I never named my Tarantula and I have had her for about 5 years now, she sheds every 6 months or so and frequently goes on field trips with me. She is on exhibit at our office and while the kids do like looking at her the other critters usually get a better look.
We do have tarantulas out here in the desert and often the males will be seen wondering about in search of a mate, females for the most part tend to stay near their burrows.