Too many toys and obsession with cuddly dogs

[MummyTurd]

I'm sure his has probably been posted on here a gazillion times but I'm new here and thought I'd start my own feed.

My 3.5yr old son has just about every toy under the sun. Family business is a toy shop, coupled with working parents guilt and grandparents who love to spoil.

The upshot is that he actually plays with very little of them. Mostly just cuddly dogs or little figurines (mostly dogs - he is dog crazy).

I genuinely believe that he has too many toys and I'm debating limiting his options.

The obsession with cuddly dogs drives me and my partner crazy as they often fight and that allows for bad behaviour to creep in.

I want him to play with constructive toys, i.e drawing, puzzles, duplo but he only ever seems to want to drag a cuddle dog around and make it bark, jump or fight. I can get him to play with the above mentioned items but it's not long until he's back to the dogs.

It's like he's even taken on a soggy persona as often he will bark/growl at people, esp to combat embarrassment or shyness.

Does any of this sound familiar to anyone? Anyone at all?

Get rid of the toys.

Get him a real dog.

All your problems solved.

We have a 4 month old baby. It's on the radar but not until our youngest is a bit bigger!

I honestly don't see the problem. He sounds like a lovely imaginative little boy, and if the worst of his behaviour is being a bit rough with his cuddly dogs then count your blessings.

3yo boys can be BRUTAL.

Awww, Dd used to stuff toilet paper out from her trousers as her doggy tail... some kids just like dragging around stinking cuddly toys a lot. :)

Why are constructive toys more worthy than imaginative play? Would you feel the same if he was a little girl?

I agree that it sounds like healthy imaginative play. They are interested in what they are interested in. I couldn't get DC1 interested in Lego, construction, play figures, cuddly toys or even Disney princesses for that matter! She was obsessed with being a doctor or hairdresser til age 4 and now just wants to stick pieces of paper together and leave them all around the house

Luckily DC2 then came along to play with all her millions of unplayed toys.

He sounds very imaginative to me. Children will gravitate towards what they are interested in. It won't be forever. Just keep some other options around and I'm sure they will get played with eventually.

I have a nearly 10 yo who still spends a small amount of time as dog but a lot less than he used to. He used to bark, growl and, if we were really lucky , give us a lick. I actually miss it a bit now! Not the licking though.
I don't think you can force them to choose which toys become their favourites. Do you play Duplo etc with him, or leave him to it?

Let him play with what he wants. Why would duplo be better?

Ds is 9yo and has been collecting soft toy dogs since he was just under 2yo and was asked by granny what he wanted from a shop and he replied "Pirate doggy". After a few minutes bewilderment, we found a white dog with a black eye.
He now has a cupboard literally half way filled with them. They were all over his bed until we discovered he has a major dust allergy, so most of them stay in the cupboard except when they're playing. They're all lying down with their heads poking forward so he can talk to them!

Pirate doggy is his favourite still (and has now genuinely lost an eye!) but his ultimate favourite soft toy is one he's had since a baby and not a dog, which often does everything (violin practice is impossible) under his arm. I don't expect that will continue much longer though.

He used to pretend to be a dog when he was about 4/5yo. In fact his first headmistress' first conversation with him at school was conducted in barks. She reminds him of that when she sees him.

My dd is the same except it's cats

My DS is now 8 but spent a good few years talking in miaows. I shouted at him once and he hissed at me We had a barking phase too. His current favourite toy is a cuddly dog called 'Doag' He is quirky and individual and everyone falls in love with DS as soon as they meet him. Just let your son be himself.

You can't dictate WHAT he plays with. Get rid of what he doesn't. And buy him more cuddly toys if that's what he likes.