I have heard and read that even gliders coming from not so good owners, mills, neglected, older or younger will in time bond with their owner. It will just take longer than other cases. You have to remember, they are social animals and need the socialization to have a healthy life, Different circumstances require different measure, just some longer than others. Some gliders have had owners who have lost interest in them, never hold them anymore, feed them an unhealthy diet, unclean cages, and then are turned over to owners that are patient enough and take the time to give them and they do a full turn around.

I feel this is a TOTAL myth! FALSE!

From experience, I have 2 boys that I got both at 10 wks OOP and one is now 1yr old and the other is 11 months old. My 1 yr. old was a HUGE crabber and very frightened of me for about 2 1/2 months, even with tons of tent time, soft words, treats, you get the picture! My 11 month old is a HUGE pouch grouch! He is very crabby and not so interested in me. (We have been working on this with some help from a thread I read by Bourbon--OMG! He is a totally different glider !)

Now, I rescued a non neutered male back in May and he is about 2 yrs old. Buddy is the most bonded with me and the most outgoing with anyone he contacts. He was depressed and lonely due to the death of his cagemate when I took him in and he was thin, but he jumped at every chance to be with me from day ONE!

So, YES, in my opinion this statement is TOTALLY FALSE!

Thanks!

You also have to remember, each glider has their own individual personality. Some may bond better than others. Some may be more crabber, some may be more cuddlers. I have 2 males. One is more exploratory and independent, not wanting to be cuddled and the other is a total cuddle bug. Each is different and yes they all take time. Sometimes a long time.

I had read/heard about this before getting my gliders, and boy did I dismiss a lot of advertisements for gliders older than 12 weeks. However I'm really happy with the two I have, so I can't complain!

im pretty sure thats a mith. all gliders can be tamed

deff myth, my glider was a year old when i got him.. never handled or played with or anything now a year later hes tame to the point where he lets other people hold him

How many ways can I call this a myth? Well, let's start counting:

Minka & MoJo were BOTH over 12 weeks when I got them...Amos and Mischa...Willy Wonka...Rikki...Blanco...Hunter, Sachi & Little Bear...Karma (maybe)...Makwa...Dobbie & Draeco...and Maximus is the most recent glider to come and live with me. What I want to note here is that THEY WERE ALL ANYWHERE FROM 3 MONTHS TO MULTIPLE !!YEARS!! OF AGE, and they have ALL formed a pretty intense bond to me...and I have formed an equally intense bond to them!

Whoever started this way-out concept that a glider CAN'T bond to you deserves a few good on the noggin! It's a mis-conception, a mis-nomer, and a mis-take!! And ALL of the gliders named above are rehomes/rescues who brought their own emotional "baggage" with them...that they've ALL tossed that baggage in the trash can & forgot about it!

So i read somewhere that their is a "critical bonding period" in the early life of a joey, around 8-10 weeks of age, where he/she will form a stronger bond with whoever handles them than they will at any other time in their lives. My instincts tell me this is false, but its better to err on the side of caution, so...

Fact? Or fiction?


*edit* i found another thread here that answered my question, i'll look harder before posting from now on

I couldn't say if it was true or false. I know that dogs have a critical puppy age for socializing, but can learn to adapt at older ages if not mistreated.

I don't know if it's the same for other animals. I have bonded with dogs, bunnies, a Leopard Gecko, a Bearded Dragon (Rankin's), and now my trio of sugar gliders, which all three of those were over a year old when I homed them, and have developed a bond with both me and my DH. Now, possibly the bonds could be stronger or developed quicker if we had gotten them as joeys, but I am happy with their happiness with us.

Even humans have a "stage" where certain behaviors are more deeply learned, and if not introduced or taught those behaviors they may not be fully developed later when they are introduced. However, this does not mean they can not be developed. And there is an exception to every rule.

Do I beleive in the "critical" stage thinking? yes, but only to a point. As all rules can and will be broken.

Did that help?

I have heard that as well, I have worked with older gliders and teenage gliders before without any problems. It may take longer for them to learn to trust you, but it usually pays off in the end!