How to Pick Up a Dog by the Fold of Skin on His Neck

Picking up an adult dog by the fold in the neck should be done in only two situations.

When dogs are puppies, their mothers usually pick them up by the scruff of the neck. This is the area of skin below the head on the top of the dog. This skin is loose, which allows the mother to pick up her puppy without harming it. Picking up a puppy is a dominant act that makes the puppy submit. As puppies turn into dogs, it is generally not a good idea to pick them up by the folds of neck skin. But in some cases picking up an adult dog in this manner is necessary for "training or restraint purposes," reports the Pet.ca website.

Instructions

1. Assess your dog's situation. Pick it up by the folds of the neck skin only if you need to stop it from behaving badly or if you are training the dog.

2. Grab the folds of neck skin gently with one hand.

3. Lift the dog up but not too high. The higher the dog is lifted, the more pressure is placed on the skin to hold up the weight of its body.

4. Keep the dog lifted for just a few moments. This should be enough to send a message to the dog that its behavior is wrong.

5. Place the dog back on the floor gently.

References

• Pets.ca: Scruffing Cats and Dogs