Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hello, I am new to this forum and would like to know if anybody can offer me some help with my special buddy. He has several problems but I will discuss only one right now. I got him from some folks who have a show gsd and had a litter of pups . He had some cosmetic defects that rendered him a 'No Show" dog. They were looking for a good home for him, so I took him. He is a wonderful dog.I got him when he was 1.5 years old and he is now 3 yr. old. He wants to go everywhere I go and enjoys going for runs/walks. The problem is,when we are in the house he just lays around. he doesn't want to play with any toys. I have gotten him all kinds of squeaky, fuzzy, chewy things and he basically ignores them all. Once in a while I have gotten him to grab a squeaky hedgehog thing but he just take it to his crate and that's the end of the game. If I go in and get it and throw it again he does the same thing. But again he doesn't do this often. Outside if I throw a ball, frisbee, stick, he just ignores it. Any suggestions?

I was told that shepherds slow down at about three years of age. He might just be bored with the puppy games, have you tried teaching him new things?

well it sounds like he has no play drive..Guess there are worse things to deal with than this, tho I know you want to play with your dog..There's not much you can do to "make" your dog play with toys if he really isn't interested in them
diane

>>Hello, I am new to this forum and would like to know if anybody can offer me some help with my special buddy. He has several problems but I will discuss only one right now. I got him from some folks who have a show gsd and had a litter of pups . He had some cosmetic defects that rendered him a 'No Show" dog. They were looking for a good home for him, so I took him. He is a wonderful dog.I got him when he was 1.5 years old and he is now 3 yr. old. He wants to go everywhere I go and enjoys going for runs/walks. The problem is,when we are in the house he just lays around. he doesn't want to play with any toys. I have gotten him all kinds of squeaky, fuzzy, chewy things and he basically ignores them all. Once in a while I have gotten him to grab a squeaky hedgehog thing but he just take it to his crate and that's the end of the game. If I go in and get it and throw it again he does the same thing. But again he doesn't do this often. Outside if I throw a ball, frisbee, stick, he just ignores it. Any suggestions?

>>>>>>>>>>

If his hips and elbows have not been x-rayed to check for dysplasia, that needs to be done. Many dogs will exercise when sufficiently excited even though they are in pain, which may be why he exercises some times but not others.
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Kathy Diamond Davis, author, "Therapy Dogs: Training Your Dog to Reach Others," 2nd edition, and the free Canine Behavior Series articles at http://www.veterinarypartner.com/Content.plx?P=SRC&S=1&SourceID=47

Hi this is my first time posting here, but I wanted to say in regards to the dog with no play drive. I have a 6 month old puppy we just got a few weeks ago from rescue, and I have thought its the craziest thing he actually doesn't know how to play with any toys at all, won't even put his mouth on toys. I have been working with him for the past couple weeks and we are making progress. I was clicker training, clicking and treating for even putting his mout on the ball, and then I moved to dropping or rolling the ball and he would sometimes bounce after it. We have actually worked up to me throwing the ball him going after and occasionally bringing it back all with clicker and treats. I will say this though he does it when he wants too, he likes the ckicker treat game but he doesn't have a high play drive at all but he is a GSD so he is smart lol and he is learning that he can do this on occasion.

Catherine