Does not play

I rescued a 3 year old staffie bitch Mollie from an uncaring home 6weeks ago . she had been allowed to have pups by an Alsatian dog poor thing it's a wonder it did not kill her . she is an escape expert so kept on the lead outside and I have a double exit door for safety - The problem is she has no idea of how to play ignores a ball , sticks, soft toys ,hoops. I have tried every play thing I can think of but nothing interests her , she likes a tummy rub and loves to climb on my knee for a fuss she is a lovely natured quiet girl , but it worries me that she does not play ----my daughter visited with a 8 week old puppy and Mollie went all motherly and cried trying to get at the pup it really upset her and with not playing there was nothing I could give her to distract her --So how do I start to get her playing or is it not important ? help please .

Awwww poor Mollie   

Have you tried playing with a squeaky toy ? this may get her interested

yes and she was afraid of it she hid under the side table trembling

Oh dear, Ok lets try and think of something else ..................................

What about a Kong ? it's just a rubber chewy toy that you can fill with food, very durable though



http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kong-Original-Extreme-Chew-Large/dp/B0002AR0II/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1395480968&sr=8-2&keywords=kong+toys+dog

Or anything from the list below:

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/t19650-tough-toys-for-staffies

will try the kong, I've not seen one before that could be the answer has she loves the doggy choc treats -will look on ebay for one

Rocky loves his Kong, you can stuff them and freeze them too.

Hope you have a very    too, check out the birthday section a bit later, you will have more birthday wishes here

https://staffy-bull-terrier.niceboard.com/f70-staffordshire-bull-terrier-owners-birthday-greetings

Some dogs just aren't interested in playing with toys - I've had several staffies that prefer a cuddle to play.

Kongs are brilliant though for keeping them entertained. If you're worried about her mental stimulation you could start teaching her new tricks starting with the basics first.

Another thing I've done with my non playing dogs is get them to find their treats as part of a game - with some we've used 3 plastic cups (the disposable ones) and lined them up on the floor. We've then hid a treat under one and encouraged the dog to find it.
Also try finding games around the house - put the dog in a sit and stay and then pretend to drop a treat in different places in the room eventually dropping it somewhere out of site (behind a chair etc.) then again encourage the dog to find the treat.

We also use old egg boxes for hiding treats in, and also do the hide and seek with them hiding around the flat in various rooms, under pillows, blankets etc.

Biscuit was really worried around toys when I first took her in, I wouldn't try and get her to play too much if it's worrying to her as it will just cause her to be more fearful. I just left toys around the house and after a few months her confidence grew and she started to show an interest. She plays well now but is never going to be an overly toy focused dog, but she's foodie so I use that for training! She just likes lots of cuddles and running really fast!

We use cheap rope toys as Flo love a game go tug o war. The kong idea seems to work well for a lot of people especially if it has something delicious inside  

Thanks for all your replies , you have given me some useful ideas that I will try with Mollie.

a lot of dogs like socks rolled into a ball could try that

I'm sure she will start to get it once she's more settled, Daisy is a rescue and didn't play at first either

willow was a rescue dog who when i first brought home couldnt even get her in from back garden so i got one of my sons teddies which she took a bit of interest in and then it became her best friend! teddies are great but they usually end up gutting them and you can only sew so many holes up!! tug toys are a great way for you to interact with your dog make it all fun and natural lots of calm playful gesters! kongs are great i put a few training treats in first then some peanut butter give to my dogs if they seem to be having trouble getting it out i show them bounce it (which they know now without my help) rescue dogs have issues sometimes which we will never know why neither of my dogs fetch a ball and ive spent many an afternoon trying this but they look at me as if im mad!! cuddles and love are the most important thing not all dogs want to play but with time your new baby may find her playful side remember you dont know what her past really was like. proud you are a rescue dog owner dont worry she'll be your best friend x

this evening she lay being cuddled across my lap for nearly an hour then turned her head and gave me a great big lick ,got off my knee and took herself into the kitchen and to bed -what a wonderful little lady she is .thanks for all your interest ,I now have plenty of things to try out on her . I will update if theres a break through

Ledger never played much when I first rescued him and still doesn't as a rule but he does have a ball obsession and it didn't take long for him to learn if he drops one the other gets thrown

He will on occasion bring me a tennis ball at home but things like Tuggy games have become more of rewards when we are at flyball or agility. I also have a boomer treat ball and Kong wobbler that they need to play with to get the treats out so always worth a try