Are tarantulas docile tenderhearts or are they voracious sociopaths to have as pets?

Tarantulas are perhaps the more docile of spiders, a few can be quick and unpredictable though.

This make them the most popular pet spiders, with their large size and striking colors.

They do make great pets, but should be thought of as display pets like exotic fish.

They are predatory arthropods that feed mainly on large insects, and lacking intelligence, are not the cuddly animals you might think. They can be freely handled, but not affectionate or emotional.

For a pet, they are clean, quiet, inexpensive, and require very little care.

Their long life makes them a bit of a long term responsibility, so consider before getting one.

Here is a good site with some basics for novice keepers:

http://www.tarantulas.com/choosing.html

A number of common spiders are often kept for pets, those little jumping spiders top the list, with giant house spiders and southern house spiders, and fascinating animals for pets. It provides a perfect foundation for learning about the amazing world of spiders.

I might only suggest reading care sheets and keeping need for various spiders:

http://boyslife.org/hobbies-projects/funstuff/1282...

A couple of my favorite pet spiders, The southern house spider:

http://www.spiders.us/image/kukulcania-hibernalis-...

My small jumping spider:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/32083154@N02/2237789...

And a young lady with her pet giant house spider:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxNpitlKc_s