# When you scruff your dog...



## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

What does he do? I'm curious, because I scruff dogs at work all the time to control them if they get loose, and most react fine. Some may try to bite if they're afraid, but...

I was at the park the other day and I scruffed Frag on the teeter. He wasn't wearing a collar and he was loosing balance, so I scruffed him to hold him up and guide him off. When I did scruff him, he let out a massive yelp. He's done it the few times before when I've had to scruff him as well (never roughly, just for some control when he's not wearing a collar) and I never thought about it before, but I've never met another dog to yelp when I did it or care much at all for that matter. 

It kind of made me realize/think about how bad his allergies may be. That I may be _hurting _him, severely, by touching him.  It wasn't a good feeling, nonetheless. 

But, I was also wondering if maybe since GSDs are just really whiney and sensitive that he was overreacting (even though he's been handled and manipulated by us since he was a puppy) if someone else's dog has acted this way as well.

So I'm curious.


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## Jax's Mom (Apr 2, 2010)

I'm convinced GSDs are just yelpers. 
At first I was really concerned that there might be something under his fur that hurts, or some other medical reason... Nope... Just whiney I think. 
This morning Jax screamed because Sadie walked under his legs from his head to his tail... I think her collar may have gotten caught on "something"  but he screamed so loud it sounded like she broke his leg.


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## stolibaby (Mar 6, 2011)

Jax's Mom said:


> I'm convinced GSDs are just yelpers.
> At first I was really concerned that there might be something under his fur that hurts, or some other medical reason... Nope... Just whiney I think.
> This morning Jax screamed because Sadie walked under his legs from his head to his tail... I think her collar may have gotten caught on "something"  but he screamed so loud it sounded like she broke his leg.


:rofl:hahaha oh my gosh that's hilarious typical boy/gsd response Stoli will immediately start yelping or whining when I hide his ball from him...it sounds like I just killed his best friend sometimes lol


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## Syaoransbear (Sep 25, 2008)

My dog lays on the ground when I scruff him, but he's never made a noise or shown any indication of pain.


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## Franksmom (Oct 13, 2010)

Syaoransbear said:


> My dog lays on the ground when I scruff him, but he's never made a noise or shown any indication of pain.


 same here Frank just lays down and waites


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## TitonsDad (Nov 9, 2009)

IF I do that to Titon (which is rare unless he's being a complete butthead) then he'll scream like I'm ripping his entire fur out of his back and then lays down thinking he's going to die any second.


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## Melgrj7 (Jul 5, 2009)

A lot of the shepherds at work are overly dramatic about it, scream or yelp about it. We don't scruff often, its just if we have to grab a dog that doesn't have a collar on, not hard, not for punishment, just to get a hold of them to put a slip lead on them or something. I think the gsds might just be more emotionally sensitive to any kind of perceived punishment maybe?


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## NewbieShepherdGirl (Jan 7, 2011)

I had to scruff Sasha last night (She slipped her collar trying to avoid being crated) and surprisingly she didn't do anything...well....other than continue to act like a fool lol! I was surprised because she's kinda a baby about everything. haha


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## JakodaCD OA (May 14, 2000)

my girls, never did anything, more or less just 'stop'...The boyz,,oh gosh, drama queens, sounded like you were killing them


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## KendraLovey (Jan 17, 2011)

TitonsDad said:


> IF I do that to Titon (which is rare unless he's being a complete butthead) then he'll scream like I'm ripping his entire fur out of his back and then lays down thinking he's going to die any second.


HAHA...Schindler did this the ONE time my husband scruffed him. He threw himself on the ground and proceeded to roll over and flail himself around and cry...you would have thought he was going to die. He didnt want much to do with my husband for about a day. I yelled at my husband thinking he really hurt him then I realized that I just have a drama king. Never again have we scruffed him.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

Occasionally I will grab a puppy by the fur on the back of the neck and guide them where I want them. Usually I do not have to do that often. They are pretty good about knowing what my hand gestures, and "Get your butt cheeks in there" means. 

