Cassie, my Springer Spaniel, never liked my boss ever since he tried to pick her up incorrectly when he first met her. He placed his hands around her upper back by squeezing her chest under her front legs (the armpit method). Cassie jumped away from him and never let him even attempt to pick her up again. Although there may have been other reasons that she disliked him, her first impression stuck after that attempt to pick her up.
So after reviewing you tube videos, I noticed that no one showed the method that I use to carry a dog. I support their chest by placing my arm between their front legs.
The video below shows several methods to pick up a dog. It also shows how to carry a dog with a rear-end injury, which I had with my first springer, Kaylee. She broke her rear leg into five pieces after falling off a cliff. She then needed a bone graft to save the leg.
The most common method to carry a dog is wrapping your arms around the dogs’ limbs. This works in most situations, although it is not very comfortable for the dog.
I usually place my arm through the dog’s front limbs to support their chest, which creates a more comfortable position. I can also lean the dog back so more weight is on their rear. My experience has shown this method as very comfortable to the dog.
If the dog has a rear-end injury, you can use the forklift method. Beware this puts pressure on their bladder.
Never carry your dog by squeezing their chest (the armpit method). Most dogs find it very uncomfortable.
For more information on other dog-related care and concerns, see my other blogs on this site.
I also have a new website for dogs with cancer called Canine Cancer Concerns
I also write copy for newsletters, blogs, case studies and more at Kay9 Environmental.
