On Thu, 24 Sep 2020 23:42:34 +0000, Radio Man wrote:

williamwright wrote:

I've always thought it very useful with dogs that are light enough to
be picked up to have a safe method of doing it. It's important that the
dog is used to it and knows what to expect, so it needs to be
practiced.
My method:
Squat down but keep your back straight.
Assuming you are facing the left side of the dog, so its head is to
your left. Put your left arm under the dog's chest with your hand
facing upwards. This means turning your arm anticlockwise. With your
left hand hold the dog's front right leg quite firmly just below the
shoulder. At this stage it's awkward for you because your arm is turned
as far anticlockwise as far as it will go. Simultaneously sweep your
right arm leftwards towards the dog's bum, holding down the tail. Your
arm will then be supporting the dog at the top of the back legs/bum
area.
Stand up keeping your back straight, and lifting the dog. Lift the
front of the dog higher than the back. That allows your arm to rotate
clockwise to a more comfortable position. The dog's weight should be
roughly the same on both of your arms. The dog should be comfortable
because its weight is on naturally load-bearing parts: the bum/back
legs and the front shoulders, rather than on the chest.
I don't know anyone else who lifts dogs this way but it works for me.
When I took Bella to the vets he was surprised at how easily I lifted
her onto the table and how calm she was about it. It does depend very
much on the dog being used to it though. My old labs used to come to me
when we reached an obstruction on a walk and ask to be lifted over. I
couldn't lift a lab now though! Bella is just about capable of climbing
in and out of the van but will scrounge a lift if she can get away with
it. (She tried to be a stowaway the other day; attempted to jump into
the back of the van when I wasn't looking. It ended ignominiously for
her.)

Bill


It depends on the size but the basic idea is similar until you get to
large dogs.

Small ones, a hand between the front legs, from the side, and another to
support the rear.


Slightly larger dogs, you adjust this mainly as it isnt so easy to
contain them in your hands so you need to involve your forearms. Once
you do it a few times, it becomes natural.

Larger still, you either scoop up their legs or place forearms under
chest and belly or around rear, depending on reach / dog size.

The dog needs to feel secure but not crushed.

A good vet will show you.

The beauty of the above methods are the adapt as the dog grows and,
should you need to, they make it easy to hand the dog to someone else.

I used to pick up my standing Dobermann by putting my arms around his 4
legs and scoop him up, with body resting in a cradle like pose.