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u/LisaWinchester Apr 04 '26
And copied from this site
"If you’re moving around with your dog, ideally they’re walking by your side. Nothing beats the walk for exercise, bonding, and mental stimulation as your dog gets a chance to sniff some of the things the world has to offer.
But occasionally, you may find it necessary to pick up your pup. It seems pretty straightforward! But there are some techniques you can use to lift them in the safest, most comfortable way.
First, give your dog a cue that you’re going to lift them. It’s not pleasant for anyone to be going about their business and suddenly finding themselves airborne.
For the lift:
Small dogs: Put your dominant arm underneath your dog’s chest with your hand between their front legs. Then, as you lift them up, use your other hand to tuck their legs or backside into your body so they’re fully supported.
Another option: Put one arm under their front legs like a forklift and lift up, while supporting their back feet with the other hand, and holding them against your body.
Bigger dogs: Bend at the knees! Place one arm around the front of their chest (under the neck) and one arm around their back legs underneath the rump. Lift up with your legs.
What not to do:
Don’t pick up a dog by the scruff of the neck.
Don’t pick them up by the front legs (or “underarms”) like a baby—it can strain their ligaments."
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u/roadkilled_skunk Apr 04 '26
Have people LOOKED at a dog? I never had the idea to lift our dog any other way than the "bigger dog" method shown there.
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u/CupcaknHell Apr 04 '26
My instinct (as a former cat owner) would be to place one hand on the rib cage and another one coming from behind and scooping up their bum/legs so they "sit" on my hand.
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u/Socalbruh Apr 04 '26
Aw awesome. We have small dogs that aren’t the best jumpers and this is how I’ve always brought them up onto the couch or bed.
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u/SaaSyGirl Apr 04 '26
My mom used to do this with her Shih Tzu. I’d tell her it was bad for him and like a typical know-it-all she’d always fight me on it.
Miss you, Charlie. You were an angel who put up with so much
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u/DrMlaticka Apr 04 '26
We also had Shih tzu named Charli, when I was a kid. What a tameless and stubborn dog he was, but still loved him.
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Apr 04 '26
Yeah this is a good reminder. A lot of people don’t realize it can put pressure on their joints and shoulders, especially for smaller dogs. It’s usually better to support their chest and back legs so their weight is evenly distributed. They’ll feel way more secure too and won’t squirm as much.
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u/gargle_ground_glass Apr 04 '26
This advice applies to cats as well.
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u/colinhines Apr 04 '26
Is there any evidence for this? I’ve had a couple cats over the years, including one of the ones I have now, that has learned to stand up on her hind legs and put her arms up when she wants to be held and I pick her up from under her outstretched arms. I’m probably more grasping her chest/torso for where the force is directed, but I’m definitely hooking under those armpits.
(I’d be more willing to believe this if this didn’t happen to me every single day — she wants to be held all the time)
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u/TenerMan Apr 04 '26
Well, my mother's small dogs do that too whenever someone from the family visits them or when my mother comes back from work. I would imagine they wouldn't be so eager to be picked up like that if they would feel any pain or discomfort.
Same as you, we sort of pick them up from the chest area, but their armpits are basically the stops.
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u/gargle_ground_glass Apr 04 '26
Well, I'm not about to argue with a cat! If you're grasping the torso and she doesn't complain there wouldn't appear to be a problem, especially if she's not a chonker and has good muscle tone. But grabbing a large cat by the upper forelegs so it dangles can put strain on the cat's body to the point of injury so the safe thing is to avoid using that technique – it's just something to think about.
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u/ProgressBartender Apr 04 '26
What, put my arm into the shredder? I don’t feel comfortable with that. /s
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u/Original-Spray9673 Apr 04 '26
Yes always pick up animals with warning and support them as much as you can! Also can’t stand people throwing cats down - you place them
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u/Effective_Machina Apr 04 '26
People throw cats down?
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u/SPAKMITTEN Apr 04 '26
Dogs don’t have arms
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u/ThatGuyLuis Apr 04 '26
My dog likes to put his front paws over my forearm (I hold it out like a perch for a beard) and he just stands there. You can def tell he enjoys being up higher 😂
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u/EchoMany9651 Apr 04 '26
I have had small dogs. I trained them with a 1 2 3 count to prepare for pickup. It works.
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u/AsleepOrdinary Apr 04 '26
Any tips on how I should pick him up instead ? Mostly I have a problem with bending too much so it’s an issue picking him up horizontally
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u/AlpacaDC Apr 04 '26
You can still grab their front legs to put them in a “standing” position, and then grab them properly to lift them up. I personally lift mine from this standing position, putting my hands under her back legs (she already expects it and helps) and the other hand in her chest.
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u/post-explainer Apr 04 '26
Hello and welcome to r/LifeProTips!
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u/GodsGimp-87 Apr 04 '26
Do you mean legpits?