[lindsayminar]

Hello!

I have a 1 year old black lab mix. She was recently adopted froma shelter but I have noticed that she has no interest whatsover in toys. I have tried kongs, squeaky toys, rope toys, and tennis balls. She will sniff at them then walk away, she also lost interest in a bone she had that was one of the ones thatstill had meat on it. I have noticed that shehates the squeaky toys she will run into the other room or hide behid one of us when it squeaks. Is this normal fro a young black lab?? Is there any way to fix it??

[N0help4u]

None of my dogs ever cared about toys. I looked at it as saves me money :)
Some dogs just aren't into them. No big deal. I can't imagine a dog not wanting a bone with meat though.
My dogs never cared for most types of the rawhide bones either.

[labman]

No, it is not normal. I do all I can to encourage people to adopt, but sometimes a dog from the shelter has issues to work out. Tennis balls are a little risky, but but very attractive to Labs. Start with one. Play with it yourself, throw it in the air, bounce it on the floor, throw it across the room and chase it. Keep up a happy chatter and clap you hands a lot. Try the rope. Wave it in her face and then run around the room with it. My 14 month yellow Lab does that to me all the time. She can't believe I can resist chasing her with such an attractive toy. If she shows any interest in the toys you are playing with, praise her.

Some of the toys you have are not suitable for normal labs. I discuss toys along with other things you may need in the sticky at https://www.askmehelpdesk.com/dogs/i...tml#post251802

I don't like real bones for dogs either. If you can interest her in one, it may be OK for now, but as she over comes her previous life, quit giving them to her.

Much of the above is just the opposite as you should do with a normal dog, but may be right for her.

[froggy7]

Playing with toys is learned behavior, and your dog may not have learned how. I recently adopted a 6-year-old greyhound, and she doesn't play with most toys either.

So here's some things to think about: Why does this matter to you? Do you just think that she should play with toys, or do you need her to play with them in order to get enough exercise? Does she "play" at all?

I've had some luck with the treat toys (where the dog has to manipulate the toy to get food out of it), in particular the Bouncy Bone and Twist 'n Treat (Chew toys for dogs from Busy Buddy Toys ). If the dog seems to need help learning to play, a reputable play-group or doggy daycare might help her. She could copy from other dogs.

[jillianleab]

My lab is obsessed with tennis balls, but my mom's golden won't touch them. My lab also loves stuffed toys, with our without squeakers, but my friend's dog (a mutt) won't have anything except the "Booda" brand. My lab could care less about Kong toys, but my mom's other dog (a lab) LOVES them. My cousin's lab has regularly turned down the bones with meat on them. Perhaps you just haven't found the type of toy she enjoys yet!