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I have a wee chi, 4.5-5lbs, adopted from shelter in Oct 2016, age unknown as she was dropped in their drop box but presumed to be older adult. Excellent health, content lap dog BUT she ignores all toys.
She has only 20 teeth as 11 were missing when I got her and 11 more pulled right after due to dental disease (this is why she's assumed to be older but doesn't act old) so she isn't into gnawing much; I give her beef bones (cut small) and she'll gnaw for maybe 10min then ignore.
We walk every day 2hr except Dec-beginning of March as she HATES hates hates (balks/resists/pancakes/puts brakes on) walking when it's under 40 degrees, have tried multiple coats she still balks so during winter I fear her life is boring as she isn't walked for three months (uses pee pads) and I so wish she liked toys! She doesn't get restless during the winter and acts per usual but she must be bored.
Anyone have any toy suggestions that their TINY (she's so small most dog toys are too big for her anyway) dogs enjoy, or DIY toys?
We had a dachshund from foster who did not know how to play. He must have been confined for most of his early life with no stimulation... He actually never did learn. It was as if he’d missed that window in his development.
We got a second dog who did play with toys, but it still didn’t rub off on the first one.
Not all dogs care for toys.
My older dog does not even care to chew things.
I try to tell myself she is just that way, and during the 9mos of the year that we take daily long walks I feel she's adequately stimulated/energy burned but she spends all winter sitting in her bed/on sofa/on lap, she's pretty peppy and walks the 2hr walk, prob 4-5 miles total, easily so doing nothing for 3mos seems so wrong...
You could try cat toys. Both of my dogs are always stealing the cats' toys. They especially love the balls with the bell inside. (I would watch her with the small plastic balls as she could chew through those even with fewer teeth, they do make large ones too). They also like the cat dancer on a pole. Most dogs love laser pointers too.
My mom adopted a young dog from the shelter that had no interest in toys and never did. What she was interested in was snacks and when I would visit and drill Jazz and Dash on their obedience and tricks they knew that dog wanted in as the reward for the first one to do what I asked was a snack. She watched and started to understand what the different commands meant and soon was in the competition. After that drilling her was a way my mom could have fun with her being toys were out. Some dogs just do not play with toys so teaching them tricks you and teh dog can have some fun. I have a friend with cats that has taught her cats many tricks so she plays with them by drilling them on their tricks too!
You could try cat toys. Both of my dogs are always stealing the cats' toys. They especially love the balls with the bell inside. (I would watch her with the small plastic balls as she could chew through those even with fewer teeth, they do make large ones too). They also like the cat dancer on a pole. Most dogs love laser pointers too.
I did, I got those exact balls with bells. No go. What is the cat dancer though??
My mom adopted a young dog from the shelter that had no interest in toys and never did. What she was interested in was snacks and when I would visit and drill Jazz and Dash on their obedience and tricks they knew that dog wanted in as the reward for the first one to do what I asked was a snack. She watched and started to understand what the different commands meant and soon was in the competition. After that drilling her was a way my mom could have fun with her being toys were out. Some dogs just do not play with toys so teaching them tricks you and teh dog can have some fun. I have a friend with cats that has taught her cats many tricks so she plays with them by drilling them on their tricks too!
I dunno about this one; (I adore your dog posts and think of you as a kind of dog guru as I always agree with your well stated advice) I give her no treats, just homemade food 3X/day (small amounts), she's fit and perfect weight, I was never a treat user when training though I agree it can be useful in some cases, I dislike the idea of getting her to perform a task she likely has no interest in doing, JUST to get morsel of food. I know with working breeds like yours the mentality is different, dog needs a job/mental tasks.
I do use a cat treat ball filled with plain Cheerios when I must leave her alone for longer than an hour or so, I put it in her ex pen (4X4ft) where she stays when alone and she bats it around and eats the Cheerios, I give it to her then as a distraction/pos thing for when left alone but that's the extent of my treat use. This is the closest she gets to playing but of course it's just to get the Cheerios out.
I dunno about this one; (I adore your dog posts and think of you as a kind of dog guru as I always agree with your well stated advice) I give her no treats, just homemade food 3X/day (small amounts), she's fit and perfect weight, I was never a treat user when training though I agree it can be useful in some cases, I dislike the idea of getting her to perform a task she likely has no interest in doing, JUST to get morsel of food. I know with working breeds like yours the mentality is different, dog needs a job/mental tasks.
I do use a cat treat ball filled with plain Cheerios when I must leave her alone for longer than an hour or so, I put it in her ex pen (4X4ft) where she stays when alone and she bats it around and eats the Cheerios, I give it to her then as a distraction/pos thing for when left alone but that's the extent of my treat use. This is the closest she gets to playing but of course it's just to get the Cheerios out.
Thanks but I am far from a dog guru. I am just older have always been around dogs and as a child got out the encyclopedias ( if you are old enough to know what those are!) and read all about dogs, got every book I could find and read about dogs. I was obsessed with dogs and horses/ The horses I could not have as my dad was very allergic to horses. I am a critical thinker so use reason and logic and do not just jump on and agree with things as the world just is not that black and white it is full of colors too.
When I am drilling dogs or doing photography where I "pay" them with treats I do cut back on the amount of food they get and they are not just junky treats they are treats that are actually good for my dogs as I love to use Natural balance dog food logs kept cold and cut into small pieces as treats. My dogs will go out of heir way doing what I want for a very small bite of that. But no their meals are raw and the treats are just that treats so special to them. I also feed about 25% less then the recommended calories for my dogs as I like lean dogs as it does help them live longer too. I also have had dogs such as Jazz that would work just as hard for a ball or toy so it depends on that too as to what "pay" is.
When I am drilling dogs or doing photography where I "pay" them with treats I do cut back on the amount of food they get and they are not just junky treats they are treats that are actually good for my dogs as I love to use Natural balance dog food logs kept cold and cut into small pieces as treats. My dogs will go out of heir way doing what I want for a very small bite of that. But no their meals are raw and the treats are just that treats so special to them. I also feed about 25% less then the recommended calories for my dogs as I like lean dogs as it does help them live longer too. I also have had dogs such as Jazz that would work just as hard for a ball or toy so it depends on that too as to what "pay" is.
Oh I totally get it; but this breed, I just can't see her having the mentality to WANT to "do" a task, she'd ONLY be doing it to get the morsel and that bothers me; other breeds I know their mentality is actually such that they're INTO the task itself.
Yes you are indeed a guru, you and Twelvepaw always say smart, dead on things re: dogs. I've been in dog rescue for decades but this is my first time owning this sort of (small, doesn't play, underexercised in winter) dog.
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They especially love the balls with the bell inside. (I would watch her with the small plastic balls as she could chew through those even with fewer teeth, they do make large ones too). They also like the cat dancer on a pole. Most dogs love laser pointers too.
) and read all about dogs, got every book I could find and read about dogs. I was obsessed with dogs and horses/ The horses I could not have as my dad was very allergic to horses. I am a critical thinker so use reason and logic and do not just jump on and agree with things as the world just is not that black and white it is full of colors too. 