Today, I was singing Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown while putting water into Tori's bucket, and mid verse, I opened the gate and said Stay and she darted out!!! My poor neighbors, I let out an immediate tirade like she chewed my foot off of my leg. She was back in her kennel in a flash, knowing she did the bad thing. But expecting them to do what I say eliminates the need for any scruffing. 

When I have used it, they do not try to bite, or yelp. But then I guide them with it, I do not try to pick them up by it.


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## JeffM (Dec 19, 2005)

Riggs will pee  because he was abused from previous owners and Thor tries to go some where fast


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## CLARKE-DUNCAN (Apr 8, 2011)

Ive only had to do it once when Nero was a pup and he ran past my legs to get out the front door, He got out onto the close where we used to live and I grabbed him and took him back indoors! I don't like my dog wearing a collar indoors, He only has his collar on when we are going for walks! And halti's for when we are around traffic.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

My dogs are all used to me grabbing scruff. They don't wear collars often so while we are outside I grab scruff gently to hold them in place while I brush them out. 

Grabbing scruff abruptly for any dog can be mistaken as a correction hence the yelp. GSDs can be handler sensitive.


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## krystyne73 (Oct 13, 2010)

Melgrj7 said:


> A lot of the shepherds at work are overly dramatic about it, scream or yelp about it. We don't scruff often, its just if we have to grab a dog that doesn't have a collar on, not hard, not for punishment, just to get a hold of them to put a slip lead on them or something. I think the gsds might just be more emotionally sensitive to any kind of perceived punishment maybe?


Yes mine are drama queens too. Sasha will yelp before my hand makes contact with her neck lol 
I don't think it is just on punishments though. Meika occasionally bumps into the couch and will fall down rubbing her face like she is blinded. Sasha once hit her paw on a tile piece and started screaming then limped around . I thought she was really injured until Macy ran by with her toy and Sasha leaped off after her.
My Great Dane and Golden don't act like this at all.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

The only time I ever scruffed Hondo (19 months now) was one day we were in the barn, and I was feeding the horses. It is against the rules for him to enter any stall (even if it's empty) for obvious safety reasons. He'll wait for me outside the door. 

One day I opened the stall door to dump feed (I had a bucket in my hand) and there was a C-A-T in the stall under the horse. Hondo saw it a split second before I did and he tried to rush into the stall. My attempt to grab his collar with my free hand ended up grabbing his scruff (He is a LH) and I admit I snatched him hard. It would have been horrible if he rushed in under the horse. Hondo didn't say a word, but hit the ground as if I karate chopped him. At this point the cat is running and the horse is spinning - still holding him by his scruff I shoved him behind me hard and I wasn't careful or nice about it. 

He pouted for the duration of barn chores and followed all the rules to the "T". However, he did give me his famous "I could eat you with or with out bread" look till we got back to the house where all was forgiven.


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## DCluver33 (May 27, 2010)

Molly screams like I'm murdering her. She's an extremely timid, anxious, sensitive dog, so I don't scruff her too often, there's only a handful of times that I can remember where it was necessary or she would have gotten hurt. Dodger hits the floor, but doesn't make any noise. then pouts after lol


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## fuzzybunny (Apr 29, 2011)

Mine will yelp but they don't seem to hold it against me. Fortunately I've rarely had to do this.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

4TheDawgies said:


> My dogs are all used to me grabbing scruff. They don't wear collars often so while we are outside I grab scruff gently to hold them in place while I brush them out.
> 
> Grabbing scruff abruptly for any dog can be mistaken as a correction hence the yelp. GSDs can be handler sensitive.


I don't grab mine that often, and they never have collars on either. To hold them in place, I use my hand on their flank area, it keeps them still compared to a neck scruff.
Two are sensitive to neck scruffing, Onyx on the other hand could give a rip when I scruff her...usually she is being naughty to deserve me grabbing her and will still try to do what she was doing before I correct her. 

