collar pickups!

ok, a few times i have seen people pick up their dogs by their collars, granted small dogs, but how cruel?????

bf's sister has picked up their rescue yorkie by his collar b4 to move him out of her way, thank god we dont have him anymore, and just seen a woman on tv pickin up her yorkie by his collar to put him on her lap!

Does this sound normal to you? im shocked

I don't think its normal.

I don't think its normal.

Jenny if you see anyone doing this you should tell them politely this is a very dangerous thing to do, it risks damaging the dogs throat, windpipe and spine and will also scare the dog A dog when lifted should always be supported with a hand under the bottom

I've never seen anyone do this - but I would be really shocked if I did - poor dogs

I agree minihaha this is a really stupid thing to do the dog should always be supported I have in fact seen people do this as well and have said to them that they are in fact in danger of harming the dog most people dont realise this

Not seen anyone do it either, some terriers are handled by the scruff or chest and tail base, not something I like to see but the dogs don't seem to mind and the use of the tail to remove these dogs from holes and burrows have been going on for years, would guess that more than one little terrier life has been saved in this way.

Just realised that I do remove my dogs from the back of one of their kennel mates by grabbing the scruff, perhaps I should not but it is quick and the moment my hand descends they dismount.

i have to admit i have always handled my dogs by the scuff (when needed) from a young age. they seem to get used to it, and its not a problem. there are two kinds of handling for me... if they are fighting or doing something i dont like, i grab the scruff and shake (depending on the degree of badness) this lets them know i am not happy, as the mother would have done early in the litter. the second type is for lifting, or general moving about. an example is this weekend we were out in the tentsmuir, and on the fringe of the beach are big cement blocks (for keeping the tanks out during the war). i climb on these, and have barking dogs trying to follow. i have to pick prinz up and place him up, but jaz and honey put their feet up, and i life them by the scruff and haul them up. if this was painful, they would not let me do this, but they are conditioned to being handled like this, which is useful under certain conditions. i was looking after a friends dog, who needed help getting in the car (he isnt used to a car) (i was in already). i grabbed his scruff (when i say grab it sounds mean, but it was to help pull him up) he squealled, and i got a fright. he either wasnt used to being handled like this, or if he was, it was only as he was conditioned to it as a negative response (ie when he had been bad)
I guess its the same with ears etc. some dogs dont like their ears being touched. when mine are young again, we play rough so that they are conditioned that i can touch them without them being sensitive. this means its pointless smacking them (i dont agree with anyway) so i use my voice to let them know i am not happy. this comes from doing agility, so you can handle the dog all over without it being sensitive, and so you can give direction from quite a distance away.

Jess There is a difference between holding a big dog by the scruff when its feet are still on the floor, and lifting a small dog by the scruff when its feet are off the floor so the weight is taken on the dogs neck. The weight in a lifted dog should always be supported under the bottom or you risk injury.... not to mention the fear that the dog may experience.

im sure ive heard somewhere that u shudnt shake a dog by its scruff?