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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Jett250" data-source="post: 206374" data-attributes="member: 37998">As a new T owner I've debated the hold-or-not-hold craziness in my head over and over again.  I love spiders, and I hold them at work all the time when they give me an opportunity to.  However, I give THEM the option to come to me or not, and if they don't, I leave them be. I've decided to use this with my B. Smithi as well  (when he gets big enough to hold at all). As a sling, I make sure that my hands are in the enclosure often, watering, feeding, tank clean up, etc... but I don't touch him. Hopefully that will teach him young that I am not a threat. When he's big enough I would LIKE to hold him a few times, if he seems okay with it... simply because I'd like him to know it's okay if I should ever have to for an emergency situation, like an escape or medical situation. But other than that, he will be observed and not held. Not because I'm afraid of a bite, but simply because if he doesn't LIKE to be held, I won't make it a thing.  Not fair to him.  I also rescued a jumper from the clutches of my arachniphobia filled family, and I feel like he will eventually be acceptable to holding, so when I get the urge I will just satiate it by holding a spooder that doesn't mind the play time lol</blockquote>