Am i right to be concerned (help)
 

Hi, not a yorkie owner i'm afraid but i am an animal lover and so i've posted for some advice. A man on my street regularly walks his Yorkie off the lead this is ok but when any car is near he picks the dog up my the scruff of its neck and holds it in the air until the car has past then drops it back on the pavement. This happens time and time again throughout their walk. My question is are dogs ok to be lifted up like this ? I know mother dogs lift there puppies this way but i feel very uneasy and as i have said i don't want to approach this man if its acceptable to lift dogs in this way. Advice on what to do would be helpful

as long as the dog is small enough its ok to pick up by the scruff. however i don't think this is the best way to walk his dog.

Wow that would bother me. Why is he walking such a small dog off lead in the first place ? maybe he just doesn't feel like putting a leash on his pet? :( A leash is for Their safety and our peace of mind.


and I don't know if mothers actually do that when their puppies are grown - at least none I've seen. He's really risking his dog's life - what if another big dog was loose and he couldn't grab his yorkie in time ? What if his dog bolted before he could 'grab' him by the neck ? That's sad and you're in a hard place.....

I'd make friends with him if you could ...and try to slip some advise in the converstation for the sake of his dog.

I totally agree with you V he should have his dog on a leash and how mean to pick him up like that and just drop him down!

First of all....
Welcome to YT
Second of all...
You should tell him something... I don't think that this is the proper way to pick up a dog ,no matter what size it is.

I wouldn't approach him saying things agaisn't what he is doing.
Maybe say "wow he/she is well behaved or just isn't leashed trained?

Oh my god:mad: i would deffinatley talk to this guy. That dog should be on a leash and he should never pick it up this way.Some people should not be allowed to have animals :thumbdown

I wouldn't feel real comfortable in seeing a dog picked up like this and especially dropped back down, but you also don't see to many neglectful owners that walk their dogs everyday. Apparently, he is concerned about the dog or he wouldn't pick him up at all when a car drives by. I think if I was going to approach him at all I would develop a sort of friendship first and then say something like "Aren't you afraid he might hurt a leg when you drop him like that? When mine broke his leg, it costs me a fortune at the vet's office."

I like this approach, and then I would add something along the lines of "using a harness with a leash is a really good way to protect them if they tend to run after cars".

My first reaction is grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!:mad: Of course, that's just me. I would never do this. I was looking on the net and I never did find anything referencing this type behavior, except this:

(excerpt)

One of them was a chihuahua, and Cesar was able to get this aggressive/fearful dog into the pack by picking him up by the scruff of the neck, and getting him to show the submissive posture. So, I grabbed my dog by the scruff of his neck, picked him up, and “shssed” the other two dogs. Confused, they backed off, and started walking behind me. I continued my walk, with those two behind me for quite a while. I then saw a neighbor, who I asked to call animal control. His presense, and my attitude of “King Lear” kept the stray dogs at bay, and they decided it was not worth a showdown with such a show of authority.

http://blogs5.nationalgeographic.com...hisperer/?p=64

I'm not sure it's our job to tell other people how to care for their pets -- unless, of course, there is clear-cut abuse taking place.

First of all - he is taking his dog for walks (a good thing) - second -he is seeing that it is safe everytime a car goes by (another good thing) - and, it seems to be working for them.

As far as picking it up that way, some dogs don't like it and other dogs don't mind it at all. If I were watching the man and his dog, I could quickly tell whether or not the little dog hates or doesn't mind being picked up this way. I would suspect that his dog is used to it and doesn't mind it at all.

I know we all have our own personal strong opinions about how everyone else should care for their dogs -- but I think some situations are best left alone.

You could stop and visit with the man - and tell him that you are amazed that his little dog doesn't mind being lifted that way -- (mine wouldn't like it - mainly because he's not used to it). After a short, friendly conversation you may find yourself more accepting of the way he cares for his dog - also, this may give you an opportunity to express your concerns in a very friendly, conversational, nonjudgemental way. And - in the end -- this is the only way, we will ever be able to change anyone else's behavior anyway.....

Good luck! Carol Jean

HI Thanks everyone
 

Thanks everyone who's responded. I'm glad of your advice and its true its a difficult one. I agree that to walk your dog everyday does show that there's a lot of care being given. I have noticed that the dog is used to being picked up this way but i've heard it yelp occasionally when a car has approached fast and the guy seems to panic and grab it off the floor. I'm going to approach him and offer to buy a harness. I am aware he has mild learning problems and so may be grateful of someone taking an interest and offering a bit of help. Wish me luck and thanks everyone !

Emphasize how important it is to use a harness for a small dog, especially a Yorkie. The leash is for safety. Yorkies are fast runners!:animal37

Picking up
 

Most vets will tell you that if you have to lift a dog, picking it up by the neck (scruff) is the best way to do it. The skin/fur is loosest in that area and it doesn't hurt them.

other side of view
 

I agree with this but I also have 2 points of view.
#1 It looks like I pick up Chloe by her front legs. In actually I don't... Since she was 3 months old and she is a leaper. When she wants to get to me she always leaped, fearing she would fall mid-leap, I started holding her under one of her front legs and say "UP". I am not actually holding her leg, rather supporting her as she leaps to my lap. A friend mentioned to me I shouldn't "pick" her up that way, I explained that it may look that way but I wasn't picking her up. BUT this was a friend that mentioned it to me... IF his dog has been picked up this way since babyhood, he may feel very comfortable with it.

#2 I read the newpaper story in the forum about the lady in Canada, (FastEdie, Auust 9, 2006 Kathy McDonald) the one that "was" on a leash and the 2 pit bulls knocked her over and took her yorkie and it showed the surgery site and the drainage tube. :eek: I can't stop thinking of that poor baby. I would PRINT that story and more importantly the picture and perhaps send it unknown to his mailbox. Let him see first hand what could happen even with a yorkie ON a leash..... He will then know the danger and that it is bothering s"someone" that sees him walk leashless. OR what about the Hawks!!!