Do you lift your dog by the scruff of their necks?

[Maria n Dennis]

i dont think its cruel , if they objected to it they would let you know 

i also like cesar millan and from what ive seen hes certianly not cruel 

[Beth]

To the CM fans, watch THIS clip very carefully.

and take a look at THIS thread.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

Can i just say the ONLY time my dogs are lifted by their necks with a suporting hand is to get them over something high or a fence. In the house etc they are lifted by me putting a arm between there back legs with my hand on their belly and  my other arm is round their chests.
I have never carried them round by the scruffs of the necks or used it in anyway as a punishment.
I also dont like ceaser Milan and dont lift the dogs like this because their mother would its just the easiest way for me to reach and lift them safely and i dont think it hurts them.
I know no one implied i thought any of the above but just thought i would make it clear  
Im talking about scruffing to lift not carry or punish.

[sarah25]

I dont think it Cruel.

To the CM fans, watch THIS clip very carefully.

and take a look at THIS thread.

What's wrong with that his got the dog under control hasnt he 

[Beth]

I dont think it Cruel.

To the CM fans, watch THIS clip very carefully.

and take a look at THIS thread.

What's wrong with that his got the dog under control hasnt he 

He kicks the dog in order to trigger the reaction for the cameras, that's what's wrong with it. 'Fraid my opinions of the bloke aren't suitable for a public forum.

[Beth]

Can i just say the ONLY time my dogs are lifted by their necks with a suporting hand is to get them over something high or a fence. In the house etc they are lifted by me putting a arm between there back legs with my hand on their belly and  my other arm is round their chests.
I have never carried them round by the scruffs of the necks or used it in anyway as a punishment.
I also dont like ceaser Milan and dont lift the dogs like this because their mother would its just the easiest way for me to reach and lift them safely and i dont think it hurts them.
I know no one implied i thought any of the above but just thought i would make it clear  
Im talking about scruffing to lift not carry or punish.

Sorry just had to reply WRT Mr. Milan. I don't think what you've described is cruel, i couldn't do it to either of mine, Jarvis weighs a ton and would bite if i attempted to pick him up like that and Lucy yelps if you so much as touch her scruff Yours obviously aren't bothered else they wouldn't let you.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

OH my god did i just see him kick that dog to get a reaction at the start of the clip  

Sorry ignored the warning new posts, review your post before i posted.
Just saw beths post saying he does kick it 

[Nicola]

Sometimes to lift the dogs over fences i grab the skin at the back of their neck, place a hand on their chest (to take the weight) and lift them over, until today

That's how I pick mine up if I need to lift them over a fence or something. Generally though unless it's barbed wire, really high or dangerous in some way I tell them to jump it as if they make a retrieve on a shoot over a fence it kind of defeats the purpose of having a picking up dog if I have to walk out and lift them over the fence  If I have to lift them over something though that's how I do it, it's the quickest, easiest and cleanest (for me!) way.

[dylan]

We sometimes meet up with two farmers where we walk dylan and they pick their dogs up by the scruff, mind you these workers are tiny, i thought they were pups but one was 2 and other 18 months . I have never done this with dylan but never been in a situation where i would have to.

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

That ceaser milan clip reminded me of something that happened a few months ago. We were out and Jack went to nick another dogs ball  he got a telling off from the other dog (rightly so) and backed off. The owner went mad and grabbed her dog and rolled onto its back while screaming at it to submit 
She then (while the dog was still on its back) called Jack over to them. luckily Jack just looked at me and i told her there was no way my dog was going near them. She had a rattle bottle with her to stop her dogs doing something and i asked her had she looked into positive  training methods, she said she wouldnt use treats as she wanted the dogs to work for her 
How can these people say they cant encourage their dogs with toys and treats but aversives are ok? 
Surley with aversives there working to avoid punishment not for you.

[seaangler]

On the very few occasion of it ever happening i do not see it cruel either....If it helps get the dog out a tight spot quickly....Like our Peggy falling into the canel i pull her out by lifting her out with her harness....Chris

[leisl]

Now I find this interesting too.

Mupps is generally too heavy to do this with but if I am getting her on my lap then its one hand on the scruff one under her bum but if I am lifting her on to a table then it is a  proper "bent zee knees" operation and scoop her up.  I have always done the scruff thing and she never bats an eyelid but another friends dog came to say and I was lifting that up and he screamed (the dog not the owner) blue murder.  Obviously not used to it and found it uncomfy.

[Jay06]

To the CM fans, watch THIS clip very carefully.

and take a look at THIS thread.

That was shocking! You could see the dog was clearly distressed as he was half bloody choking him/her! I didn't even put the sound on, just watched it on mute!

For the OP's question, I don't think what you're doing is cruel, if that's the case half of us posting on this thread are too! 
As everyone says it's only when really necessary that I lift Bailey by the scruff, (even then I'm usually hanging onto another part of him!  ) he will usually jump over or jump at OH to be lifted!

He has so much loose skin I don't think he even notices!! Groomer says he has enough to make another spaniel!!! 

[wrenside]

I lift my two over fences like this when they can't jump it or go under it, I always make sure to support their tummies with my other arm.

I also pick them up by the scruff and then hold them tightly under my arm when going on the underground escalators as it's impossible to pick them up quickly in any other way when heading towards an escalator at a busy underground station (you get knocked down by all the commuters if you stop at the top or anywhere near the top (or bottom) of the escalators to bend down fully to scoop them up ) My two don't bat an eyelid about this, and I'm always careful to make sure that I support their bodies with my other arm as quickly as possible to take their weight off of my hold on their scruff.

Obviously if they were heavier or a different build of dog then I would not consider (or be physically able) to do this.

I suppose in an ideal world I wouldn't need to pick them up like this, but needs must, and my two are happy for me to do pretty much anything to them, although obviously I'd never do anything I thought was painful to them. They're both happy and healthy and I want them to stay that way!  

Mary xxx

[SJP]

To the CM fans, watch THIS clip very carefully.

and take a look at THIS thread.

If you look closely at the very beginning (whilst he's talking to the owner).....until he kicks the dog, its walking beside him just fine        ....and I think if I had a lead tight under my jaw, I would be upset!

To the original OP - I would never pick Lola up by the scruff of her neck, I always pick her up under her belly regardless of whether she is minging or not