Most of the time, people don’t think twice when they are picking up their dog. Adults pick up dogs and even young children pick up dogs. Sometimes it is just an arm under the dog or sometimes it is a hand grabbing the neck.
How you pick up a Dachshund is an entirely different matter.
These dogs have very long spines, and if not picked up properly, that spine can bend or twist to the point of breaking or severely spraining the dog. Once the spine is damaged, it is almost impossible for the dog to make a full recovery.
I had not owned a dachshund before buying my current dog, Nellie. When I got it, it was a very small puppy and weighed about 10 ounces. She is long haired and now weighs 19 pounds.
He was used to handling a different type of dog, Yorkshire Terriers, Rat Terriers, and other dogs that have relatively short backs. There was no problem lifting them with one hand under the rib cage.
As Nellie got older and older, she cried every time I tried to pick her up in my usual way. I should have realized the problem early on because her back would bend into an inverted V shape when I lifted her.
I once saw a dog groomer try to lift it by placing one hand under each front shoulder and pulling it up. She screamed and tried desperately to escape from the hairdresser’s hands by twisting back and forth.
At the time I was scared to death that she would hurt my dog and I knew I had to find the best way to pick up Nellie.
While researching the back problems that dachshunds can develop, I began to realize how vulnerable their spines really are. All kinds of health problems can occur simply from jumping on furniture or being lifted in a way that can hurt your back or neck.
Now I lift Nellie by putting one hand under her chest and one hand under her butt, right in front of her hind legs. This takes the pressure off your spine, keeps your back straight, and distributes your weight throughout your body, not just your back.
Another version of this method involves putting one hand under its chest entering from the front and between the front legs, while the other hand enters between the back legs and rises in the stomach area. Once again, the pressure leaves the spine and is distributed throughout the body.
Don’t run the risk of hurting your dachshund or giving him back a bad back just because you try to lift him. Your dog has a very special spine that you need to pay a lot of extra attention to. Back, neck, and spinal problems can develop if the spine twists, twists, or bends in unusual ways.
Lifting your pet can damage the spine if not done correctly. Back problems can be costly for you and painful for your dog, learn the correct way to lift them and reduce the chance of injury.