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Post by lovinfroggy on Sept 15, 2013 17:31:36 GMT -5
Wondering if any one had to teach their hounds how to play. When we first got Frog she seemed to have zero clue as to what toys were and what she was suppose to do with them. We would play 'monkey in the middle' with the squeaky ones and eventually she sorta got a clue, but she never really plays. I am interested in figuring out ways to get her interested because I think it would be fun exercise for her. Any suggestions?
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Post by Heather (& KC) on Sept 16, 2013 6:24:04 GMT -5
I have a massive bucket of squeaky toys waiting to be played with. Mr Max loved toys and when he got a new one would play with it for hours and favour that one for days before revisiting others (which all got played with). Thunder doesn't play with toys at all.....although he does move them around and I'm convinced there's some closet play happening when we're not here. I too would love to hear people's advice on getting them to play with toys! Perhaps some just never will?
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daylight
Hound Nut
what's so funny Light?....Joker!
Posts: 1,275
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Post by daylight on Sept 16, 2013 12:27:42 GMT -5
Have you tried the famous "screaming monkey" toy? It has a sound chip that is literally that... a (loud) screaming monkey !! Both our pups do like squeaky toys for short periods, but the monkey REALLY triggers a playful romp! Maybe worth a try. I purchased through GEM (Greyhounds of Eastern Michigan) website. Not sure if there are any vendors closer.
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Post by Havencroft on Sept 17, 2013 11:31:58 GMT -5
Our guys only seem to want to play for a short time and only with the furry squeaker toys. We have a bucket of chewy toys and such, but they only get used by company. The best we have found are the flat ones with multiple squeakers in them. It took Boaz about 6 months to really get interested in playing. We tried showing him the toys but he would just snuggle them, which was too cute. We found that if we waited until the zoomies hit, we could toss a stuffie at him and he'd start playing. He will now take the toys out himself and play, but it lasts about 5 minutes. I'm wondering if this type of play is related to the hunting instinct- they grab the toy, shake it and then gnaw on it for a bit. It'll get tossed around, but mostly bitten.
We don't really worry about play with the boys. They like to run around the yard and the dog park, sniffing and jumping. We also get lots of snuggles and cuddle time, so typical dog play isn't high on our list. Maybe it's a greyhound thing?
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Post by rubylottie14 on Sept 17, 2013 13:41:28 GMT -5
I definitely think it is a greyhound thing to be not that interested. After all they don't move do they?! None of mine have been interested, except for the very very occasional tossing up of a toy when we're getting ready to walk.
I don't bother at all about it, greyhounds are different that's what attracts me to them.
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Post by lovinfroggy on Sept 17, 2013 15:21:52 GMT -5
Thanks all. I worry that Frog might be bored, but chances are she is happy doing her own thing of nothing Funny enough, this morning she took a toy out of her box and dropped it at my feet while I got ready for her walk. She just dropped it and meandered off. I'm thinking a fellow greyhound called her up to tell her I've been on here talking about her. This was her way of telling me to hush up. Lol. We will continue with the trips to the pet store where we let her pick out a toy, and see what happens.
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Post by angelollie on Sept 17, 2013 18:57:01 GMT -5
Froggy may not know how to play because no one has ever taught her or showed her how. She probably doesn't realize how much fun a stuffie can be. She was bred as a business, not as a pet, so it's up to you to show her how. When they are learning to chase the lure as pups, squeakies are used so that sound may be familiar to her. You had mentioned about Froggy choosing her own toys at the pet store .... my Angel Ollie first learned about stuffies when at a pet store ... he couldn't get over ALL those stuffies with all those odd sounds and those visits soon became a highlight in his life as he knew he could bring a new stuffie home. He would try out about 5 or 6 stuffies before finding just the right one. Of my pack, Johnny has no interest at all, Mary will carry a stuffie if she finds it on the floor, Willy has one favourite and refuses to even touch a different stuffie, Bridge Angel Frankie loved all stuffies to the point of destuffing or beheading them. I also included a site from Greyhound Articles called Praise, Play, Treats and Toys. I don't know if there's any info you can use to help Froggy enjoy a stuffie. She may just get enjoyment out of having a nice soft stuffie in her bed. Have fun .... greytarticles.wordpress.com/behavior-training-22/basic-training/great-greyhound-motivators-%E2%80%94-praise-play-treats-and-toys/
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Post by Heather (& KC) on Sept 17, 2013 20:00:41 GMT -5
Thanks lovinfroggy for posting this. I'm not giving up on our basket of stuffies!!!
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OwnedBySummer
Hound Nut
"Summer" (aka Coach Standifer)
Posts: 1,392
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Post by OwnedBySummer on Sept 17, 2013 23:34:51 GMT -5
Yeah, I had to show Summer, sort of. She clued in pretty fast. Her absolute most favorite toy is the squeaky wooly white toy which I *ONLY* use with the lure pole. And she is allowed to "catch the lure", which thrills her to no end. Because it's the lure toy, it's extra special. Apart from that, she has a box of outdoor toys and a basket of indoor toys. She cycles through them and has "favorites of the week".
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Post by Trip 2011 on Sept 19, 2013 11:07:45 GMT -5
I have had Trip for four months now and he is just starting to figure out his toys. For the longest time he would just stand there and look at the toy like, "Yeah. So what?". Just recently he has started tossing them around.
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Post by dunnrunnin on Sept 21, 2013 12:11:17 GMT -5
I think this is where already having a dog @ home to show a newbie the ropes would be beneficial Oddly enough, Wynonna's most favourite toys are a hand-me-down rabbit (!) from my previous grey and a little chicken from her foster mom that she had before I adopted her. Both have very high pitched squeekers in them, and both are well-loved but not destroyed as she has done w/ numerous other stuffies. She had another grey and a jack russel as foster siblings to show her how to play...she has a toy box that she will root through when she feels the zoomies coming on, and she will play bow to the stuffy she has chosen. I think she gets abit confused when the play bow doesn't entice the stuffy to get up and move...she'll run back and forth, bark @ it, pick it up and throw it...and when that doesn't work, she gives up and picks another one and the whole process starts over again. It is way too cute Her play time/zoomies in the house usually only last 5 minutes or so...then its nap time! LOL @ Renly...I'll do the same w/ Wyn and throwing her toys for her...she'll run for them, sometimes she'll even catch them...but she has not mastered the idea of fetch either. Tuketi, that is a beautiful pic of Renly as your avatar...stunning! I agree w/ the trying of different types of toys, Froggy will choose what she likes the best...good luck, but if she doesn't play w/ stuffies, I'm sure she will get her exercise some other way...
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Post by lchomitz on Sept 30, 2013 6:44:24 GMT -5
Remy didn't understand play at first either. The odd time I would catch her playing, she would stop and wonder if she should be destroying this poor stuffed animal! Every day she gets more interested in toys - she loves HUGE stuffed animals and has completely destroyed the first stuffy I got her. What I have found is that it will come out sooner or later - your hound will get more confident and this will make playing more enjoyable for both of you
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