Golden Retriever won't play

CookieMonster.x

My 5 y.o. Golden won't play. I have toys (pull rope, frisbee, squeaky toys, tennis balls etc) but he just doesn't seem interested. Sometimes he will play but it will be for about 1/2 minutes before giving up (say if it is a tugging game, if he can't have it he won't play ). I throw his pull rope and he will sometimes go after it but all he wants to do is chew it. He doesn't really bring it back to me. I have tried teaching him fetch using treats when he brings it back but he gets preoccupied with the treats. Sometimes he will just look at what I've thrown. I try to encourage him to go for it eg. start running or gently pull him and sometimes it works but Fetch only lasts around 30 seconds!
He is overweight so that may be part of the problem. He will usually play while lying down (tugging) but that's it really!
Thanks for any suggestions!

RubyGirl

You should try him with swimming, great way to help keep them fit.

CookieMonster.x

RubyGirl wrote: »

You should try him with swimming, great way to help keep them fit.

We have a river near us and he usually goes in after one of his long walks but that is only ever up to his knees really. I have tried throwing sticks in but he just goes in to cool off.

lrushe

My Spitz wouldn't have been a big player up until I got my Rottie 2 years ago, the Rottie is a big player and it eventually rubbed off on my Spitz.
Do you know anyone with a high play drive dog who might be able to show your dog how to play??

SukisMam

Try hydrotherapy. Has made a big difference to my golden retriever. If you have insurance and your dog is over weight, I am sure your vet will be happy to refer you for the hydrotherapy so it won't cost you anything. My own dog has benefited hugely, she is very slim, and full of energy.

kylith

My terriers don't play either, it appears that they never learned how. I've tried to teach them, but paying them in treats when they brought the ball back meant fights over the ball. I decided not to stress them about it, they get plenty of exercise and are happy just lying around the house. I do take full advantage of a dog who likes to play when I get my hands on one, though.

CookieMonster.x

I had looked up hydrotherapy before but it's too far for us to travel. I liked the idea of the treadmill though!
He has a friend that comes sometimes but he's a CKC and is much smaller and older I think too and they never really play. The other dog usually just walks around the garden while mine sleeps there aren't any other dogs really, he does get along fine with dogs but I'm just worried about other dogs. Another dog that used to come attacked other dogs so I was a bit scared but generally if there are other dogs they don't play. Plus I would be scared of them getting possessive with toys!

Carol555

Do you leave the toys with him all the time? Dogs are like kids, they get bored of toys if they can have them all the time. I'd hide all the toys except for one or two. You could try rotating them every so often, it will be like giving a new toy to a dog.

What about this:
Try making one toy very special. It's the toy that you want the dog to associate with having fun with you. Let's start with tug for example.

Take it out only when you want to play with a dog. Pick a moment when he's in a playful mood, get silly, tease him with it, do your best to make him want it and praise a lot when he joins the game. End the game in the highest point. Don't wait for the dog to loose interest in it. If that means playing only for 15 seconds, then make it great 15 seconds. Hide the toy and praise the dog. If you see that he wants more, then you're on a right track. Hopefully next time you take tug out, you will be able to extend the game a little bit more and get some more interest from the dog.

From what you're saying your dog has some interest in fetching (or chasing toy that is running away from him) so it's only a matter of adding retrieving to it. Here's an article that really helped in our case and we started with a dog that had no interest even in chasing a ball not to mention bringing it back! .
http://www.aspcabehavior.org/articles/85/Teaching-Your-Dog-to-Play-Fetch.aspx

Inexile

+ 1 for getting another dog to teach him.

My dog wouldnt play either just enjoyed chewing rope toys. Then a friend called round with her ball mad collie. After a few days of the collie being around my dog got it. She will now chase a ball and almost brings it back to you. If you ignore her she will bring the ball back closer to you as she wants to keep playing.

Its great as she is getting loads more exercise running around the garden and you can see is excited and enjoying the game.

mikemac

Retrievers sure like to sleep

I was going to suggest swimming, nothing a retriever likes more and I see you've tried that

Your lad needs a companion, a dog his own size.
Mightn't work with a smaller dog

tk123

mikemac wrote: »

Your lad needs a companion, a dog his own size.
Mightn't work with a smaller dog

My retriever has friends his own size and smaller ones too. He's very good friends with a JRT and they like to roll around playing and pretending to bite each other like mentalists :pac: My guy is 2 and LOVES to play - he prefers softer toys so plush ducks, rabbits etc any of the kong ones that are made of tennis ball type stuff, and ropes - he's not a fan of rubbery toys.

I got one of these rabbit skin dummies while back and my guy went MAD for it lol - http://www.gundoggear.co.uk/rabbit-dummy-114-p.asp

You could try throwing pieces of his food ahead of you - that really gets my guy excited and he likes to sniff out where they are.
Will your dog take a ball from your hand? If so you could try giving him a ball and then taking it back and treating, repeat that a few times then throw the ball a little bit away from you and see if he'll take it - try it inside first where there's no distractions.
Sometimes my guy will just stop and look at me asking for more treats too - I just hold out my empty hands and he knows he wont get anything until he gets the ball for me.

My guy has only started to retrieve a ball for me in the park in the last couple of weeks - he'll do it fine in the garden or at the beach but has never been bothered in the park. If your guy likes the river try throwing sticks/a ball/even treats and see if he'll go after them. Even if he doesn't retrieve going after eg the sticks will be great exercise for him.

mymo

My friend has two retrievers that hardly ever play, she always asks me to bring my two up for a visit as they are mad.
I arrive to lots of wagging, get my two out of the car, 4 happy dogs!
Let my two off and they are gone like a bullet, 2 retriever are slow to start, but follow enthusiastically.
My friends house is in the middle of a field so my two like to run laps, starts with 4 dogs, then my two pass, no sign of retrievers, then my two pass again...we go look and there's her 2 conked out in the grass.

It gets really funny when the kids get involved. None of the dogs will fetch or play football etc, but we found they all love hide and seek, 2 adults and 4 kids all hide in various places and pop out calling "here doggies", it helps if you have a treat for them when they find you.
We make it faster and faster by calling them from somewhere else as they find one person.

Might be worth a try.

merengueca

My boy (Paddy) lives with my parents and their dog (Alfie) the two are roughly the same size/age.... Alfie loves to play - would literally run himself into ground chasing whatever we throw for him, even manages to sort of throw stones for himself if he's mad for a game :rolleyes:
Paddy has no interest in 'fetch' games but loves tug of war with his rope or killing his teddy bears. He'll only get involved with Alfies games to pee him off (seriously, they're like spoilt teenagers at times)

These two live together 24/7, best buddies but just will not play together.

(Paddy is a lab x and putting on weight alot in the last year - Alfie is a lab x and fit as he has always been, they have an identical diet and walkies routine)