I would use a towel to kind of cover my pastels head and then reach from behind to pick him up when I first got him. He was pretty scared and was striking at everything around him. I would gradually stop with the towel and increase the handling time. I stopped the towel thing after about three days and then by the end of the week I was handling him about an hour at a time. Another technique I use is every time I put my hand in his tub for whatever reason, i.e changing water, picking him up, putting items that he moved back in their place, I use hand sanitizer to associate that smell with me. The only time I don't use sanitizer is on feeding day and that day I don't mess with him at all. He is VERY calm now and tolerates me touching him with no problems.
Also, like what was mentioned before, even if your BP strikes or whatever you should continue on with handling instead of just closing the enclosure and leaving it alone.
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