How do I hold a puppy that struggles or wriggles?

A puppy held tucked against a person's body, with both hands supporting it, generally feels more secure and struggles less than one held out in front of the body, which can feel precarious and unstable to the puppy.

If a puppy is determined to get down, forcing the issue increases the risk of a fall or a scratch. Crouching down and letting the puppy's feet reach the floor calmly is safer than gripping harder as it twists.

A puppy that struggles every time it is picked up, rather than only occasionally, may simply not have had much handling practice before joining your household, and building comfort through the short, rewarded sessions described for general handling practice tends to reduce this reaction over a few weeks more reliably than trying to power through each individual pickup.

Timing matters too: a puppy picked up mid play, full of energy, wriggles far more than one lifted during a calm moment, so where possible, wait for a natural pause rather than grabbing a puppy at the peak of an exciting game.

If struggling is paired with growling, snapping, or a genuinely distressed reaction rather than simple wriggling, treat that as a separate concern worth discussing with a trainer rather than just a handling technique issue, since it may point to a broader handling sensitivity that benefits from a more structured approach. A calm word and a brief pause before lifting again usually settles an ordinary wriggler within a few repeated tries.