Hands-on handling, positive and negative experience question

[formica]

So i've been following the hands-off method since getting my Sav, he'll happily perch on my arm and accept food, but still whips, and has even had a few goes at biting me recently, if I make the slightest movement, so I'm thinking about changing tactics - mainly because, if anything, he has become less trusting of me. for the first few weeks, I was able to pick him up when needed, without much fuss, the less i interacted with him, the less willing he seemed to be to put up with this, the last time i picked him up, having emlpoyed the hands off method for a while, I got a hand full of poop, its been a good few months since I tried anything beyond holding my arm out for him to climb and eat off

before people jump on me, I am fully aware of all the reasons behind the hands off method, its why I decieded to follow the method, we dont need to go over all that.

Changing tactic isnt something I am going to do today, tomorrow or even next month, its something I want to look into a little more - it seems that although not recommended by some, with reasonable assumptions to back it up, it certainly does give good results for some people - lets leave aside the issue of low basking tempretures, because for my Sav that will never been a concern.

The reason I am thinking about this, is because either it will work, and I'll end up with a Sav who will tolerate handling allot better, or it wont work, and we'll have the same relationship we have anyway, so I think its worth a shot, before he/she gets to big to even contemplate it.


So i'd love to hear peoples experiences using the hands-on method, as is used for other reptiles with great success - have you found it helped, or did it make your Sav less trusting? what was your method, how long did you try it for, and any other info you think might be of relevance, feel free to comment!




( Those with strong opinions on why this should not be done, please try to refrain from bashing people over their practices, both sides of the discussion are just as valid as the other, we should not try suppress the experiences of other people because they do not support our own opinions

I am inclined to believe that hands on can work for some Savs, just as it works for many snakes, and equally, for some snakes it will never work, polarizing the discussion wont really produce anything useful )