I've had two adult dogs for 2 weeks now. Their personalities are slowly coming out and everyone (vet, groomer, people who know dogs) comments on how happy and settled they seem. But I'm worried that they don't seem to play. They are active when I take them out, and show real spirit at those times, but I can't be out with them all the time and when we are in I'm concerned that they sleep too much.
I've tried hide and seek games indoors with treats and this is the most successful but they are not at all food oriented so holds only mild intrigue (interestingly though they seem to play this between themselves). One of them is completely disinterested in balls rolling past her at speed, the other gets a little interested but is happy to just observe the ball at its resting place and leave it untouched.
I don't know anything really about their histories except that they have always been together with one previous owner and then got handed about a bit for 6 months, which I know caused some distress, before coming to me for good.
They do not seem abused, they don't have startle responses (in fact are remarkably "unstartleable"), they don't cower and they come to me when they are upset and want to be comforted or protected. Is it possible that the previous owner trained them not to play? Or could they have been poorly crated? I don't know anything about crating but one theory I wonder about it that they were crated indoors and therefore don't know what else to do when indoors. They have been trained in lots of ways, they don't beg for food, etc.
Does anyone have any ideas?
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The doghouse
Is it that they don't want to play, don't know how or that I'm doing it wrong?
9 replies
r2d2ismyidealman · 23/10/2014 18:36
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