INU Posted September 15, 2003 Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 I hope I am not abusing this forum by posting so many at once. My puppy at 10 weeks old hate being picked up. I put one hand under her chest area and the other hand under her rear legs. When I pick her up, she makes this sounds like "ugh ugh" kind of like kids coughs. Some people told me it's normal for puppies. Are puppies chest/rib fragile? I've read tons of books and magazines about puppies. I find sections about "potty training" and everything else but never see "how to pick up a puppy". It must be way before "puppy 101". Are there better way to pick up a puppy who hates being picked up? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted September 15, 2003 Report Share Posted September 15, 2003 When I was a rescuer, I went into a shelter once in the middle of nowhere and looked at some puppies. I forgotten now whether the person actually said this or said she'd heard this from someone else, but they picked one up and it made that grunting noise and she said, "Yup, that's a good pup. Good un's grunt." So, according to backwoods lore, you have a good un. You don't need to worry any longer. Seriously, she's grunting because she doesn't want to be picked up. And that's good. A little resistance just means she's got a bit of backbone, not a fragile melting flower. A puppy that was shrieking and trying to bite you when you tried to hold her would be cause for worry. I always just cradled pups about like a baby, only upside down (like I did my colicky second child for six months). My last one was small enough to carry on my hand for quite a while - she weighed ten pounds at five months. She's still not much bigger than my cat, who beats the snot out of her when she harrases him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Any pup that I've had always grunted when they were picked up. It's a puppy thing. It doesn't mean they don't like it. And even if your pup really does resent picking him/her up, that's all the more reason to just keep picking him up. There's going to be a lot of things in life he'll have to learn to deal with. It's up to you to teach him how. And the time to start is now, when he's a baby. Vicki Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
2 Devils Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 I agree...it is a puppy thing. It sounds like you are picking the puppy up properly...don't worry they are just lil buggers trying to con you into NOT doing things... And keep asking questions, it is the only way to learn... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 See Vicki, you just always had good uns. I agree, this would be an awful quiet board if no one asked questions. Although I could do without "Where can I find a blue mearle bitch to breed to my mearle stud dog?" Rebecca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rebecca, Irena Farm Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Well, no, I changed, my mind. That question might be obviously idiotic to many of us who post but there are many who are new to the dog world, not to mentiont Border Collies, who don't know what merle is, why breeding for color in this breed is not the way to advance the breed, and why merle x merle breedings are bad. I stand corrected. By me. Truly there are no dumb questions. Becca Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
trailrider Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 I guess I have a slightly different slant. From the puppy point of view, I think they have to grunt because it is almost impossible to NOT react to the pressure to the lungs and body parts. They take time to adjust to this sudden loss of leg support. What do you think would be the first reaction to a tow rope around your chest(human), etc taking you up off the ground? Actually I advise puppy owners to pick the puppy up only when absolutely necessary. A vet just gave a talk about how easy it is to strain the neck and loin and hip vertebrae when holding and picking up younger dogs, and that this can cause permanent damage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sea4th Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Becca, They certainly are "good-un's" in my eyes, but I think those little grunts are from those fat little puppy tummies. As far as handling them, of course it's got to be done carefully. My pups are handled, picked up from day one, every day, until they become too big to be picked up. I'll cradle them, all four puppy paws up in the air, in my arms. (That's always been kind of hard with my caucasian mountain dog, who at 9 wks. already weighed 34 lbs.) Common sense gentle handling by a responsible person I feel only stands to benefit the pup. I don't like small children even with supervision picking up a young pup though. Unfortunately, my dogs don't get up day in day out & work for a living and that probably presents a whole different slant in how dogs are handled & raised. My responsibility to them is to help them accept whatever life has to offer. This starts from day one by handling them and incorporating the sounds of everyday life into their little psyche's. If pups can survive the rough and tumble interaction with littermates, then I think that responsible, gentle handling will pose no greater threat. The only exception I could think of is possibly picking up a Doxie pup. God knows, they've already got their share of back problems. Vicki Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 I would have to agree that it only benefits a pup to be picked up and handled on a daily basis provided it's done by someone who is capable of doing it right (ie no children!). In conjunction to that I tell people to hold the pup and feel it all over from top to bottom, in between the toes, to the tip of the tail and everywhere. This teaches the puppy to accept all sorts of handling and eliminates potential problems in the future when the dog needs to be examined closely by a vet or even their own handler. I personally believe this also aids to teach the dog it can trust you completely and isn't that what you want from a working dog - or any dog for that matter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shawna Posted September 16, 2003 Report Share Posted September 16, 2003 Oh yes, and I had a mini dachsie that was packed all over right from little. I would even tuck her inside my coat when I would go and do the chores. This enabled her to go into the hay loft as well as be with me in the milking parlor milking goats on cold days. On warm days she'd rather be on the floor helping herself to the splashings. She died at the age of eleven from cancer but never had a moments trouble with her back. After spending years with dachsies I'm not so sure that alot of the troubles don't just hit randomly although some seem to follow specific lines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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