Behaviour
The ball sits on the rug and he goes off to lie down. Play can be learned at any age, and it starts with what he enjoys, not with what you bought him.
Worth knowing. If a dog who used to play has suddenly stopped, he may have sore joints, a sore back or sore teeth, a thyroid problem or another illness. See your own vet first, then start the play plan.
The ball has been lying on the rug for three days. Next to it are a rope, a squeaky toy and a plush one, each sniffed once, politely, and left where it landed. The dog is asleep. Or you have taken on a four-year-old from a rescue who watches you throw the ball as if you had just lobbed it out of the window. Then there is the version that worries people most: a dog who played like mad until a few months ago and now wants nothing to do with it. There are far more dogs who don't play than most owners realise, and most of them can learn. Below are the usual reasons, the games that work with nearly any dog and the order to try them in.
Most often he simply never learned. Playing with people is something dogs pick up, mainly in the first months of life. A dog who grew up on the street, in a yard, in a kennel or with a breeder where nobody played with him may have no idea what a thrown ball is for. Nothing is wrong with him. He just hasn't had the experience.
With rescue dogs there is a second reason: he doesn't feel safe yet. For the first few weeks he is busy making sense of the house, the people, the routine and the noises. Play tends to turn up once he relaxes, which can take one month, three, sometimes longer. A frightened dog won't play, however good the toy.
Then there is the toy itself. Plenty of dogs couldn't care less about a ball but would do anything for a strip of fur dragged across the grass, or for a toy with food inside. Gundogs and hounds tend to light up for anything that moves fast along the ground. Terriers want something that squeaks and can be "killed". Livestock guardian breeds often don't chase anything at all.
Sometimes the problem is the way we play. Throwing the ball as far as you can and shouting "fetch!" ten times over is closer to a drill than a game. And leaning over a dog while waving a toy in front of his nose can intimidate him without you noticing.
Temperament matters too. Some dogs are naturally laid-back. Others play brilliantly with dogs and not at all with people. Some breeds were selected to work independently, not to play with their handler.
Age changes things as well. An older dog plays less often, for shorter spells and more gently, and that is fine. A sudden drop is a different matter.
Pain or illness is the reason to keep in mind when a dog who used to play has stopped. Sore joints, a sore back, sore teeth (he no longer grabs the toy) or an illness that isn't showing yet can take away the urge to play before anything else. Losing interest is often the first sign you notice.
Finally, tension at home. A dog who gets told off a lot, lives in a loud household or was punished for picking up "forbidden" things can stop daring to start anything at all.
The first instinct is to buy another toy. But ten toys on the floor, available day and night, turn into furniture. A toy that is always on the rug stops meaning anything to the dog.
The second is to push. Toy shoved into his face, dog pulled into running, "come on, play!" said loudly from above. For an unsure dog that is pressure, and pressure kills play on the spot.
Long sessions don't help either. A dog who is only just learning to play tires quickly, and ten minutes of attempts where nothing happens mostly teaches him that games with you are dull.
Comparisons are no use. "The neighbour's dog fetches 50 times in a row." The neighbour's dog has a different temperament and a different history; what you need to know is what your own dog enjoys.
And then there is the easy option of letting him play only with other dogs. Dog-to-dog play is lovely, but it doesn't replace what he has with you. Lots of dogs play happily with other dogs and never with their person, simply because nobody gave them the chance.
Spend a week watching what your dog does when he is in a good mood. Does he chase leaves? Dig? Chew, sniff, roll, steal socks? Each one is a clue to the kind of game he might take to. Then try these one at a time, two or three minutes each:
Make a note of what he looked at, what he reacted to and what brought him back for another go. That is your starting point.
At tug, the dog wins most of the time. Let go of your end, praise him in a happy voice, then offer him the rope again. A dog who wins wants to keep playing with you. The old idea that a dog who wins at tug becomes "dominant" has no support in research.
Two or three minutes is plenty. Stop while he still wants more, not once he's bored, and the special toy goes into a drawer until next time. That is how his appetite for the game grows from one day to the next.
Leave two or three toys out. Keep the rest in a closed box and swap them every few days. A toy that has been away for a week is, as far as the dog is concerned, a brand-new one.
