how to tame the untamable?

[lanalizard]

i have a female dragon who is about 4 months old...maybe a bit more..i got her from someone who rescued her..she had a broken arm and broken rib and her sister had 3 legs but i gave her to a friend.....now, she is not friendly, hates to be touched...she was bitten and stuff by a big dragon when she was a baby at someone else's house and now i cant seem to tame her..help please?

[eyespy]

That's a tough one after all this poor girl has been through. It might take some time to get her to trust humans after all the suffering she's experienced in her short life.

Handfeeding is one good way to start. If she becomes afraid and starts gaping, pop something delicious in her open mouth! Some greens, a tiny piece of fruit, a baby spoon full of baby food, etc. Go very slow and easy, always speak before reaching into her cage. Never allow her to be startled by motion or sudden loud noises when she is about to be handled.

Make sure not to approach her from above. Bearded dragons have that parietal eye on top of their heads to sense hawks and eagles swooping down on them, and motion from above means "predator" to beardies. Always try to gently scoop her up underneath her chest and support all 4 legs. They don't much like dangling.

NEVER put her down just because she tries to or actually does bite or you will teach her that aggression will get her what she wants. Hold her for a few minutes longer and put her down at your will and not hers. But only hold her for minutes at a time so she doesn't build up too much stress all at once. Pet her in her cage when you are walking by, or handfeed her while in there. Don't let her associate human hands with always being handled. Sometimes a hand should mean cuddles or food without the stress of being picked up.

Hope this helps!