My dog doesn't play with toys!?!?

I adopted my little Jack Russell last Sunday and she is great. She has pretty much recovered from her pneumonia and is acting like a typical Jack Russell- hyper, stubborn, etc. :) Yesterday I put her in the master bathroom with her toys, food, bed, etc. and she actually jumped the baby gate and hung out in my room all day- tore up a few things but otherwise was ok. I realized then that JRTs can actually jump 4-5 ft. :p Today I put her in her crate. The one thing I don't understand is why she doesn't play with any of her toys. She has a rope bone, raw hide bone, an octopus toy, stuffed kitty and a few others. She is very playful (she loves to have her tummy rubbed at all hours of the day) but won't play with the toys. Any ideas?

Maybe you don't have the right toys. My Sasha (border collie cross) wouldn't play with ANY toys, until I bought home a multi colored "Jack" toy. Looks like the jacks kids play with with a bouncie ball. She loves this toy, has 3 of them now, all in various stages of decay from over use. It may take time to find just the right toy for your dog.

Hee hee - yup, a healthy Jack Russell has springs in their legs - 4-foot gate? No problem! I knew one that would bounce up to greet you at the door, when the window in the door was 4 1/2 feet off the ground!

She may learn to like some of those toys, maybe a bumble ball (rolls around, kibble drops out) or a Kong filled with peanut butter would be more interesting to her!

Maybe she is one of those designer sophisticated Jack Russells!!!:D Doesn't want to play with toys but read the paper and watch the news. lol

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Originally Posted by steelergrl

I realized then that JRTs can actually jump 4-5 ft. :p

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They sure can :D

Have you tried squeaky toys? My Jack Russells ignore balls, bones and rope toys but go absolutely CRAZY for squeaky toys! They can kill and de-stuff a stuffed animal in 5 seconds flat :p

However, she's still new to your household so it might just be that she needs time to settle in.

Some dogs just don't play with toys. My Granddad's Husky x doesn't know what to do with them.

Chloe has no interest in any toys other than the laser pointer. Mika, on the other hand, loves and respects and plays nonstop with all her toys. I guess some dogs just don't get the whole toy thing. Chloe sure doesn't.

my rainbow bridge boy, Doby, wasnt big on toys either..from time to time he would squeak a ball or grab one of the many rope toys, but it was pretty rare.

Thanks for the advice everyone. Last night my brother spent about 20 minutes trying to get Stitch to play with her rope toy. She looked at him like he was crazy. She does use her octopus toy to put under her butt while she sleeps. :p Hey, whatever works. My boyfriend's JRT plays with every toy imaginable, so maybe we should have the two of them try playing together.

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Originally Posted by BC_MoM

Some dogs just don't play with toys. My Granddad's Husky x doesn't know what to do with them.

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Thats very true. My rat terrier Lacy has never played with toys (she's 8 years old now) She just looks at them like "okay, what do i do with it?"

My Daisy has one toy and she rarely plays with it. She isn't a player at all. Delilah, on the other hand, would play 24/7 if you play with her. She had a rope toy at her former owner's house. After I adopted her and bought her new toys(squeaky ones), she went crazy over anything with a squeaker in it and ignored her rope toy :) Keep trying new toys. Eventually, you'll get something she likes :D

Some dogs are just picky or don't even like toys very well. My RB girl, Missy, only liked one toy and that was her rope toy. That was the only toy she played with her whole life.

Try a kong with peanut butter in it, like mentioned before. Keep trying different toys and I bet you'll find something she loves.

Our Dugan doesn't play with toys either. But lady and Tyson well lets just say no toy is safe around them.

I have a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel.....nine years old now, and the only toy she ever played with was a small non coloured stuffed woolen crocodile.
She was never interested in anything else.
Offer your toys to the Jack Russell, and he will let you know what HE wants.

Hi I am new to the list, I see these posts are way old, but wanted to reply.
I have three Yorkies, One was a rescue that I adopted at 7 1/2 yrs old. Aftraid of his own shadow, didn't know how to play. First time I threw him a ball HE and the ball hit the wall at the same time. NOW, it's his favorite toy, "tells" me when it's time to play.
A second yorkie was a re-homed one, we removed from a sister-in-law. That one yorkie just won't play with any toys. Sure, he'll grab one and then drop it off somewhere. Will catch a ball in his mouth, sometimes, then drop it. Seems he just wants to rest or bathe in the sunlight all the time. BUT, I did find out what he REALLY likes , so I make this suggestion: TRY BEHAVIOR TRAINING/AGILITY! This one yorkie, is great at obeying commands and doing all the manuvers as required. He even bypassed the tempation to play with other dogs in the class. He just recently turned 4yrs old. So toys may not be the thing with some dogs, but, things that stimulate his/her brain is, something that isn't repetitive, but, challenging. I hope this helps.
Petlove

If your dog don't want to play his toy then you can try this method::D

*List down the times when your dog's joyfulness is in to-the-highest level. For example when you come home from work/school/etc. (your dog is jumping with joy because he is bored being alone.), during a hike with your dog or etc.
*During those times, always don't forget the toy you want him to play with.
*Then after that, make the toy squeak to get his attention (if it's not a squeakable toy, then you can bounce it if it's a ball).
*In front of him, play his toy. Don't look at him, just mind your business (your toy business ;) ) Laugh really loud or make a fuss while playing the toy so that your dog will think that you are enjoying with it ( you may look stupid but just do it) Then, place the toy on the ground close to your dog. If he is still not playing it, please ignore him until he found, someday, that the toy is fun to play.
*Do this everyday until he play his toy. It may take some time, but be patient :).

If you want him to play his chewable toy then buy a cylindrical chewable toy with a small hole on it's lid, so that you can put treats inside it. Give the toy to him and for sure he will try to get the treats by nipping or other means just to get the yummy treat. Then voila, he's playing his toy. :D

WARNING: Don't threat your dog just because you want him to play :mad:. or else I will kick your butt when I saw you. :D