Playing

I have always thought that play is very important for all our dogs, the dog is far happier if they know how to play.

Jazz, has had a difficult life for her three years, abused and abandand, and generaly not cared for,...and has never been played with, she simply doesnt know how to.

I am trying to teach her to play ball, I have had little encouraging results, but only when we are lying on the floor, very close, sometimes she will hold the ball if I place it in her mouth, and a little tug o war goes on for ten seconds or so, she seems to want to grab it as I move it around, but never gets it, even though I do it slow,..she will never go and collect it.

the effort verses the fun is not worth it to her right now.

She has improved in every other aspect, she no longer shows sadness in her eyes, it was so bad at one time that people commented on the way she looked, she runs around with Sam and Kee, but never plays when they do

Does anyone have any ideas? at the moment I feel I am failing her because I cant bring the best out of her, if I had a genie I would ask for all three dogs to play together, or with me,.. but all I have is you lot,.., and you lot are better,..so I will gladly try any ideas you come up with

Stuart

This sounds a little like what I went through with Kaiser with regards to tug(although he wasnt abused and abandoned like poor Jazz)
He would show no confidence in being able to tug with meas though it belonged to me and he wasnt allowed(I dont know why this was just how it was))
Since he got older I have built his confidence up and I must say he is fanatastic now(although a little too confident in some area's)like jumping on my back
I would tug for very short times and build up always let them win to begin with and praise when they do
It took months with Kaiser and can do this for a good 5-10 mins
Patience and confidence is the key here I think

Linda x

[DelsMum]

I had something similar with jerry lee, I don't think whoever he belonged to bothered to play with him as he would take the toy and go off and play on his own :-(

I had to literally teach him to fetch by recalling him when he had the toy, telling him to 'give' etc or he would just get confused bless him. He loves it now though!

Do you think a squeaky toy might get Jazz going a bit and get her to focus on the actual toy??

[sami]

I am not going to be much help to you here Stuart but hopefully supportive. Leo simply will not play any game where he has to be dominant, no playfighting, tug of war, or ball. Ball he just looks at me he doesnt know what to do. He is positively terrified if you try to play fight or tug of war with him and I have had him 10 years nearly. I have managed to get him to play what my friend calls "lolloping" (!) with her dog but I have to do it with him! Calli (my friends dog) loves ball playing and we throw the ball for her and then the rest of us have to bounce around to chase her !! Dont ask me Leo seems to like it, but he has to be on his lead with me running after him!! If I let him off the lead he just stands by my side!!


Can you get Jazz to do any sort of group play like this? Leo only seems to have the confidence to do it in a group and not one to one. . Good luck

[blackdogs]

Stuart are the dogs always all together, how much individual attenion do they have ,and are they all walked
together?
Use soft toy for her to start with something like a cats toy lil fury thing

[super D]

will she hold a toy in her mouth stuart, if so play tugga, it may only be for a couple of seconds, and when she does, its party time, Yeh good girl...if that makes sense
xx

Thats everyone,...

Linda, the brief tug o war we have, if I can even call it that is so slight, there is no confidence at all, if I was anything other than holding the ball it wouldnt be tug o war at all,.. but I am continueing with that, as its the nearest I have ever got to play with her

Faye,.. her recall is brilliant, but she will not attemp to go for the ball in the first place, she pays it no attention at all

Sami,.. she has been known to play a little with Kee, but only while lying at my feet, when we are out she usually stays at my side even when the other run off, I usuall have to tell her to `go on` to get her to join the others,..on very rare occations she will make a spirt to catch up with the others,.. but there is never any group play

Sue,.... through the week all the dogs walk together, they get on really well and have formed a good pack,.. but I do take them to a field close to us on their own each weekend in order to train them without distractions,.. I wanted to re-enforce the bond between me and them so that it is stronger than the bond between the dogs,.. on these occations Jazz is a different dog, she does run a lot, dashing of here there and everywhere, and shows a lot more confidence,.. but still shows no interest in anything but me

Stuart

[bluestorm]

Learn the Basics of Natural Dog Training - Natural Dog Blog – Training and More


Try this link, hopefully I have done it right , I am trying out a different method of training willow as she is reluctant to play with toys and have fun and I`m having a degree of success its a more gentle approch at dog training and I`ve been hand feeding her as well it is definately doing something if you have time to read through all the pages , see what you think???

Lindax

Sarah,.. in order to get any sort of tug out of her, I have to attempt to play a lot before she even shows interst, after a little while she will open her mouth in a half hearted way,...its then that I put the ball in her mouth,... and sometimes get a hold from her, and that very short lived tug o war,... but it soon passes, I am always gently, patient, and full of praise when I get anywhere,.. but failing badly somewhere

Stuart

Originally Posted by bluestorm

Learn the Basics of Natural Dog Training - Natural Dog Blog – Training and More


Try this link, hopefully I have done it right , I am trying out a different method of training willow as she is reluctant to play with toys and have fun and I`m having a degree of success its a more gentle approch at dog training and I`ve been hand feeding her as well it is definately doing something if you have time to read through all the pages , see what you think???

Lindax

Thanks Linda, I will have a read of that

Stuart