Some Chinese water dragons are not very easy to handle. Unlike their calmer mates, aggressive water dragons are nothing less than a rolling tornado in your hands. Don’t be surprised if you are treated with violent alligator rolls or slight tail whips when you try to handle an aggressive dragon.
Female dragons are more obedient compared to males. If you have a male dragon, you really to understand that the training sessions are not going to be easy. Male dragons whip their tails and twist their body to get free. They have sharper claws and strong legs so your pet can be all around the room and under your furniture if it tries to run away from you.
If your pet is not very obedient and wants to be dominant, it is better you spend more time with your pet. Your pet will then slowly trust you and become less frustrated the next time you try to hold it. If you attempt to hold your “not so friendly” water dragon, you should gently place your hand in front of your pet.
Remember your hand should never create shadows over the dragon’s head as it can make the dragon more hostile. Overhead shadows trigger the famous flight response which makes calm interactions less likely. You should slowly move your hand closer and pat the dragon gently.
Once you get familiar, your pet should be eager to climb your hand. You can then attempt to take it out of the enclosure. It may take a couple of months for aggressive dragons to get trained and calm down. Remember that during the first few weeks of entering your home, your pet may not eat much. It may run away from you or even attempt to bite if you try to pick it up.
If you need to restrain your pet, you should never try to squeeze and calm your pet down. This can even cause your pet to get injured. You should use your index finger and thumb to hold your pet’s arm gently and place in back in the enclosure.
You should never hold your dragon upside down. If your pet remains lying flat on its back for a long period of time, it can get suffocated. It is not a good sight to see your pet gasping for fresh air. If you need to hold your pet in your hands, make sure it is willing to play with you.