Kacie and Karlo will defer immediately, Karlo has yelped when I may give him a gentle scruff when training, he is my vocal one. Is it a male thing?


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I don't grab mine that often, and they never have collars on either. To hold them in place, I use my hand on their flank area, it keeps them still compared to a neck scruff.
> Two are sensitive to neck scruffing, Onyx on the other hand could give a rip when I scruff her...usually she is being naughty to deserve me grabbing her and will still try to do what she was doing before I correct her.
> 
> Kacie and Karlo will defer immediately, Karlo has yelped when I may give him a gentle scruff when training, he is my vocal one. *Is it a male thing?*


It looks like it could be! It's just 'cause they're our big babies. 

It's good to know that Frag isn't the only one though. I'm sure it doesn't feel great with his allergies since he hates being touched, but at least I know that it may not be severely hurting him. :/


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## Lin (Jul 3, 2007)

I don't scruff dogs intentionally, but I do with cats. 

Once I scruffed my foster Chaos accidentally when trying to grab his collar, and he let out a loud high pitched yelp. If I scruff Emma or catch some fur (she's a coatie) when going for the collar she screams bloody murder. She's a big drama queen though. I think how they react depends on the dog, an insecure or sensitive dog is going to react much stronger than a confident dog.


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## 4TheDawgies (Apr 2, 2011)

DJEtzel said:


> It looks like it could be! It's just 'cause they're our big babies.
> 
> It's good to know that Frag isn't the only one though. I'm sure it doesn't feel great with his allergies since he hates being touched, but at least I know that it may not be severely hurting him. :/



Your dog has allergies so he doesn't want you to touch him??

I have an allergy dog and if anything she wants to be touched more and all over because she is so itchy.


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## GSD_Xander (Nov 27, 2010)

The one time I scruffed Xander he screamed like I might as well be killing him and then proceeded to pout the rest of the afternoon and give me dirty looks. 

I think it's just in their nature to be big babies. Xander is definitely a drama king (queen?). GSD's tend to be vocal and I think the males tend to be even bigger babies. 

The only other dog I've ever heard scream like that was my whippet, Vega - but it was only when she got scared once. It sounded like a little girl screaming - I thought for sure the cops were going to get called and I would have to explain that "No, nobody is drying/being tortured/etc that my dog just got scared of...something".


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

4TheDawgies said:


> Your dog has allergies so he doesn't want you to touch him??
> 
> I have an allergy dog and if anything she wants to be touched more and all over because she is so itchy.


He doesn't mind us touching him, but yes, because of the allergies, he doesn't want others touching him. He tolerates it from us, but I doubt he likes it, and like most GSDs, does not seek out affection. His skin is so inflamed and dry/itchy that it causes him severe discomfort. He whines or yelps a lot while he's scratching himself, also.


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## GermanShepherds6800 (Apr 24, 2011)

Dog language is different than what you are using as a reason for scruffing. He perhaps thought he was being corrected and was also startled.


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

DJEtzel said:


> He doesn't mind us touching him, but yes, because of the allergies, he doesn't want others touching him. He tolerates it from us, but I doubt he likes it, and like most GSDs, does not seek out affection. His skin is so inflamed and dry/itchy that it causes him severe discomfort. He whines or yelps a lot while he's scratching himself, also.


Poor guy, hope the season change is easy on him.


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## JKlatsky (Apr 21, 2007)

1 yelper, 3 non-reactors, and 1 who gets angry.


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## elisabeth_00117 (May 17, 2009)

Stark will stop and just be still, no yelping or crying.. although as he ages he is getting to be quite vocal.

Just today I was packing for our trip and out of nowhere he started to bark at me. I asked him to "show me" which usually has him running around the house showing me a ball or bringing me to the door which means potty time, but today he just stood there barking at me.. lol.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> Poor guy, hope the season change is easy on him.


He's doing better this change than from fall-winter. That TORE him up. It seems like a lot of exericise is helping him through it though. He doesn't pay attention to hurting when he's running, and then he comes home and sleeps a lot so that he's not itching. It was harder to work him this much during the winter, but it's getting a lot easier. 

