teach old dogs to play with toys?

[Ivan]

Any ideas how to teach these 2 oldsters how to play with toys? We try to get 'em excited with a toy, but they're just not interested. They just don't get it. Toys? Fuhgeddaboudit, they say. Balls? Nah. Squeekies? Nah. Tug? Yeah, maybe, but I'd prefer no dominance competition with him. Running? Nah. Sticks? Nah. Stones? Nah. At a dog-park, one stays at our feet, while the other just finds every pee spot he can. Same when we go for our 4 walks per day (pee fest). They don't seem to know that they can play! Have they forgotten? Have they spent too much time being solo dogs?

Their only desire (besides food) is to be held or fondled by us. Admirable, but all day, every day? Maybe we could add fun to their day, too? Is it possible? They do love to eat, esp. things like rawhide chewies. So we tried chewy toys and even chewy hollow rubber Kong, etc., but those are totally ignored, and later we end up washing out any peanut butter, etc., that we put into them (if any). It might be nice to play ball with them. But how? Yesterday, I tried smearing butter on a ball. No go. Can they re-learn to play? How?

[alfina]

My two are also not interested in toys. I have had mine both since they were puppies. I think part of the issue could be that our third dachsie at the time was very dominant and didn't allow them to play with toys. Only she could.
Sabrina is a solo dog now at her new home. She is 8 and she still icks up a toy and throws it up in the air, chases it, basically plays by herself with them.
And even though Sabrina has been gone for 3+ years from our house, mine just have no interest in toys. They like interacting with each other and wrestle a bit. But most of the time they sleep or else want to sit in my lap.

[Linus]

Some dogs just aren't big on toys. Bailey plays every once in a while, but he mostly prefers just "being." His beauty sleep is much more important to him.

Bailey also loves to interact with me. At a dog park, he would also be the one by my feet. Like you, I don't want him to live a sedentary lifestyle, so we train. He is 7, and we just started training seriously in January. He loves it! We do basics every day, and our Rally stuff a few times a week. I throw in some tricks and reward him with the good, stinky treats. He is a happy dog. Time with mom + using his brain + yummy treats = awesome! This is his play.

Also, tug is not necessarily a dominance inducing game. I'll have to look around for the things I've read on it, I'll get back to you on that. Piper absolutely loves to tug and dominance is the last thing on her mind. She just loves to play! (plus that whole dominance theory is flawed, but that is another post for another day.)

[areese]

If they like to tug, and you want them to play with something, then tug. The whole dominance thing...IMHO..it's an attitude you have with the dogs and a single activity is not going to make or break it. I train a LOT, cuz I teach and compete in agility and I don't worry about the dominance. Unless you have a super aggressive dog. which I don't think you do
You can teach a dog to play with toys but of course won't be able to teach them to love to do so. I taught owen to first touch, then pick up toys. He has Fear of Squeakies though so had to be soft toys with no squeaks. He does now play with his 3 non squeaky toys sometimes but it took a few years. It's so cute when he does. but he'd be all over a kong if it had any sort of food item in it!!!
There are toys that have a velcro pocket in them that you can put treats in.
But if you want them to do more with YOU, do some training. dogs like it, it's stimulating to their minds, increases your bond with them, is fun for humans too.

[lotsadox]

None of mine are that big on toys. The like to destuff stuffies, but once that destuffing is done they lose interest. They mostly like to chew bones and Miller shreds his rope toy at meal times. It's his stress reducer and saves the fringe on my rugs. :D I let them do what they want which is mostly sleep (as shown in the Saturday post) or forage in the bushes for critters.

Edit: I agree with Amy. If you want to do something to interact with them, do some training. I did basic with all of mine and CGC with Cash and Miller and they all loved it. It was just as Lins said, special time with me + special training treats + something to make him think. What's not to like like?

[Lisa]

I agree with all of the above!! I have just started training Pepsi everyday and it has been wonderful. He is really connecting to me and we are loving our time together.

None of mine are big on toys except for Pogo who kills and de-stuffs and then never touches it again.

[BeauBuddy]

Could you get them interested in 'hide it' with a toy? Use lots of praise and make it easy at first. If there's 2 of you at home, one person could hide and whistle for them and release them from the bathroom to hunt you down, then lots of praise.

I wouldn't know what to do with a dog that didn't like to play. I seem to have gotten only doxies that are crazy to play with a ball.

[Rae]

Duchie, no toys either. She was 5 when I got her and had been a mill mommy, so not having to compete for food and getting tummy rubs and kind words was probably heaven for her. Toys just don's seem important to her - the only one she cares much for is Pinky the Pink Pig (from Auntie Barb) which she uses as a pillow for her liddle chin.

[Alex's Mom]

Of the 6 dachsies I've had in my life, only James really is a player. And only with his ball. He'll destuff something (as would Alex), but he'll actually PLAY with his ball. None of the other were at all interested in toys whatsoever at any point in their lives. I kinda got the feeling that they thought playing with toys was beneath them :lol:. Alex had a nylabone she'd chew on, but not play with. Throwing it just made her cranky with me . In fact, her first nylabone was one I'd bought for Maxe when SHE was a puppy, and she was 9 when Alex came along .

If you're getting them out to walk, even if it's more of a sniff than a walk, and they seem content, then what the heck! They're happy .

[LexieLuvr]

Some dogs just are NOT into toys. The only reason Jack and Lexie play with anything (usually a Kong ball) is because there's a treat inside. Neither of them play fetch, and although they do enjoy their walks, the toys mostly just fill up a couple of boxes and gather dust. ONCE in a blue moon Lexie will grab a stuffie and carry it outside with her; then she leaves it and does her business and comes back inside, leaving me to pick up her toy she left outside! Some dogs are into toys, some are not. Doing active things with them would be much more stimulating to them, I'm sure, and a great way to bond, as mentioned above.