Puppies cry when you grab them by the scruff

kyralynkyralyn
edited August 2010 in General
Well, some do. I remember my aunt brought a puppy home, and he was sleeping and I wanted to take a look at him, so I picked him up by the scruff and he cried as if it hurt him. He was small, so he didn't weigh that much. Does it hurt puppies, or does it just scare them?

Comments

  • CaliaCalia
    edited November -1
    Puppies don't really like scruff grabbing and it can be quite painful (think of someone picking you up by the skin of your neck). I'm not really too sure if mom dogs actually carry their pups by the scruff, especially after they are capable of walking on their own. Cats, on the other hand, are better able to handle scruff grabbing and will actually freeze up when held as such (makes it way easier to do things they hate, like injections).
  • dlrobertsdlroberts
    edited November -1
    The crying you are referring to is an expression of discomfort. It may indicate fear or physical pain or just a simple dislike for the action. The point is, it doesn't much matter why they are crying as long as you acknowledge they aren't comfortable with what you are doing.

    I have picked up dogs by the scruff to break up scuffles or fights and I will sometimes GENTLY use the scruff to direct a dog if they don't have a collar on, but as a general rule I never do that to a dog.
  • shibamistressshibamistress
    edited August 2010
    Yep, they cry because it hurts! Even if it did just scare them, it wouldn't be a good idea, because you never want to make pups afraid of interactions with humans--they should be eager to see us, because good things--not scary things--come from us.
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