We have a vet visit next week to get more/new meds though and take further, much more expensive action. :crazy:


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

I'm sure you're supplementing with oils, natural C(bioflavonoids) and his diet isn't the cause?


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> Poor guy, hope the season change is easy on him.


Thanks. He's doing better this change than from fall-winter. That TORE him up. It seems like a lot of exericise is helping him through it though. He doesn't pay attention to hurting when he's running, and then he comes home and sleeps a lot so that he's not itching. It was harder to work him this much during the winter, but it's getting a lot easier. 

We have a vet visit next week to get more/new meds though and take further, much more expensive action. :crazy:


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## DolphinGirl (Nov 5, 2010)

I scruffed Aspen tonight when he wouldnt respond (bunnies in the backyard). I lifted him up and he continued to try and chase the bunnies...didnt phase him inthe least.


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## KZoppa (Aug 14, 2010)

haha Riley screams like a you're killing him, tries to hit the deck and crawl away. Shasta just keeps on pulling like you're not even touching her. She's also still got ALL that extra skin... (anxiously waiting for her head to grow into her body now....)


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

GermanShepherds6800 said:


> Dog language is different than what you are using as a reason for scruffing. He perhaps thought he was being corrected and was also startled.


Yuh. Big time. Scruffing is a pretty serious move dog speak wise. It's up there on the corrections scale.


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## selzer (May 7, 2005)

LOL, normally, I have no reason to scruff. I put food down in their crates, and then release them one at a time and close the crate. In the morning, I put food in their dishes outside, release them one at a time, let them potty and then they run to their kennels. I follow with pooper scooper, and close their gates at my leisure.

Fast forward to this morning. I passed out drumsticks and hamburger patties inside this morning. And then let them out to potty and put them in their kennels. Most of them had not a hiccup in the change. All but Bear. I picked up her poop and am going into shut her gate, but she had made a bee-line to her food dish, and finding it empty saw no reason to remain in her kennel. She went to visit Heidi, then back in the house, and then back out to visit Dolly, and I have made it to her gate by now, and am calling her, and she runs up and then veers over to say hi to Joy and Odessa. 

And I will quote myself:

"Don't MAKE Me Have to SCRUFF You!!!"

I have NEVER even heard this term used other than as a noun before yesterday, and I am naturally adding it to my morning threats and profanity list, LOL. 

My dogs generally do listen to the tone of my voice if not may actual verbage, and she came up and went into her kennel then. 

"For what to we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and to laugh at them in our turn." (Jane Austin)

I expect my neighbors have added that to the list they are keeping for Animal Control -- or they would be if we HAD animal control.


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## DJEtzel (Feb 11, 2010)

onyx'girl said:


> I'm sure you're supplementing with oils, natural C(bioflavonoids) and his diet isn't the cause?


Yes, yes, and maybe. We're fairly positive he's allergic to chicken so his diet has NO chicken in it, and we rotate foods that we can find that he does well on, but he seems to get worse as time goes on on any given food. Our vet doesn't offer an allergy panel, and I've been trying to get a hold of someone at MSU for about a week now to figure out what I need to do to get one done there. We've had his blood shipped all over the country, a quick flight across state won't be a biggy.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I can scruff Nikon (if it's not intended to hurt) and lead him around that way as if I was just holding his collar. Doesn't seem to bother him one way or the other. I do this a lot, especially when grooming him (no collar) or taking him out of the van at SchH to put on the right collars. He will stay with me anyway but it's safer just to hold him by something.

Coke doesn't like it, but he's always been sensitive to hands reaching at his head/neck. He would never nip - he's never once snapped, nipped, or done anything like that at is, but he might yelp more out of surprise than pain. That's happened a few times, like when a guest leaves the door hanging open and I have to dive onto Coke and grab his scruff to catch him from running away.


