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Any ideas on how to get a lazy dog interested in playing?

Khalanad75

Khalanad75

macrumors 6502a
Original poster
Jul 8, 2015
543
1,881
land of confusion
So I have a Cairn terrier (like Toto from OZ), and he is basically a cat. He really just likes to sleep all day and eat.

I haven't been able to get him interested in any toys or balls. ON occasion I can get him riled up to play for about 4 minutes and then he is back to sad puppy eyes of, "just pet me".

We have had him for two years and he is about 4 years old now. I try to take him for walks, but all he does is mark everything every 4 feet or so. What should be a normal 20-30 minute walk turns into an hour plus with him.

So, any suggestions on getting him interested in playing?
 
Treats but reduce his food to get him interested. As for the walk thing that's more your fault than his, you need to lead him not let him do what he wants. A brisk walk asserts authority.
 
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Take him out for a run, that will stop him from sniffing/marking his territory. Plus on walks just tug on the lease to stop him from sniffing. While I have a girl dog, she does like to sniff each tree she comes too. All I do when I tire of that is to lightly pull on the lease. She gets the message.

Also find a bike path or some other place where she can walk and play, is there is any dog parks in your area?
 
I wish He would play fetch, would make my kids love him all that much more. He's also disinterested in other dogs as well. I am thinking of trying to find a robotic squirrel, cause that's about the only thing he likes to chase.

He was abused as a pup. The first owner drug hum behind their car to the point that he spent 8 months in a vets office recovering. I am not sure if that has anything to do with it or not.
 
Walk - take him to an area where there is nothing to sniff. A good start might be a large parking lot but make sure to do it very early in the day or into the evening so that the pavement is not too hot on the paws or reflect off his belly. My dog is the same way and its just the nature of dogs to sniff and some more than others. If the dog shows no interest in moving, have someone he likes waiting at the other side of the parking lot. Let him travel to the person and give both a verbal and pat approval for job well done.

Play - there are toys that you can load with treats or peanut butter. Try these first and you may have to limit his food intake until he "wants" to get at the food inside. You may be able to make a game of it with him if you want some interaction. If your dog is food sensitive (meaning he goes after food if offered), you might simply start doing some training routines such as sit, lay down, stop, and so forth. This is actually a very good thing to do as it is a form of communication and canines thrive on both the exchange (telling him what to do and him being able to respond to the command) as well as ensuring you remain the alpha. Remember, dogs are packing animals and this simply plays off their natural instincts.
 
Maybe try a different brand of food? This probably won't be the "cure", but I know some "cheaper" brands of dog food can make dogs feel lethargic and crappy.

Otherwise, like others have said, take him out for walks consistently, take him to dog parks so he can socialize, get a toy like the "kong" and fill it with treats (this makes for a fun and rewarding challenge). I fill my dog's kong with treats and peanut butter then freeze it so it lasts longer.
 
Gav2k said:
Treats but reduce his food to get him interested. As for the walk thing that's more your fault than his, you need to lead him not let him do what he wants. A brisk walk asserts authority.
Click to expand...

I was going to say, cut back on the food and reward with treats. Play damn it! ;)
 
Make sure he's completely healthy. Serious worms or even cancer makes dogs disinterested in everything.
Hopefully you can rule any medical issue out.

Do you have other dogs? Given your dog's abuse history, he might need to look at another dog in a pack like way, to guide him socially. Just interacting with other dogs outside the home for short periods of time might not be good enough.
 
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The other big issue I have is trying to get him to stop eating th
LIVEFRMNYC said:
Make sure he's completely healthy. Serious worms or even cancer makes dogs disinterested in everything.
Hopefully you can rule any medical issue out.

Do you have other dogs? Given your dog's abuse history, he might need to look at another dog in a pack like way, to guide him socially. Just interacting with other dogs outside the home for short periods of time might not be good enough.
Click to expand...

He is really disinterested in other animals (except squirrels). He could give a crap about our cats, when we dogsit for family he does the initial hello sniffs and that's as much interest as he shows, even while having the other dog(s) around for a week or so.

No worms, and he had a clear bill of health last checkup, except some tartar build up on his teeth.

he's fully content just to be a lapdog, and that's new to me. Growing up I always had high energy dogs that were almost to the annoying level.
 
TheBean75 said:
The other big issue I have is trying to get him to stop eating th


He is really disinterested in other animals (except squirrels). He could give a crap about our cats, when we dogsit for family he does the initial hello sniffs and that's as much interest as he shows, even while having the other dog(s) around for a week or so.

No worms, and he had a clear bill of health last checkup, except some tartar build up on his teeth.

he's fully content just to be a lapdog, and that's new to me. Growing up I always had high energy dogs that were almost to the annoying level.
Click to expand...


Has to be a mental issue then, probably due to the trauma you mentioned. What your describing is very unusual for that breed, especially at age 4. You probably need expert help.
 
LIVEFRMNYC said:
Has to be a mental issue then, probably due to the trauma you mentioned. What your describing is very unusual for that breed, especially at age 4. You probably need expert help.
Click to expand...

Probably. I love the dog either way, just wish he would be more into it for the kids. He does make a good light lapdog. Big difference from my friends St. Bernard who thinks he's a lapdog.
 
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