Funny Golden Retriever Mom 'Drags Puppy to Time Out' After Misbehaving
Like humans, puppies misbehave sometimes, but also like humans, they're still learning and growing. To a certain extent, you can't fault the baby for doing something "wrong," since they haven't learned that yet! The best you can do is remove them from the situation and redirect them.
On Saturday, June 1st, one Golden Retriever had to do this to one of her puppies. She was just causing too much trouble, but she's also getting a little bit bigger, so she's much harder to scruff and carry away. She was left to try her best:
I think @kipandkaan's Golden Retrievers are perfect just the way they are, even if it's a little dramatic Somebody had to put the kids in their place!
There are so many Golden Retrievers in this equation. Luckily for you, I've broken it down:
- Kal: mom (the one dragging)
- Kaan: dad
- Kip: uncle
- Sage: the female puppy getting dragged
- Gary: the male puppy
There were a few other puppies in Kal and Kaan's litter, but they've sense made their way into their forever homes. It looks like Sage and Gary are here to stay, and they get along well with everyone in the family, which is amazing. The litter was born on February 17th, which puts them at a little under 4 months old. While they're certainly old enough to strike out on their own, they're still young enough that their mom feels responsible for them. So, when Sage is acting up, mom steps in!
Does Grabbing a Puppy by the Neck Hurt?
We see Kal taking Sage by the neck and dragging her away, and one of the first comments under the video is, "does that hurt them?"
The answer is no: puppies are born with stretch skin all around, but especially on their necks. When they're too little to walk effectively, it's common to see their moms picking them up in that spot and carrying them wherever they need to go. The action is referred to as "scruffing" because the puppy is being picked up by the scruff of its neck. Their skin is very forgiving, they don't weigh very much, and it's not like they're being bitten, just gently lifted.
However, it's not advisable for a human to scruff a puppy. We don't need to, and we also don't have the same grip that a mother dog does, meaning that we can absolutely grab them too hard and injure them, even by accident. Once a puppy gets bigger, their mothers will typically stop scruffing them, but not always. If Sage keeps up this behavior, she can expect to get scruffed for life!
🐶 SIGN UP for Parade’s weekly pet newsletter for more inspiring and entertaining stories about our furry and feathered friends 🐾