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## Silvermoon (Apr 2, 2011)

:rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl::rofl:
Reading all of these antics gave me the laugh I needed today!!!!! Couldn't live without our furry kids!!


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

Lilie said:


> However, he did give me his famous "I could eat you with or with out bread" look till we got back to the house where all was forgiven.


I loved that expression, I may have to use it some day.


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## weber1b (Nov 30, 2008)

I've never had a yelp when I have used it (Scruff) but boy does it get their attention.


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## CassandGunnar (Jan 3, 2011)

Gunnar, the big bad 90 lb boy dog cries and yelps like I just beat the tar out of him when I scruff him. I've only had to do it 3-4 times, but he is a DRAMA QUEEN.
Cassie just stops whatever she's doing and tries to drop down when I've grabbed her by the scruff. I've only done this to her twice. She doesn't seem to care.

I guess it's good to see that my dogs are "normal"...............HA.


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## brembo (Jun 30, 2009)

I bonked my guy on the nose one day when I dropped a piece of chocolate. When I say bonked I mean I used two fingers to swat/push his muzzle away from the TASTY TASTY choco goodness. You would have thought that I had flattened his nose with a sledge, immense yelps of displeasure. Now keep in mind when I get down and dirty with Banjo, I put on my racing leathers and outright punch this dog (rough play, the leathers are so he can reciprocate with hard bites), no hint of pain for him. I nudge his nose with fingers and he crumbles. DRAMA QUEEN. 

I don't have to scruff, my voice is enough 99% of the time. I did the nose thing as chocolate worries me.


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## Zoeys mom (Jan 23, 2010)

Zoe lays down because she knows if she gets scruffed she's doing something naughty!!! No yelping or whining though she just freezes and stops whatever she is doing with an oops mommy look on her face


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## GSDolch (May 15, 2006)

Bailey believes it is play time, in 10yrs I think ive only done it once or twice.

Buddy is my jrt/schnauzer mix, have to scruff him a time or two when hes tried to go after cats. He buckles down to the ground and looks at me like "Oh crap!".

His reactivity to small animals has greatly improved however...he'd still kill them if he got a chance though :/


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## kakarot (Feb 16, 2014)

Mine's dramatic when scruffed. Yelps like I'm ripping his skin off, tries to bite, rolls around, flails his paws everywhere. I try to hold it until he calms down just to show I won't give in to a yelp, but he does it every time and he's relentless sometimes.


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## Galathiel (Nov 30, 2012)

My dog has a lot of loose skin so basically any time I grab for his collar I get scruff plus collar. Now I don't even bother to correct my hold and just lead him with both in my hand. It doesn't seem to bother him. He's a confident, strong dog that nothing much phases.


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## Freestep (May 1, 2011)

GSDs are notorious for being drama queens. It totally depends on the circumstances, though. If the dog knows she's in trouble, she'll yelp pre-emptively. If the scruff is simply being used as a "handle", she may ignore it.

I've scruffed a lot of dogs and cats in my life. Usually just using the scruff as a handle. If you do it gently, most dogs will kind of freeze up and look at you like "ok, you're the boss." But some will scream bloody murder as though being tortured. It is not really hurting them, but it's like someone firmly grabbing your arm. Even if you know and trust the person, and even if it doesn't hurt, you're probably still going to be surprised and might say "hey!" 

I think that's all the dog is doing when they yelp.


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## Baillif (Jun 26, 2013)

Nice thread necro


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## onyx'girl (May 18, 2007)

Baillif said:


> Nice thread necro


I know, and see that several of the posters are no longer active on this board.


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## Serbrider (Jan 30, 2014)

I regularly "scruff" my dogs. Not in punishment. I used my puppy's scruff for the longest time to pick her up. I'll still use it to help her up somewhere. Same with with my older dog. Neither of them react to it anymore, it's just a place for me to grab and pull just like the collar or their elbows, or feet, or whatever.


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## JeanKBBMMMAAN (May 11, 2005)

Thread is 3 year old.


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