Friend said I made a big mistake

[stlsteelersfan]

with my 3 month albino ball. He has had boas and balls since I knew him in 6th grade so over 2o years.
About the striking while trying to handle problem.
As the handling goes, he told me to try handling him 10-15 mins at first to start with every day. After start eating , he has had 2 meals no problems. If he hisses or strikes, he does both a whole lot, to wait a few minutes after being struck before returning him to his tank. I keep putting him right back into the tank right after the strike since also happens while trying to get him out. It sounds like he is saying I am letting snake win. He told me this reaction will teach him that acting tough will get him what he wants. He told me to hold him a few minutes after last strike and that he will get tired and stop striking and then I should put him back and try again tomorrow that this will teach him that acting tough hissing and striking will not get him what he wants. He is like I know this might freak you out a little I told him the bite does not hurt I just do not want to hurt snake or make him mean, the Albino is beautiful and I want to be able to have him out a lot. Said well then this is only way of getting him stop doing it and teach him to realize you're not a threat.
Does this make sense or is my friend full of hot air??

[AkHerps]

Well, I don't know about snakes, but when my beardie was a little cranky baby, I wouldn't put him back if he was being a brat, I would just shove some collard greens in his mouth every time he opened his mouth at me. I know he was scared, because we're huge, they probably think we are going to eat th. emI would hold him until he calmed down and wasn't so crazy, then put him back.

Your snake is freaking out because he is scared. Try holding him how he is comfortable, just let him sit on your lap, or explore a bed. Try not to do any fast movement towards his face. If he does strike, just wait until he calms down a little, then you can put him back, but don't keep holding him for a long time if he is constantly striking or acting really scared. He will realize you won't eat him after he doesn't get eaten

[mpkeelee]

if he bites and you put him away then u r letting him get what he wants so he will learn that being tough will help him get what he wants. just keep holding him for a lil each day, even if he bites or hisses.

[wolfy-hound]

Your friend is more or less right.

Your snake doesn't think to himself "Hey, I bit at the guy and he put me back in my home, so if I do that, he'll leave me alone." But it IS operant conditioning, that if he strikes, he ends up back where he is comfy, so he will learn to strike when he's nervous, because he ends up in the non-nervous-making place(i.e. his tank).

Make sure that when you are handling, that you are supporting his weight, not dangling him by one spot on his body. No quick movements, and if he acts stressed, you can calmly return him to the enclosure, just not right after he's struck. When he's been handled enough times, normally a snake will realize that nothing bad happens when he's being held, so they calm down about it. Some snakes do stay very nervous, but it's rare, so there's a good chance that he'll settle down.

Babies are way worse about being keyed up over things than older snakes. The smaller the snake, the more creatures can/will eat them, so it makes sense for the survival of the species for babies to be overly paranoid about larger creatures wanting to eat them. Be patient and I'm sure he'll come around.

[ice#1]

i say hold him a lil longer after he tries to bite if you put him down every time he bites he will learn to bite if he wants down as thats what your more or less doing.

old trick use to use was put a piece of clothing in his cage like a shirt you dont care about. wear it for a few hours to most of the day so it gets your scent on it. then put it in his cage he will get use to your scent. but now a days allot more is known that doing stuff like that could bring something harmful into your pets cage. if you just wear the clothing around the house and wont have dogs, cats or stuff like that climb on you it might be OK to do it like that so it gets use to your scent. thay way even when you aint holding him he smells you all the time so might help tame him down to at least getting use to your scent. i myself now a days just take the hit aint like it hurts from a baby now a adult would be a Lil different story.

a question how long did you have your baby before you started handling him i myself prefer a month to let them settle in and get use to me reaching in there cage here and there other then that i don't check in on them or anything just let them be to get use to there new surroundings (now my baby green tree pythons when i got them i was checking on them what seemed like every 5 minutes way the wrong thing to do with a green tree python stresses them out really bad) so i can understand wanting to check to make sure the new babies are OK (even more so when they cost a pay check per snake or more) but like my biggest green i finally let them be for a time being and they quite trying to strike me when ever they saw me (i recently had to hold both and didn't get bitten and thats saying allot if you would of saw how they acted when i first got them and there first 2 to 3 months with me both are always ready to eat and most movement sends them after it. other then my hand lately. I'd say this last month or so they aint struck at me even once)