CAN ANYONE HELP ME I HAVE A BISCHON FRISE THAT I HAVE HAD FOR 6 WEEKS SHE IS APPARENTLY 18 MONTHS OLD BUT BELIEVE IT OR NOT HAS NO IDEA WHAT TO DO WITH A TOY.  ALL SHE DOES IS SLEEP AND ROLL ON TO HER TUMMY FOR A TICKLE AND I WOULD APPRECIATE ANY ADVISE ON HOW TO GET HER TO PLAY. SHE IS A VERY TIMID DOG AND JUST IGNORES ALL OUR EFFORTS TO GET HER TO PLAY.
HELP

Sounds as if she has been owned by some one that couldnt be botherd with her, but now she has a good home and she will come round just give her time, when you try and play with her try with a treat some thing nice and if and when she goes to get it tell her what a good girl she is, one day she will surprise you and will to play.

She may never want to play. I have an 11 year old Munster bitch who stopped playing when we lost her brother (aged 5-6months). She has been with dogs all her life, I've tried to play with her but she is just not interested. Though I did catch her trying to play with her young great, great nephew a few months ago. I think he reminds her of Jake. Give her time to settle in. If she sees other dogs playing it might help. A friends greyhound (ex-racer) learnt to play with Chloe, my younger bitch, when Chloe was 6-12 months old. We let them run in the park together and Lucy, the greyhound, eventually caught on to what was happening.

Bichons are quite happy to do that if you want them to but are equally happy to play as much as you want and generally need little encouragement.  My Bichons love the links of play sausages on a rope (the noses should be alright with an 18month old but I tend to cut them off anyway).  We get down on the floor and pull the short rope end so that the link slithers along the floor and then they're off after it.  You can tug of war and throw it and they'll fetch or run and hide it.   Bichons love to please so be patient and keep up with the loves and tummy tickles too and he/she will soon learn to trust you and play whatever games you want.

She is probably still trying gain confidence in you and her surroundings.  If she has never played during her time before you got her, it will be difficult for her as you are appriciating.  What have you tried so far?

I would say the important thing is not to push her into play.  If you haven't already tried it, tie a piece of string around a soft toy or knotted sock and drag it infront of her, backwards and forwards using an excited but soft not loud voice.  I would do it in a large space so she doesn't feel under pressure and can escape if she needs to.

If there are two of you in the house, sit on the floor a few feet apart and roll a ball (preferably soft) to each other, ignore her while you do it, just let her watch, she may then feel she is missing out on some fun and try and join in.

Hopefully she will start to play, but confidence building is probably your first job.  She will need to trust you first.

Good Luck
Sandra

ps Can you take your caps lock off, it is considered shouting on the internet :)

Hi

We have a dog who was adult when we got her and was very depressed - no idea of how to play. 
She is no longer depressed but still has no interest in playing - meals and walks are all that get any enthusiasm.  I guess some dogs just don't have prey/play drives.

We have another rescue dog who would just grab the toy and run off with it - he had no idea play happened between people/dogs.  We kept him on a lead so he couldn't run and gently teased him with a toy hiding it behind our back then showing it.  When he got interested we threw it but within lead length and when he picked it up we reeled him in, praised him and threw out the toy.  In took a few goes but he soon got the message that if he brought the toy back it got thrown again.  Soon he brought toys to us when he wanted to play. 

If they've got instinct to play you can bring it out in various ways - if they haven't we found there's not much you can do.

You get some dogs who aren't interested in toys in the slightest. Sometimes they just don't like to have anything in their mouths, even though you've checked that they don't have any dental problems etc.

Sometimes they are effectively taught not to play by people who have read the books on 'dominance theory' and never let the dog win. Who likes to play when they know they are guaranteed to lose?

Others simply can't see the point of retrieving - they are clever enough to work out that, if you wanted something, you wouldn't throw it away in the first place! They might bring something back the first time, but if you throw it again they're not going to keep wasting their time (like continually putting a baby's toy back in it's playpen every time the baby throws it out - fun for the baby, but very boring for the 'retriever'!!)

Keep inviting her to play a few times a day, but don't get disappointed if she doesn't - it may not be 'her scene'. Good luck.
:)

My mums second bitch doesn't know how to play as she had her first litter at 12 months and so lost her puppyhood, she was only used aa a brood bitch :( She now plays with mum's other dog but will not play with toys or humans.

we lost our 18yr old last year she was a rescue and we had her from 2yrs old she didnt know how to play i tried but to the day she died she never did play, dont know why, if we where lucky she would run for a ball just once would not bring the ball back and wasnt interested in a second go,
Its so nice that Toby loves to play, but we had him at 8weeks old and we all play with him.
Heidi

I would agree (again :D ).  My own experience of my dogs, and I think of my breed is that they have little interest in toys or retrieving past pupphood.  The poster whose mothers past brood bitch may not have stopped playing with toys because her puppyhood was stolen, simply that she had grown out of it.

Those who do Obedience with my breed have learnt to foster the play retrieve and later so a taught retrieve for a reward of some kind, as the retrieving itself isn't rewarding as it is for many dogs.

I have a box of toys in the kitchen, and it may be months before one of the adults half heartedly grabs a tuggy or tosses a ball.  If I t4ry and play with them, it is you want it have it then, and of they go do something else.

I have tried to encourage play, but as JG says once or twice and then they are not interested and look at you as if you ae soft in the head :D :D :D

Hi Kim
I have a Bichon who is 2 years old and whilst she does like to play she loves her cuddles so much more, you are lucky to have her her, I love mine and don't know what I'd do without her.

xx

i had a similar thing when i brought holly home.. fortunatly i have kara who has brought her out of her shell. give her time, let her settle in and learn that she is safe and it will come itself :)

Andy

Morse was the same about playing with people/toys, but loved running with other dogs. We cut the time he gets to roughhouse with his pals and played the tug games he liked at first, then gave him teddies to chew/cuddle tehn it was the sock of treats to play hide and seek or fetch with. Now he loves to play with us, including the dreaded fetch game, and we have taught him tricks too to give him an interest - that worked when he wasnt toy orientated. It will take time but jsut try a little bit a day of 5 minutes, quit while shes still interested and it may work out. If she still isnt a playgirl you may find something else to enjoy together. :)