I have seen new bearded dragon keepers wanting to let their beardies roam freely inside the house. Well, the intention is good and it might be good for the bearded dragon too. However, is it something you should do? Should you let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house?
You can let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house only under direct supervision the whole time. Never let your bearded dragon out of the enclosure without supervision, especially if there are other pets or children inside the house.
I know my answer can get confusing for some. So, let me explain my answer throughout the rest of the article.
The answer I have given earlier is not my personal thought only. I have conducted social polls and got answers from hundreds of bearded dragon owners. All of them shared their thought on this particular matter. In this section, I’ll talk about the polls I conducted and what results I got.
‘Do you let your bearded dragon freely roam inside the house?’ I asked this particular question on two major bearded dragon Facebook groups. In both groups, the poll received huge responses and we’ll take a look at the results from both of the polls.
Poll 1:
As you can see from the screenshot above, the first poll got nearly 300 votes on ‘you can let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house only under supervision.’
Also, nearly a similar number of people discouraged letting bearded dragons get out of the enclosure to roam freely.
Poll 2:
Here’s the result from the second poll taken from the second group. In this poll, we can see that nearly 350 bearded dragon owners voted NO.
Around 150 voted YES and 110 voted DEPENDS ON WHERE which is just saying under supervision.
Result Analysis
As we have seen results from both of the polls, it’s time to analyze them.
It is mostly discouraged to let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house. There are many mishaps that can occur to the dragon if it roams without any supervision.
Now, you can let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house only if you can guarantee 100% supervision the whole time. But practically speaking, ensuring 100% supervision is tough especially if you have kids in the house.
Also, if there are other pets like cats or dogs, your bearded dragon will be in real life-hazardous risk. So, it is just better not to let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house.
Why You Shouldn’t Let Your Bearded Dragon Freely Roam?
1. Can sprint away chasing a fly or something
Bearded dragons are very curious animals and they can easily get intrigued seeing a fruit fly or any other insect. In most cases, the bearded dragon will try to chase the fly and get out of your sight.
Even without the presence of a fly, the dragon can sprint away from you and hide under a corner or get under the cabinet. As they are small in size and can’t scream like a cat or dog, it will be a real problem to find your bearded dragon if it gets lost.
2. Not safe among other cats and dogs
If there are other pets in the house like a cat or a dog, your bearded dragon can easily get preyed on, killed, or injured. I have heard countless stories from owners that their bearded dragon got injured or preyed on by a cat or dog.
Cats have a natural hunting instinct and if it sees a large lizard lying around, 9 out of 10 times the cat will jump on it. The same can happen for a dog.
So, unless you want your bearded dragon to be crushed over by a cat or dog, don’t let it out of the enclosure without your supervision even for a second.
3. Not safe around kids
Kids are always very curious. Kids and bearded dragons both are unsafe around each other. Reptiles including bearded dragons can carry a bacteria called Salmonella. Salmonella is the carrier of a severe disease that can transmit to humans from reptiles.
Now, there is no need to worry about salmonella if you follow some basic hygiene rules like washing your hands with soap before and after handling the bearded dragon, not sticking your tongue on the bearded dragon’s head or kissing it, etc.
But, a kid won’t understand these rules. He or she can easily kiss the bearded dragon which is extremely hazardous. On the other hand, the bearded dragon itself is not safe around the kid. The kid can crush the dragon without even realizing it.
Overall, letting your bearded roam freely inside the house in the presence of a kid is a BIG NO-NO for both of their sake.
Scenarios When You Can Let Your Bearded Dragon Out Of The Cage
Now, I have already told you that it is not recommended to let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house because supervising it 100% of the time is not practical. However, there are some cases where you can actually let your bearded dragon out of the cage.
Let’s discuss these cases:
1. In a closed room
I have told you it is not practical to supervise your bearded dragon all of the time when you are letting it roam freely inside the whole house. But, what if you are limiting the access to only a room? Well, that can happen.
When you are limiting the access of the bearded dragon only to a single room (preferably a small one), there are much fewer chances of accidents, injury, or any other mishaps. Just make sure cat, dog, or your children can’t get inside the room when the beardie is out of the cage.
I would also recommend you to be inside the room when the beardie is out of the cage to prevent any kind of mishaps.
2. On your bed
This is my most favorite way to enjoy quality time with the bearded dragon. Whenever you are chilling on your bed watching a movie or reading a book, just let your dragon sit on your lap or shoulder. Limit the access only to your bed. This is the most secure way to enjoy your bearded dragon’s company.
I would recommend doing this only when the bearded dragon knows you and is accustomed to your presence. Don’t do this with a new bearded dragon as it might get scared by your presence and get stressed out.
3. Walk it around with a leash
This is another way to let your bearded dragon out of the cage with supervision. I have seen many bearded dragon owners attaching a leash around the dragon’s neck and walking it just like a cat or dog. Granted you shouldn’t walk it as long as you would a dog, but it can be a creative way to pass time with your bearded dragon.
Final Words
So, this is my take on whether you should let your bearded dragon roam freely inside the house. The answer is mostly no, only yes if you can ensure 100% supervision all of the time.
But let’s be practical, it is not possible to be super attentive to the dragon when there are kids or other pets in the house. So, if you ask me, I would recommend limiting the space to only a single room or your bed where the bearded dragon can roam freely for a short period of time, under your supervision.
