Frenchie pup doesn't care much to be held.

Kstrooz · Jan 29, 2015

Hey all!

I've been struggling to get my pup used to being held.

It's a pretty common-place "maneuver" but he stretches his back out and stresses.

I pick up his rump and his front and then straddle him on my arm with my hand saddling his front. He basically "flattens" his back out, rather than lay on my arm.

Today I started giving him special "treats" while being held to try to start working on this.

I'd like to get him over it while he's young, any thoughts or experience with this?

I've read some places it involves some "pack-leader" discipline but would love opinions!

davidh · Jan 29, 2015

He may not have been socialized enough when he was a pup, and not held enough. Just keep working at it, he should settle down before long.

Alice Kable · Jan 29, 2015

You might try holding him in different positions. Buster likes to be cradled like a baby; that exposes his belly for rubs! Some dogs have sweet spots above the tail, behind ears, under chin, find Louie's favorite spot to be scratched and work that area when holding him.

eeturk · Jan 29, 2015

Hudson didn't love to be held when he was little. I eventually just let him come to me and he'd come lay down on me when I was sitting on the couch or laying in bed. Eventually he started wanting contact and attention all the time, and now he loves being held. Your pup might just need time to warm up or do things on his own terms!

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Jakeyjake · Jan 29, 2015

I agree [MENTION=664]eeturk[/MENTION]. Jake was a cuddle bug from the beginning and loved to be held like a baby and snuggle. Stella on the other hand would try and squirm away like a cat. She now has her moments when we are sitting on the couch and she will come and sit and look up at us, which means pick me up, I'm ready to cuddle. Give your pup time. I would suggest getting down on the floor at his level and let him come to you.

shortstuff · Jan 29, 2015

I have to second Alice. Bisou loves being held when she's like a baby on my hip, but if you try to hold her on her back or around the middle she squirms to get away. She's an absolute snuggle bug on the couch, but will only let me hold her in certain positions. I'd try experimenting with holding him in different positions and see if he finds any of them to be comfortable. Like everyone has said, if he's not interested in cuddles you have to give him time to warm up to it and let him initiate it on his terms. If he feels trapped every time, he'll never like it, but if he initiates it, maybe he'll learn to love it!

CristianL · Jan 30, 2015

Our little spoiled brat is a cuddle maniac! She loves being cuddled and she asks for contact and attention all the time. When we sit, she comes and stands up on her back legs with her front paws touching us asking to pick her up. When she was smaller she would fall asleep in our lap.
Now she's close to 10 kilos (22 pounds) and she can hardly find place in our lap but if we lay down she is instantly on top of us, or curled up somewhere between our legs, or next to us somewhere just as long as she's touching someone.
She loves belly rubs and back rubs and in the morning she stretches out as long and wide as she can get and waits for me to give her a wake up massage before I go to work. Sometimes she even falls asleep if we rub the back of her neck

Indeed she has moments, when she is overexcited, when she wouldn't stay for a hug, or touch, or scratch, for nothing in the world....except food of course

For the non touchy-feely type frenchie, we have her brother Boris, who, his owners say, hates to be held and only asks for contact when he goes to sleep at night or when we get together and we give attention to Pepper and he gets left out...then he gets a bit jealous and asks for contact and attention especially if his momma is the one playing with Pepper.
So I guess there are both types out there just like there are picky eaters and those that would eat everything and anything.

Ease Louie into it, don't do nothing forcefully, find his sweet spot as someone said before but also consider the possibility that he's just not the cuddle type...he's more macho

Slow and steady wins the race.

2bullymama · Jan 30, 2015

As otheres stated... try different positions and give it some time..... he will come around to loving it.

Cheli loves to be held like a baby, with his head on my shoulder and paw tucked under his chin.

Kstrooz · Feb 3, 2015

Thank you all for the wisdom! He's still young @ 9 weeks so hopefully he'll come around!

Frenchie Mommy · Feb 4, 2015

We have a new puppy and he loves to be held. His favorite position is to lay on his back with me holding him up near my neck while I support his bottom...go figure. He goes limp and will stay like that for 10 minutes.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk