes there anyway.
Norman has fun wandering around unfettered by walls of glass. This will almost always relieve his stress because he wants to explore new lands and maybe your beardie does too. Try it out!
Make a Dig Box
Dig boxes are generally meant for female bearded dragons to lay their eggs in. This one is not, this is for fun. Because Grimm is so fussy, putting a dig box in his enclosure is another thing I’ve done that just irritated him.
Norman on the other hand would kill me in my sleep if I ever took his dig box away. It calms him down just like a bath calms Grimm down. He spends so much time in his dig box that I can’t stop myself from talking about how great they are.
I don’t want to beat this one to death, so read about how I made Norman’s dig box here.
So, these are the various methods that have worked for me in bringing peace to my boys.
Did you find this article useful? Let me know by leaving a comment below or follow us on Instagram.