Most of the time people don't give a second thought when they are picking up their dog. Adults pick up dogs and even little kids pick up dogs. Sometimes it is just an arm under the dog or sometimes it is one hand grabbing around the neck.

The way you pick up a Dachshund is a whole different matter.

These dogs have very long spines and if not picked up correctly, that spine can bend or twist to the point of breaking or giving the dog a bad sprain. Once the spine is damaged it is almost impossible to have a complete recovery for the dog.

I had not owned a Dachshund before I purchased my current dog, Nellie. When I got her she was a very tiny pup and weighed about 10 ounces. She is a longhair and now weighs in at 19 pounds.

I was used to handling a different type of dog, Yorkshire Terriers, Rat Terriers and other dogs that have relatively short backs. There was no problem picking them up with one hand under the rib cage.

As Nellie got older and bigger, she would cry out every time I tried to pick her up in my usual manner. I should have realized the problem from the beginning because her back would bend into the shape of an upside down V when I picked her up.

I once saw a dog groomer try to pick her up by putting one hand under each front shoulder and pulling her upward. She cried out and tried desperately to break out of the groomers hands by twisting back and forth.

At that point I was scared to death that she was going to injure my dog and I knew I had to find the best way to pick up Nellie.

As I researched the back problems Dachshunds can develop, I began to realize just how vulnerable their spines really are. All kinds of health problems can occur just from jumping on furniture or being picked up in a way that can hurt the back or neck.

I now pick up Nellie by putting one hand under her chest and one hand under her backside, just in front of her back legs. This takes the pressure off of her spine, keeps her back straight and distributes her weight over her entire body and not just on her back.

Another version of this method is to put one hand under their chest by coming in from the front and between the front legs while the other hand comes in from between the back legs and lifts in the area of the stomach. Once again, the pressure is off of the spine and distributed across the body.

Don't run the risk of injuring your Dachshund or giving them back problems just because you try to pick them up. Your dog has a very special spine that you need to give a great deal of extra attention. Back, neck and spine problems can develop if the spine is twisted, turned or bent in an unusual way.

Picking up your pet can cause spine damage if it is done incorrectly. Back problems can be costly to you and painful to your dog, learn the correct way to pick them up and reduce the possibility of injury.