Could you lift your dog in an emergency?

[Liesje]

Yes, I can carry all three of my dogs (one at a time). Coke is 65lbs and loves to be picked up and carried like a baby. Nikon is 70lbs and we can pick up if we scoop under his butt and in front of his front legs. I can pick him up and carry him but have more trouble setting him down. Kenya is only 50lbs and will do whatever I say, I could probably get her over my shoulders if I had to.

[doggiedad]

yes i can lift my dog. my dog weighs
85 lbs maybe 90 lbs. i can lift him
but how far can i carry him, um ?????

[mjbgsd]

Akbar is the only one I would have a real hard time at lifting.

[FG167]

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?

Yes, ever since I joined SAR, I have practiced picking up and holding each of my dogs. I can carry them variable distances. Midas at 75 lbs is the hardest for me to carry.

Originally Posted by selzer

Also, it is not always safe to lift a dog in pain. A dog in pain may bite. My brother's collie tried to take his face off. She had been hit by a car and her hip was completely dislocated. He picked her up and she bit him good in the face. In his defense, he did not hold it against her.

I bring vet wrap, an extra leash and a muzzle among other things when I take the dogs out - even if it's for a short, 30 min hike in the woods. Mason once got a thorn stuck in his paw, about a half inch in, and couldn't get it out with my fingers - needed pliers. I vet wrapped his foot, tied his leg up to his body (it was a front leg) with my extra leash and he gimped out with me until I could fix him up (used the muzzle, he snapped when in pain). He was happy though - he'd made his find

Originally Posted by Liesje

Yes, I can carry all three of my dogs (one at a time). Coke is 65lbs and loves to be picked up and carried like a baby. Nikon is 70lbs and we can pick up if we scoop under his butt and in front of his front legs. I can pick him up and carry him but have more trouble setting him down. Kenya is only 50lbs and will do whatever I say, I could probably get her over my shoulders if I had to.

I pick Midas up the way you pick up Nikon - seems like it would be uncomfortable, but for his size, I'm not sure what would be better.

I feel like I could convince Madix that the fireman's carry was the way to go. However, he's only 60 lbs and I do practice picking him up the same way I do Midas. Perhaps I should try to get him used to the fireman's carry...certainly won't hurt.

[Lin]

I haven't read the thread yet.... But I wanted to mention what happened for me.

I would have said no, I couldn't. But I did. I'm disabled and not very strong, I can't really carry a large bag of dog food. But when Logan had his seizure in Feb 09, I scooped him up all by myself and rushed him to my car. Somehow I was able to hold him with my arms under the torso, and even open and close the front door. I don't remember much of the door, except leaning him against the wall a bit to free a hand. Once I got to the veterinary hospital it took 2 vet techs to carry him inside.

When a friend met me at the hospital for support she asked me how I got Logan to the car. I said I didn't know, I just scooped him up and ran. She said I was like those mothers that lift cars off their children. Adrenaline is a powerful drug.

[Kaidsmom]

I can lift Kaid and Jazz I know but I have not tried to pick up my new guy Ryn yet.

Kaid is about 68 lbs and Jazz is about 45 lbs. Ryn is a 80 lb GSD. I am pretty sure that I can lift him (I groom dogs and have to lift them in to the tub all day at work).

I do have a story though. When Jazz was about 2 and at about 48 lbs probably she was hit by a car. (my roommate at the time let her out while I was asleep and did not watch her) It was winter and the car windshield was iced over. So I cranked the car and turned on the defrost and went to where she was. I carried her to the car...It was over a quarter mile!! It was awful I was crying the whole way and I collapsed with her in my arms at the end of the drive way. My roommate met me there with the car(the only helpful thing that she did.) oh by the way we are no longer roommates. I know that I need to keep it together next time until I get my dog to safety. (I think that it was the image that upset me she had road rash and was cut up and going into shock when i got to her)

[vicky2200]

I can lift one dog easily as she is 50lbs. Another is 70lbs (my GSD) so assuming she was laying down it would be difficult to lift her, but I believe I could do it if I had to.If she was standing I can lift her easily. Sadly my other dog is between 140-150lb s.. There is no lifting him. And there has been times where i have needed to lift him ( like after his first seizure and he couldnt get up for over an hour and we needed to take him to the vet) So in emergency cases, he is not liftable. However,i i can lift his back end for him if/when he needs help standing ( he has hip dysplasia and has a hard time sometimes now that he is older) and once i did manage to lift him into our van, first the front end, then the back ( post seizure) not fun