aggression in bearded dragon

Question
My beardie is  4or 5 years old.  Had it since a baby.  Always friendly and handled.  Suddenly it has become aggressive, puffing, jumping at my hand, mouth open as soon as I approach it's home.  Two weeks ago he was fine and I was picking him up with no problem.  What is going on??  How can I stop it?
thanks

Answer
Hi Sandi,
When there is an attitude change such as your beardie has, I always recommend a vet check up to see if something is going on. Reptiles can't tell you if something hurts or if they don't feel well so they express illness through acting differently.
Other causes can of course be breeding season issues...
Try allowing him more free time outside his cage to exercise, etc.  If needed, do wear a glove to pick him up so you don't get bit.  If it is breeding season behavior or just acting like he decided he wants to be boss, you have to continue to just pick him up, etc so he knows that you are still the boss.  Do be careful though as they can  jump pretty high and you don't want him to get a bite on your face.
Also, has something changed in your home?  Christmas decorations?  Colors?? Or something with you?  New perfume? Hair color? Hair style? Glasses?  All these things can also set them off.
If he is in view of any Christmas lights, I suggest moving him or making it so he can't see them if they are blinking or motion lights. Both of these types of lights can cause seizures in reptiles.