How Many Toys Does One Dog Need????

[Creemteez]

Tidying up yesterday, I did my usual thing, prior to hoovering, collecting up and depositing all Beau's toys in his basket. It was only as I dropped the last one in that I realized just how many he has - and worse, they all have names! There's Blowfelt the Blowfish. Lily the Pink - Elephant, Spotty Pup, Mr Gobbles the Turkey, Mighty Joe the Gorilla, Mr Moose, Plush Puss the Cheetah, Mr Legs the Octopus, three tuggies in varying states of decay and three part-chewed rawhide chewies. There are also FOURTEEN tennis balls in a tub in the garden.
Give him his due, I have never known a dog who loves and plays with his toys like Beau does. Just wish I'd taught him to put them away instead of leaving them at the top of the stairs. Maybe he has me insured......!

[wizzbang]

HaaHaaaa Wizzy is just the same. He never puts his toys away. When he is getting his toys out of his toy basket he takes them out very carefully and very selectively and then proceeds to beat and thrash the living daylights out of his chosen toy victim!
He's nice like that!
To Wizzy a football is for popping not for chasing round with so he has several bits of baggy balls in his toy stash too which he gets out occasionally to give a good whapping around.
Lynne x

[veggiechicken]

The sad thing about my 2 ex-puppy farm breeding bitches is, they've never learnt to play. There's one fluffy toy that is brought out at feeding time as a present for me, but otherwise, they have no interest in toys. They don't chase balls or do anything that puppies do naturally. At 4 and 6 , they had to be house-trained, learn to walk on leads, even to walk on grass ..........They've been cheated out of being puppies and slammed straight into being cash generators for heartless breeders. Do I feel strongly about it - you betcha - so indulge your dogs, they deserve to play.

[wizzbang]

I had a sweet golden retriever named Amy who had been used for that purpose but she was unable to breed. They tried her for three years and then dumped her at the Vets. When she came to me she had such a sad demeanour she though everything was her fault. She did cheer up eventually but she had to be taught to be happy. I feel as strongly as you do Chick.
Lynne x

[Glutton4...]

They will learn, VC, you just have to find the right trigger.

I used to think it was daft having a basket for the Dogs' toys. My Mum has had one for years. However, I have done the same, and it does make it tidier, and safer, having them all in one place.

As for how many? Well, how many packets of seeds do you 'need?' How many swatches of fabric, balls of wool, tubes of paint, coloured pencils...?

Let's not go there!

[veggiechicken]

They've learnt all the essential things, G4 - I've had them 4 years now, and they're happy little dogs. But playing with toys seems to be beyond them.
On a brighter note, one of my previous dogs had a toy basket and he knew the name of every toy. So you could ask him to fetch Pink Panda or Nellie Jelly Belly and he would. Couldn't put them away though

[KittyColdNose]

How many toys? Aaaaall of them

One of my rescues was about 6 when we got her and didn't know how to play. Because of the untreated epilepsy before we got her, the vet said she had lost the capacity to learn new things. Luckily he was wrong. She plays (still rarely but she does play) with toys in a cat like way. Strange but we never stop her. I agree, give them time VC.

[Veggielot]

If my dog, Betty, is anything to go by I think the answer to how many toys does a dog need is one more than they have.

[veggiechicken]

One's practically blind now - she has no chance of playing fetch The younger one does sometimes but without enthusiasm. I'll settle for them being confident in public instead of scared of nearly everything as they were.

[VirginVegGrower]

Lots and even that is never enough. Don't throw out the dedded ones either.

[Seahorse]

My new girl's history is suspiciously vague but I suspect I am also in a similar position to VC. Mabel is a lovely natured, well behaved little thing but she isn't properly housetrained and she just looks puzzled when you show her toys and try and engage her interest. I'm reasonably confident that I can sort the loo bit but I don't know about the playing Poor wee lass.

It's lovely to hear about others' funny pooches though

[Two_Sheds]

Tinker didn't know how to play, either. It came to her, with time, and now she loves tugging games with rope, and killing her duck (ffwd to 1:29).

Try putting some food on her toy? (Philly, peanut butter, etc)

She was really skinny when she came to us, but now she's a proper little bulldog chunk


Oh, I found the one on crate training, where she barked & howled. Bad mommy!

[Seahorse]

Mabel loves Tinker's vids TS. I have to hold her or she'd try and get through the lappie screen to join in!

[Feral007]

Oh the tennis balls! You know the worst thing? When you're mowing out the back? And the mower hits a tennis ball whooooomph! and the ball and fur fly up - and yes, there is the kelpie, looking stricken - My ball! My BALL, how could you!

Funny how you never hit a tennis ball unless he's watching!

[Two_Sheds]

the kelpie, looking stricken - My ball! My BALL, how could you!

Don't use the Washing Monster then, or he'll never forgive you