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Yes, mother dogs carry their pups by the scruff of the neck in their first few weeks of life. "Scruffing" is an unnatural, uncomfortable and even painful way for larger puppies and certainly adult dogs to be lifted or carried. 3. Don't hold his collar or tail when picking your dog up.
Subsequently, one may also ask, can you grab a puppy by the scruff?
The scruff is the loose skin around your dog's neck. Once a puppy is no longer a puppy, picking them up by their scruff is risky because they are much too heavy to have all that weight placed on their neck. This doesn't mean that you can't grab your dog by the scruff.
Subsequently, question is, does grabbing a dog by the scruff hurt them?
Grab the dog's scruff, shake gently and say “no.” It's important that you have eye contact with your dog when doing this. Keep in mind that the mother dog will never hurt the pup this way. Scruffing shouldn't be used to inflict any physical pain, so it's important to avoid being rough.
If you can't watch the puppy closely, he should always be in his quiet area. Cuddle time is important too, but don't overdo it. Puppies need affection and physical comfort, but don't give too much unless you want to spoil your pup.