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

[Crazy Cocker Gang]

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 I never thought there was anything wrong with it but someone saw me doing it and said it was cruel 
If there is a hole in the fence they can get through or its safe to jump it i encourage them to do that but sometimes its not practical (high fences, barbed wire etc).
By the time i have climbed over the fence to reach back and get them over the chest and neck is the only thing i can reach. Both my dogs will go up on there back legs when they come to a fence, leaning their front paws against it so i can reach them and if its safe to do so i will place my hands on the back of their necks and let them use the pressure to push against and climb up. If thats not safe i will (while there stood up) grab the skin at the back of neck with my other hand on their chest and slide them up my arm and over.
I got them both used to being lifted like this and "scruffed" when very young pups with the clicker, the same with applying pressure so they can climb.
Is this cruel and if so why?
Neither are in any distress when lifted and Jacks so lazy sometimes he cant be bothered finding a gap to go through and will stand with his front legs up on the fence so i will lift him.
Any opinions?

[BabyB]

I've never done it.

If I have to lean over to pick mine up I place my arms under their arms and hand under their bum.

[muckypups]

Now i am no expert at all so am interested in the replies you will get too.

I would have thought no its not cruel. Thier parents pick up pups by the scuff of thier necks and i see the Dog Whisperer doing it to control agressive dogs or to stop bad behaviour.

Saying that my pup doesnt like it and i usually do the under legs and hold belly but he is tiny so at moment best way.

Good Luck with your answers

[phoenix]

I wouldn't, he's too heavy!

[Ellie]

I'm certainly no expert but what you're describing doesn't sound cruel to me.  Surely Jack wouldn't stand there waiting for you to do it if it was distressing for him in any way?

I often go on walks near me that have tricky stiles to negotiate and at some of them Daisy has learnt to stand with her paws on the top of the stile so I can hold on to her collar and give her a helping 'heave-ho' over the stile and she seems quite happy with it.  There's one stile/gate combination where the only method is for her to stand on a wall so I can lift her down, unfortunately she is then at my face height and she seems to take great delight in launching herself into my arms and aiming to land with her paws in my face, she'll have my eye out one of these days!

[black taz]

a gundog trainer carried Taz about 100 metres by his scruff - i was not too pleased but Taz didnt seem too bothered.

I don't do it as Taz is too heavy for me to lift in this way, and i am not sure that i would do anyway - i guess you would need an expert advise as to whether it was cruel or not.  If it was just a brief lift over a fence and jack doesn't seem bothered then it can't be hurting him.

I have only responsed really to say be careful that you do not injury yourself though - i suspect that leaning over a fence and pulling the dog over could put your back/shoulders at risk.

[Jane S]

I would have thought no its not cruel. Thier parents pick up pups by the scuff of thier necks and i see the Dog Whisperer doing it to control agressive dogs or to stop bad behaviour.

Sorry but that's what these kind of trainers say as an excuse for "scruffing" but it is not really the norm for bitches to pick their pups up by the scruff of their necks. We have had a couple of bitches do this but only when the pups were very tiny and weighed next to nothing - certainly not when they are bigger (and only as a way of moving pups not discipling them!)

[joanne_v]

I have done it with Krum and Lily on occasion in same situation as you jacks mum. They doent mind at alll and are only 10kg. Wouldnt do it with lurchers as they have very different necks with little scruff. Dont ever do it in the manner of evil Mr Milan though 

[PennyB]

I suppose I sometimes use harnesses (trail type) and lift them that way

[highlandlass]

I don't cos "mighty belly" is too heavy - but i don't think it is cruel if it is to help them over something - i would not be carrying them round the house like that tho'.  I watched a shoot a couple of weeks ago and the gamekeepers lifted their springers over fences by their scruff to pick up the birds. I was a little in awe! Robbie does not like it if i grab him by the scruff at all anyway!

[muckypups]

Oh no, have a made faux pas  is the dog whisperer evil 

[*Lucy*]

I dont pick my dogs up like this - I put my hands under their belly and scoup them up!

I wouldnt say what you were doing was cruel though!

is the dog whisperer evil 

Yes!!  Most on here do not agree with his 'training' techniques!

[emderpenguin]

I've done it to Pepper  but NOT JUST with her scruff, I have my other arm supporting the rest of her weight (round her belly)

She's only about 10kg though. If I grap her collar only she tends to wiggle, if I hold her scruff she keeps still.

[Mundyboy]

I wouldn't, he's too heavy!

  ditto Mundy!!

Jenni wears a Ruffwear harness which has a handle.  It has got me/her out of bother on a number of occasions.   

[babushka]

I don't think it's cruel with a supporting hand and I like the dog whisperer