A note about my previous question on handling

mcmitch92

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These are my thoughts on handling: I mainly want to handle a spider to overcome my fear I've held a chilian rose before so I'm confident I wouldn't freak and drop it.however from what I've now learned it's not great for the T and they don't get tame they just learn to tolerate handling and I guess eventually any spider will get annoyed with it, I've heard there was a book with a few pages about handling if I ever do decide to handle fang I don't think I will go poking it to make it move as this also stresses them out so I'd probably put my hand in the tank only to change water and maybe just keep my hand still if it's near but not too close to try get it used to me I would keep fair distance so I didn't scare it. who knows maybe one day it will approach me of it's own free will if it bites ( you could all say told you so OP) I'd have to hold still to not hurt it which with the pain could be fairly difficult and this is not fair on fang if I accidentally injure it Ive taken into account everyones advice and I am seriously re thinking this for now as I'm completely new to spider keeping 🙏
 

DomGom TheFather

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don't handle or attempt to handle.
Do all maintenance with tongs and keep your fingers away.
They don't learn the way you are talking about and the risk to your spider isn't worth the thrill you're looking for.
 

Tarantulafeets

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I would seriously not recommend handling, but we can't stop you. Seeing as Fang is a brachypelma sp, BEWARE OF THE HAIRS.
 

mcmitch92

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Yea I hear they are not like cat or a dog they don't bond this is what puts me off so much it's just not natural
 

DomGom TheFather

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The most they can do is associate you opening the enclosure as a dinner bell or threat.
Keep your hands to yourself.
Spiders don't want them.
 

mcmitch92

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The most they can do is associate you opening the enclosure as a dinner bell or threat.
Keep your hands to yourself.
Spiders don't want them.
Yea I did think that lol the spider will be like lids open food and then chomp my hand possibly multiple times
 

DomGom TheFather

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Yea I did think that lol the spider will be like lids open food and then chomp my hand possibly multiple times
Or crawl calmly onto it where it then takes a tumble and the next thing you know, your asking about corn starch. It benefits everyone involved to just not take the risk.
 

basin79

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1) Don't handle a tarantula.
2) They DON'T learn to tolerate handling.
3) Don't handle a tarantula.

It's such a shame that the fact that having an amazing massive spider as a pet isn't enough for many.

Curiosity killed the cat.
Selfishness killed the tarantula.
 

mcmitch92

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Or crawl calmly onto it where it then takes a tumble and the next thing you know, your asking about corn starch. It benefits everyone involved to just not take the risk.
I've already seen multiple people on different site with that exact issue talking about putting corn starch on an injured T 😢
 

KeGathings17

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I've already seen multiple people on different site with that exact issue talking about putting corn starch on an injured T 😢
Well learn from their mistakes, trust me, tarantulas are just cool whether you can or can't handle them, and once you've actually handled one, you'll realize how boring they are because they just sit there (or bolt and die/bite) they are way more interesting to own and observe than to handle. That's what my herps are for. Get a corn or king snake, they are perfect pets, easy to take care, and will tolerate handling much more so than a t, although they may be a bit nippy. Also if you truly want to handle a spider, go catch a wild one, so long as it isn't latrodectus or loxoceles, you'll learn what it's like, just smaller.
 

BoyFromLA

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You do not have to handle a tarantula to overcome arachnophobia.

For you do not have to pilot an airplane to overcome acrophobia.
 

cold blood

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When I started out I was arachnophobic....now I have room full, breed them and am completely comfortable...and I never held one intentionally. You absolutely do not need to hold a t to get over a phobia, that is just a want.

Zookeepers don't get comfortable working with dangerous or escape prone animals through physical contact.....my point is that you can easily get over your phobia without handling...observation is more important IME.
 

mcmitch92

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When I started out I was arachnophobic....now I have room full, breed them and am completely comfortable...and I never held one intentionally. You absolutely do not need to hold a t to get over a phobia, that is just a want.

