Help teach rescue dog about play and treats

jjj1980

Any advice more than welcome.


Just over a week ago, my daughter and I adopted a dog from RSPCA who had been previously locked in a pigeon shed for 3 months whilst her owner was in hospital. Following his death, his wife took the dog to RSPCA, saying she knew nothing about the dog and didn't want it.


As it turns out, the dog is a very small Chihuahua/Jack Russell mix, who had become incredibly anxious whilst in the shed. However, after a few weeks in kennels while building her health back up, she was showing signs of being very stressed in them and needed to be rehomed.


During the week and a bit she has been with us, she has really come out of her shell. She is very friendly, really well behaved and is showing signs of having had some previous behaviour/obedience training. She walks to heel, has fab recall when off lead and loves being around other friendly dogs.


I just feel really sorry for her that she doesn't appear to have any idea of how to play with the other dogs as when they are all running around together or chasing balls, she just sits and watches. We have bought her a couple of toys but she just had one sniff and walked away. Also, if you try to give her a treat, she sniffs it and looks at you quite confused. I've tried using her actual food, various small dog treats, bits of chicken or sausage but she will only eat it if it's put in her food bowl.


Hoping someone can give me some ideas.

GlasweJen

It's something they're supposed to learn before they leave the litter. No amount of trying to teach our rescue has helped but introducing her to a child helped, she plays with my nieces under supervision but she won't play with adults or other dogs.

Fosterdog

Regardless of their start in life not all dogs are particularly playful and not all dogs are bothered by treats. Some will play with people but not toys, nor other dogs, some may play with dogs but not toys, there are no hard and fast rules about what they will or won't like.

Although saying that if it really is just down to lack of experiences and socialisation as it can be with some dogs, there is nothing you can do do rush it. Just give her time, offer her the toys and treats regularly, give her time with other dogs, especially with them playing with toys and she may well start to play and enjoy it or she may just be a dog that doesn't really like to play and will never be bothered with toys.

elsien

Yes. I was thinking you've only had her a week. If she's had some training at some point she's responded to positive reinforcement of some sort. Maybe she needs time to relax a bit more before she's able to start getting interested

sheramber

I give rescue dogs three weeks of quiet to settle down and become used to the new routines and environment. I don't ask much of them and just have short quiet walks.

There is no law that says she must play and interact with other dogs. My 12 year old, who has been with me since he was 12 weeks and has always had another dog in the house does not play with other dogs. He is like the shy kid at the party who stands at the side watching.

My other one is everybody's friend.

Let her settle in.

We got on kennel raised puppy interested in playing by playing a form of pig in the middle.

We sat facing each other a little distance apart and rolled a toy from one to another, acting very excited when we got the toy. 'I've got the toy, see what I've got' sort of thing.while hugging it to our chest. Then we rolled to the other person who did the same.
After a few nights she started watching the toy go back and forward and then tentatively started to try and grab it. This went on until she would join in the game and try to grab it before we got it.

Try different toys of different material- a ball or a soft toy, A wiggly fluffy snake, a squeaky toy. Something that moves like a wiggly ball which also makes a noise.

For food she may have been trained only to eat food in her dish. When you make her dinner as you out the dish down have a small amount in your hand and hold your hand open in the dish. Only use one mouthful then withdraw your hand.When she is confident with that feed more from the dish in your hand.

Rolling treats towards her may also help as a moving target is more interesting that a stationary one.

Take things gradually.

She has had a lot of upsetting changes suddenly in her life and needs time to adjust.

But do not baby her just encourage her. As she bonds with you she will relax.

KayBee

When we brought our rescue dog home she looked at the toys we gave her as if she had never seen anything like them in her life. After 4/5 weeks of settling in and getting to know us one day she picked up a ball and dropped it at my feet. From then on her favourite game every day was to chase a ball and bring it back.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Sounds like she's been very well trained.

I'd wonder whether she was a pet that was then abused by the relatives (locked in a filthy pigeon shed? Really? :mad: - bet the pigeons suffered as well), or whether the owner was training her to work in some way - for example, to deal with rats in the shed.

I suppose she might react to pigeons or something rodent shaped as a result - but it might just be he trained her very well for what he wanted and she'll get more relaxed as she goes on.


I'd probably keep to the 'It's yours only when I put it in your bowl' rule, as he worked hard to teach her that one - if it's that much of a thing that you really, really want her to take treats, I'd stick her bowl by my feet and put things in there for her. I think that also means that he's trained her some other way than with food or toys - maybe just affection?

She sounds a lovely dog, though, perhaps she just needs time and your continued love - a friend took a cat in from an elderly person, and she didn't have a clue what toys were for, either - but she did respond to a laser toy; one of mine just stares at the dot gormlessly, one's interested but not that much (he's more interested in the bit I'm holding, chasing the end of a stick dragged along the ground - or when my DD was small, stealing her Bratz Dolls and dragging them around by the hair - he's now a surprisingly adept mouser, even if he can't sit on the floor without falling off :cool:), whilst the old cat would come running from miles at the hint of the click and hurl herself through the air to 'catch' the red dot, would play pouncing games and generally treat everything I did as an opportunity for fun and games.

teddysmum

As has been said not all dogs,even well treated ones, like mixing or eating treats.


I used to work one of my cavaliers in formal obedience , which he loved, but he was a faddy dog and refused edible treats, spitting them out like possible poison. However,his treat was praise,which made his eyes sparkle.


As your dog is a small breed and happy to watch, perhaps he's best that way as it is easy to be hurt by a larger boisterous dog.

benny123

I have chihuhua cross and he has a whole box of toys ! but hardly plays with them or shows any interest.
He does love human company though and is very affectionate . It sounds like your dog is settling in well , how lovely that he now has a new home with home comforts .

jjj1980

Thank you everyone.


We have had a fab day with her today! Took her down to the field by our house where all the local dog walkers go and from a distance, she saw a couple of the dogs she has met over the past week and practically dragged me across the field. I managed to get her to unclick her lead and she went straight to the centre of the pack and was rolling and bouncing with our neighbour's Lab. Even tried to pick up the Lab's tennis ball but couldn't get her mouth round it, bless her!


She also somehow flung herself over by wagging her tail so fast. All the other owners on the field were commenting at how much happier and more confident she is. Especially when she went round them all one by one letting them stroke her. She would have just hidden this time last week.

SensibleSarah

jjj1980 wrote: »

Thank you everyone.


We have had a fab day with her today! Took her down to the field by our house where all the local dog walkers go and from a distance, she saw a couple of the dogs she has met over the past week and practically dragged me across the field. I managed to get her to unclick her lead and she went straight to the centre of the pack and was rolling and bouncing with our neighbour's Lab. Even tried to pick up the Lab's tennis ball but couldn't get her mouth round it, bless her!


She also somehow flung herself over by wagging her tail so fast. All the other owners on the field were commenting at how much happier and more confident she is. Especially when she went round them all one by one letting them stroke her. She would have just hidden this time last week.

That's lovely to hear My current dog is a rescue dalmatian and I got her when she was 3. She's never understood other dogs and doesn't know what they want when they try to get her to play, same with toys - she just isn't fussed. Food on the other hand...

Not sure of too much in her background but she's gone from being so scared of people that she'd growl if anyone came near her, and hiding under a table for a week when she first was rescued, to actively approaching people out in the street and parks to say hello. She's never going to be 'normal' in lots of ways, and after having her for over 5 years I had hoped she'd be more 'dog-like' in her behaviour, but I'm over it now. :rotfl: