Could you lift your dog in an emergency?

[Catu]

In my SAR team is a must that you have to be able to lift your own dog. If you are a 100 lbs female you can't have a big rottweiller who weights as much as you. This is one of the reason SAR handlers prefer smaller dogs nowadays.

[Sigurd's Mom]

I can only pick up Sigurd if he stays still, which is like, never. I try to do it sometimes to show him love but he wiggles. I think if he was injured I could, my SO can for sure though.

[AbbyK9]

Abby weighs in at 65lbs, Ronja at about 55lbs. I can say without a doubt that I can both pickup and carry them if there's need.

I'll be taking Ronja to Vermont for the Iron Dog competition in September, which requires the handler to carry the dog during part of the course. Let's just say I'm glad I've got a Malinois. My poor friend Jess will be doing the course with her 100lbs Shiloh ... I'm not sure she'll be able to carry him.

[paulag1955]

I can lift my 100 lb, disabled niece and carry her a short distance but I'm not sure if I could carry an 80-ish pound, struggling dog. Surely not over distance...it's not like I'm getting any younger or stronger, either. Something to think about.

[Myles]

My big teddy bear max? Hes in trouble adrenaline kicks in oh yea he will be over my shoulder while im running from the danger haha

[AbbyK9]

I'm not sure if I could carry an 80-ish pound, struggling dog.

That actually brings up a very good point - does anyone here work with their dogs on being calm when they're being picked up and carried? Does anyone actually practice picking up and holding/carrying their dogs?

[paulag1955]

Originally Posted by AbbyK9

That actually brings up a very good point - does anyone here work with their dogs on being calm when they're being picked up and carried? Does anyone actually practice picking up and holding/carrying their dogs?

I'm still carrying Shasta quite a bit. Of course, she still weighs under 35 pounds. When she gets up over 50, you can bet I won't be carrying her upstairs to her crate just because I don't want her dirty paws on the carpet. So she actually doesn't struggle when I pick her up, but who knows what she might do if she was injured.

[selzer]

I can lift any of them so I said yes. However, if they are injured and I am at home, I am going to put them in a travel crate and then lift the travel crate. When I get to the vet, they will help me lift it out of the vehicle.

Yes, I have done this a number of times. When Arwen had her c-section I did not want her jumping out of the car. I lifted her and the crate out of the car. When she hemmoraged the next morning. I put her in the crate, and lifted it into my car. The vet (it was Sunday of course) helped me lift it out, and opened up for me.

When Jenna was several months old, I walked her into town. She was then tired. I hoisted her onto my shoulders and carried her the four miles home. THAT was fun, but entirely my fault.

[paulag1955]

There is no way I could lift Shasta's crate and she's not even into a full-sized one yet.

[selzer]

You might be amazed at what you can do when you have to get your bleeding bitch to an ER now. Arwen weighed 85 at the time and with the crate, weighed a lot more. But nothing like 130 pounds. Still, I would have put a dog that size in the crate and used skids to load it into the SUV.