To expect the dog to put his toys back in his box?

[FlorenceMattell]

Hi
my darling dog can get his toy box open and all his toys out. AIBU to expect him to put them away ???

YADNBU, bloody messy bugger, tell him he's not having a walk until he's cleared up after himself

my dog could tidy her toys - each one picked up and back in th box. with a few treats and close direction the 'tidy' command was readily learnt. she can't quite put the lid on though.

Yanbu, but you have to do the work first!

DD and DS have both learned to 'tidy' too, bless them. Shame they've also learned to throw toys all over their room!

At least the dog is good.

have you tried a sticker chart. 5 waggy tails and he gets a bone!!

I asked my 5yo dd and she says you are being unreasonable. So there.

Oooh but dogs shouldn't have access to their toys, you should control all the toys (except things for chewing on like Nylabones).

So YABU, put them high up.

EdgarAllinPink was joking but maybe a few treats and ....
and do rotate his toys - didnt know not to give him access. Am new dog owner.
He's good really.

No offence intended.

Load of people (most actually) just give their dogs new toys all the time and leave them all over the floor, in the dogs basket and then wonders why the dog gets 'bored' of the toys and buy more.

It's best to 'own' all the toys yourself and then when you want to (which should be often obviously) get out a toy and begin to play with it yourself, your dog will be desperate to join in, play fetch, hide and seek, tug, whatever, but when you want the game to end make sure you victoriously take repossession of the toy, play with it yourself for a few seconds (throwing it up in the air and catching it is fine) seem really pleased to have won and then while the dog is still looking, put it away.

In your dogs eyes you will seem like a confident, victorious winner and someone to be respected and in the same vein, trusted.

Plus every time you get a toy out your dog will be desperate for a game. All to often you see owners pick up a toy off the floor and invite the dog to play, the dog can't be bothered as as far as it is concerned it already 'owns' the toy but is prepared to let you play with it if you wish.

In our house, any owner who plays with a toy is regarded with benign amusement and indulgence by any of the three greyhounds. One will kindly condescend to occasionally throw up a squeaky toy if pushed, and feeling charitable. In our dogs' eyes, far from looking a "confident, victorious winner" we look like a deranged prat with an unaccountable interest in latex chickens.

No dog here is desperate for games - an owners sock is occasionally of interest and we have one kleptomaniac who collects kitchen implements in his den, but doesn't juggle them, thank God.

i was about to post "great advice WTWTW" but then i read scuttle's post

Ah, but Scuttlebutter doesn't have any dogs, Scuttlebutter has greyhounds not the same thing at all .

@ scuttlebutter!!

You can train the dog to put his or her toys away pretty swiftly with a clicker

In terms of restricting access to toys, I think it depends entirely on your dog's attitude to toys. We restricted with our dog because she had low interest in toys and we wanted to increase their value and use them as a training tool as well as something fun for her - a strategy which worked really well. However, some dogs enjoy regular access to toys, have no guarding issues and still respond well to toys when the owner picks the toy up for a game. In which case it would seem a little inconsiderate and lacking much point to restrict access to them IMHO...

PMSL @ Scuttlebutter. :o

These are not just Greyhounds. These are Scuttlebutter's Greyhounds....!

My foster Grey was very similar. A look down a long nose and a face which clearly indicated, "And what, pray, do you expect me to do with that?" whenever a ball rolled his way.

I'm currently working on training one, just one, any one of my three dogs to shut the flaming door after themself but it seems that they will only deign to open them. Shutting doors is for their servants humans.

Am not sure if I am doing a good job in encouraging the adoption of greyhounds. I wouldn't mind him stealing the kitchen implements if I could find the bloody things. There are two knives and a potato masher that have disappeared completely. One day I am going to come home and find he has built a sodding anti squirrel ballistic missile in the front bedroom. I did read once that greys (or indeed any dogs) don't like picking up knives because of the feel of the metal in their mouths. Ours obviously didn't get that memo when he left the kennels. He has just run off with husband's running shorts, but knows I've clocked him so is trying to look casual, and not at all as though he had a cunning plan.

Val, if you can crack getting them to close doors, you'll have made your fortune....