- 1). Sit down and pick the puppy up. Sitting is important if the puppy has not been handled very much--if it squirms out of your arms, the puppy will have a shorter distance to fall if you are sitting.
- 2). Pet the puppy and talk to it in soothing tones. Gently pick it off your lap and hold it to your chest--but aim the puppy’s snout away from your face in case it tries to nip. You should support the baby dog so that it is comfortable and feels secure when you hug it, similar to how you would hug a human baby.
- 3). Give the baby dog a gentle squeeze. The squeeze should be firm enough so that if the puppy wiggles, it can’t get away, and yet not so much pressure that it can’t breathe well.
- 4). Release the squeeze but still hold the baby dog against your chest and massage its back with one hand. Place it to sit on your lap again. You can repeat this several times so the puppy gets used to it--other people should also hug the puppy.
- 5). Keep holding the puppy even if it resists. Your instinct may be to let it go, but Dog Time advises that doing so lets the puppy learn that if it resists it will get its way. Instead, turn the puppy to face away from you and stroke it until it calms down. Then you can let it down.
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