Move. Run a few steps away from him, crouch side-on (not over him), use a cheerful voice, throw short, about a metre. Plenty of dogs aren't really playing with the toy; they are playing with the person holding it. Hide-and-seek around the house (you hide, he finds you and gets a treat) is a game almost every dog understands first time.
| Game | Which dog | How to start |
|---|---|---|
| Treat search | Any dog, including shy or older ones | Scatter treats in the grass or round the room and say "find it!" |
| Hide-and-seek | Dogs attached to their people | Someone holds him, you hide and call him once |
| Tug | Dogs who like to move | Hold it low, pull gently, he wins often |
| Flirt pole | Dogs with a strong chase instinct | The toy moves along the ground, away from him |
| Cardboard boxes | Curious dogs who like to rummage | Treats in a box with scrunched-up paper |
| Food toys | Calm dogs who like to chew | His daily food served from the toy |
| Day | What you do |
|---|---|
| 1–2 | Watch what he enjoys. Pick the toys up off the floor and leave two out. |
| 2–4 | Try one type of game at a time, 2–3 minutes, twice a day. |
| 4–7 | Repeat what worked, stop on a high, the special toy goes back in the drawer. |
| 7 | Note the game that makes him come to you on his own. Build the next week on that one. |
If a dog who used to play has stopped, especially over a few weeks, he sees your own vet first and the plan above comes afterwards. Joint or back pain, sore teeth, thyroid problems (the dog is sluggish and tired and putting on weight), anaemia or heart disease can take away the urge to play before any other sign appears. In older dogs, failing eyesight makes a ball hard to follow and arthritis turns running into pain. If he has also lost his appetite and sleeps a lot, tucked away in a corner, book that appointment within days rather than whenever you get round to it.
For dogs who don't play, the nose is often the way in. Searching doesn't need courage or speed. He doesn't even have to work out what you want from him with that ball. He is doing what every dog does from birth: sniffing. At our mantrailing training sessions we regularly meet rescue dogs introduced as "doesn't play with anything" who, after a few short trails, go looking for their person with a delight their families had never seen. A simple search game round the house is a good start, for him and for you.
Ask a trainer for help in any of these situations:
A trainer looks at the dog with fresh eyes and often finds the game he enjoys in the very first session.
What dog owners search for most often on the internet about this problem, with the short answer.
Yes, it happens a lot, especially with rescue dogs, dogs raised in yards or kennels and some breeds. Playing with people is learned. If he doesn't play but eats well, explores and seems relaxed, he usually just hasn't found his game yet. If he has suddenly stopped playing, that is different: vet first.
Start with what he does anyway: sniffing, rummaging, chewing. Roll a treat across the floor, hide food under a cushion, drag a fur toy along the ground away from him. Two or three minutes, and stop while he still wants more. Crouch side-on rather than leaning over him, and keep your voice cheerful.
Searching for treats hidden round the room, hide-and-seek with someone in the family, tug, food toys, cardboard boxes stuffed with treats and scrunched-up paper, a treat rolled across the floor. They all fit in a small flat and tire a dog out more than you would expect, because they put his nose and brain to work.
In many rescue dogs, play appears once they feel safe, usually after one to three months, sometimes later. Don't rush it. Until then, search games and food toys help: they need no courage and they build his confidence. If after three months he still seems frightened of everything, ask a trainer for help.
No, that idea has no support in research. A dog who often wins at tug enjoys the game more and wants to play it again with you. Keep two rules: if teeth touch your hand, the game stops for a few seconds, and at the end the special toy is put away until next time.
A behaviour that appears suddenly or changes for no apparent reason can have a medical cause. For full details, consult your dog's own veterinarian.
They often come together: the same causes, plans that complement each other.
Chewing, barking, racing round the house at ten at night and still not tired. A dog like that tires through his head, and you see the change within days.
He lies in the corner of the hall, will not eat and jumps at every noise. An adopted dog needs calm and routine first; training and visitors come later.
He hides under the table at every doorbell or trembles at lorries. Exposed "to get used to it", he got worse. Confidence comes from distance and his own choice.
You pick up the lead and nobody comes. He sleeps, leaves food in the bowl, ignores the ball. An off day or the first sign of illness; what comes with it decides.
An assessment session tells you where you stand and which plan makes sense for your dog. The behaviour programme then works step by step, reward-based only.