it’s not uncommon at all. buns like to have their foots all on the floor to feel safe & so will struggle when you pick them up. so while t’s not advisable to aim to teach your bun to ‘enjoy’ being picked up they certainly should learn to some how tolerate it for brief periods so you can handle them for care (nail clippings…) and to get them out of harm or take them to the vet.
i had a heck of a time with pinky, my 7lb bun who’s quite muscular & very strong. i practised picking her up daily so we both got the hang of it. i would not hold her for long… maybe 15 secs… and then set her down, praise her & give her a treat. my 2 buns need to be picked up & held very differently so it took me a while to figure out the best way to pick up & hold pinky.
with pinky i need to hold her head down on the floor with one hand (to let her know i’m dominant) and at the same time use my other hand to block her from backing away. then i quickly & firmly use the hand at her bum to scoop her while the hand at her head reaches under her chest. i have to immediately put her foots against me to help her feel secure & usually cover her head with one hand too so it looks like a great big hug.
with baby bun i can just walk upto her & scoop her… one hand under her chest & one scooping her bum… but i can’t put her foots against me or she’ll wriggle & wriggle & climb up & over my shoulder. if i block her head with one hand like i do with pinky she’ll bite me. lol. so what i do is flip her on her back so the hand i used to scoop her bum is still holding her bum & her back is resting along that arm while my other hand holds her chest and that arm (the one on top) supports her back legs from kicking out & hurting her back. i do get scratched this way but usually only if i hold her too long… and its better than getting bitten! baby is very independant.
generally, the way to calm down a wiggly bun is to cover their head & hold them very snuggly. keep pracitcing & good luck!
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