Dear Dog Talk: As readers of your column, we've never seen you address the problem we have with our dog.
Harley is a rescue dog. He was about 16 months old when he was rescued from a puppy mill in Ohio. He had been starved, dehydrated, not neutered and mostly cage-bound all his early life.
It had taken two years to get him to trust us. Even now, at certain times, he doesn't trust anyone. However, he trusts me more than anyone else. Harley has trust issues with men; nevertheless, he and my husband are doing better every day.
Our biggest problem is that Harley doesn't know how to play. He has all kinds of toys but ignores them -- no tug, no chasing ball, no Frisbee. He does, however, like to periodically gnaw on a rawhide chewy. His only exercise is following me around and our daily walk. He has lots of energy, and we really think he'd love it if he knew what he was missing by not playing.
Our question is how do you teach an olderdog who has lost the puppy instincts and is mostly in survival mode to play?
Dear All Work No Play: Try this. This is a game I play with my dog, Sophie, that she loves. It taps into a dog's instinct to sniff things out and find them. I call the game "Find It."
Many dogs have fun playing this game. It stimulates their brain and tires them out at the same time.
Dogs need a few skills to play this game. First, they must have a good sense of smell. I never have met a dog that did not.
Technically, dogs must be able to lie down and stay reliably to start this game. You can begin by having your husband hold Harley on leash.
To start, show Harley a chunk of boiled all-beef hot dog or one of his rawhide chewies.
Allowing Harley to watch you, hide the item somewhere in the area where you are playing. A family room works great. Part of your job is to avoid hiding the item immediately. Walk around the room, pretending to place the item in various spots, such as on a chair, under a table, next to the sofa, etc. Touch the item in each of these locations (five or six are plenty). At some point, leave the item in one of the hiding spots. Then continue, acting as though you still are putting the item in different places.
When you are finished, return to your dog. Wait few seconds and then release your dog. Tell Harley "Find it."
The objective of the game is for your dog to search the room methodically and find the item. Most dogs I have played with will check every spot I touched as I was hiding the item. In fact, they usually start at the first place they saw me go.
If they are not immediately successful finding the item, the nose starts working. Eventually, they almost always sniff it out.
When Harley does succeed in finding the item, praise him exuberantly. As you praise, allow him to carry the chewy in his mouth for a minute or two before you take it to play again.
Strutting around with the "prey" in his mouth while the pack leader lavishes praise is fulfilling to a dog. If you are using a chunk of hot dog, let him eat it.
This is a game that dogs improve at the more they play. At first, it might be necessary to help Harley. Walk around the room with him, encouraging him with the command "Find It."
Point to the different areas where you made believe that you hid the item. Then direct him to the correct hiding spot. Help him be successful, and also give lots of praise when he is.
When I play this with Sophie, I expect to do four or five rounds of "Find It." She loves the game so much that she'll expectably "ask" for more. (Labs are good at communicating.) One night, we must have done a dozen rounds.
Be sure to keep it fun. Act exuberantly, and your exuberance may be contagious. Please let me know whether this works out for Harley.
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