My dog won't play with toys. How do I teach a rescue dog to play?

Question

My Siberian 18lbs (muscle) won't play with toys- he'll wrestle, body slam, lie on back and "gut the squirrel" using my arm as prey, and I get him to sprint by throwing denta- life's for teeth (sadly for me his canines are huge) you can break a bat on his chest! It's really pronounced! His breed lends this build he was also a rescue I suspect taken from mom too early...He is sweet though and flops on his back in trust even lets me give raspberries on his belly! But I can't teach him how to play

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Some dogs don't enjoy playing with toys, or may not have learned to play at all. You mentioned he was a rescue, which if he was kept in a shelter too long or didn't have much interaction with toys previously may have stopped him from learning. If he enjoys treats and chew bones, you can try hiding those inside toys to get him to start interacting. If he likes other objects such as sticks or a bone to play fetch, then using that is just fine. As long as he is happy, you are happy and he's getting plenty of exercise and play time, then it's not really a requirement to play with a toy.

My dog won't play with toys. How do I teach a rescue dog to play?

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