Zookeepers don't get comfortable working with dangerous or escape prone animals through physical contact.....my point is that you can easily get over your phobia without handling...observation is more important IME.
Yea true you don't see zookeepers stroking lions to overcome the fear 🤣

Well learn from their mistakes, trust me, tarantulas are just cool whether you can or can't handle them, and once you've actually handled one, you'll realize how boring they are because they just sit there (or bolt and die/bite) they are way more interesting to own and observe than to handle. That's what my herps are for. Get a corn or king snake, they are perfect pets, easy to take care, and will tolerate handling much more so than a t, although they may be a bit nippy. Also if you truly want to handle a spider, go catch a wild one, so long as it isn't latrodectus or loxoceles, you'll learn what it's like, just smaller.
That's my main fear really is the tarantula bolting n getting lost or spider dying I'd be mortified my friend has 2 of these blue and yellow Ts I don't remember the proper name but he nicknamed them the P Metallica I think he said if I'm not mistaken it's the one known as teleport spider and I think he said he either left the lid open temporarily or he accidentally left it open over night when he came back to it it was gone it was pretty big and he never found it 😢 they were a pretty mean spider he ended up getting another one but they were mega aggressive
 

Poonjab

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Yea true you don't see zookeepers stroking lions to overcome the fear 🤣


That's my main fear really is the tarantula bolting n getting lost or spider dying I'd be mortified my friend has 2 of these blue and yellow Ts I don't remember the proper name but he nicknamed them the P Metallica I think he said if I'm not mistaken it's the one known as teleport spider and I think he said he either left the lid open temporarily or he accidentally left it open over night when he came back to it it was gone it was pretty big and he never found it 😢 they were a pretty mean spider he ended up getting another one but they were mega aggressive
Too bad it never came back and tagged him in his sleep. That would’ve taught him to leave the lid off.
 

kingshockey

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These are my thoughts on handling: I mainly want to handle a spider to overcome my fear I've held a chilian rose before so I'm confident I wouldn't freak and drop it.however from what I've now learned it's not great for the T and they don't get tame they just learn to tolerate handling and I guess eventually any spider will get annoyed with it, I've heard there was a book with a few pages about handling if I ever do decide to handle fang I don't think I will go poking it to make it move as this also stresses them out so I'd probably put my hand in the tank only to change water and maybe just keep my hand still if it's near but not too close to try get it used to me I would keep fair distance so I didn't scare it. who knows maybe one day it will approach me of it's own free will if it bites ( you could all say told you so OP) I'd have to hold still to not hurt it which with the pain could be fairly difficult and this is not fair on fang if I accidentally injure it Ive taken into account everyones advice and I am seriously re thinking this for now as I'm completely new to spider keeping 🙏
cop-out excuse to handle in my opinion you already bought a t wouldnt that suggest your already over your fear in lots of ways?your gonna be putting your hands in to grab water bowl to clean/give water to it your confident you wont freak out yet you have no way possible to predict when or if your t will decide to freak out if or when its fight or flight response gets triggered.meaning run(off your hand, arm falling to possible death)or defend bite again possible fall or flung to the ground by your hand in response(hoping its hairs since i assume you wont notice until its safe back into its cage
 

mcmitch92

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cop-out excuse to handle in my opinion you already bought a t wouldnt that suggest your already over your fear in lots of ways?your gonna be putting your hands in to grab water bowl to clean/give water to it your confident you wont freak out yet you have no way possible to predict when or if your t will decide to freak out if or when its fight or flight response gets triggered.meaning run(off your hand, arm falling to possible death)or defend bite again possible fall or flung to the ground by your hand in response(hoping its hairs since i assume you wont notice until its safe back into its cage
Yea that's true I am already over it in a big way I can put my hand in the tank but I gaurantee when it's big I'll debate using the tongs 🤣 but thats my main reason to buy one to overcome my fear holding it would just be my way of saying screw you to phobia but like we've all discussed is it really even worth the risk of my new lil friends life? Probably not
 
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