Hey the question about pulling a dogs legs apart was legitimate?

Question

I also heard that if you were to seperate their front legs too much that they die, I am not cruel but I think it's important to know for people who have kids and dogs to teach the kids to be careful of the dogs legs IF this rumour is true. Is it true? the last guy who asked had his question removed.

You couldn't afford pot from me

I don't know but I heard it from someone ages ago, and kids play 'dancing' with the dogs where they hold their paws and something terrible could happen!

Answer 1

Who the heck even thinks to do that?

Answer 2

I think a lot of people were thinking this and didn't say it clearly- you can injure a dog by pulling its legs apart hard enough to tear the muscles & ligaments that hold the sholder togeher. This is gonna take some force (even with a small dog) and the dog is gonna protest. Gently "dancing" holding paws isn't going to do it... or holding a leg up to brush the dogs chest.
It WILL NOT cause a heart attack or otherwise kill the dog directly (unless part of a protracted tourchering that stresses the poor thing to death)

NOT that teaching kids to be gentle with a dog isn't a good idea, or that injuring a dogs sholder is a good thing....

Answer 3

Any living creature can be damaged by physical abuse. The younger it is the less well-formed its joints and the weaker its muscles & ligaments, so the more easily it can be damaged.
Puppies should NOT be encouraged to do swan dives off banks, for instance.
Beyond that, your question isn't worth a comment.

However, you wrote:
"I think it's important to know for people who have kids and dogs to teach the kids to be careful of the dogs legs IF this rumour is true."
Hmmm - so it's okay to let the kids be rough if this isn't true?
I think not!

"the last guy who asked had his question removed."
Probably because he phrased it in an offensive way, but I didn't see it, so don't know. for sure.
Les P, owner of GSD_Friendly: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/GSD_Friendly
"In GSDs" as of 1967

Answer 4

I've never heard that one, but if you pulled them too far apart, you could certainly produce severe injuries. Also, it's a very bad idea to try to lift dogs by picking them up by their front legs, like people pick up human babies by lifting them by their arms. Human shoulders are built so that they can withstand that, dogs' shoulders are not, and doing so can cause serious injury.

Children should always be taught to be gentle and careful when playing with their dogs. Some cases of children being bitten by dogs are due to them hurting the dog, and it reacting defensively. Children should be taught not to pull on a dog's legs, or other body parts, whether this is true or just an unsubstantiated tale that gets passed around.

Answer 5

Emmm. I think that if the legs were to be pushed so far that they'd be broken then yep the dog could die but no non-psychotic person would ever push them apart that far. I dance with my dog.. obviously not the tango. If my kid were to kill my dog by pushing his legs so far apart that they snapped then I'd have the kid committed for being a psychotic little git.

Answer 6

I think if a kid tried to pull a dogs legs apart to that extent the dogs instincts would take over and it would protect itself and bite the child. Ergo, the question is moot.

Answer 7

I've heard it too, Give them a heart attack, oh and while we're on the subject. Chocolate can also kill them.

Answer 8

lol i hope it wasn't legit if the person was actually thinking about killing a dog like that.... sicko

Answer 9

Doggy jazzersize.