Whats a good way to entertain a dog?

Question

My dog is always wanting to do something but he dont have a lot of toys i need help!!!

Answer 1

Pop used to take a sock and wad up other socks inside it, then knot the end, and play chase with mom's dog.  He'd pick her up by the sock.  I don't recommend the picking up part (hard on teeth, I'd think), but a sock is easily stuffed to make a soft toy for play or fetch.   Old tennis balls are fun because they are soft, if your dog is medium-to-large.  (But my 2nd dog liked to chew them up - and we'd grab them as soon as he started that.)  If you have a ball, teach your dog fetch, don't let him play keepaway.  Your dog should have at least one chewy toy.  Sometimes used children's toys work well - your dog doesn't care if they are new, but be careful it doesn't have things that can be chewed off and swallowed.  They mostly all like stuffed animals, balls, chew toys, and one neighbor's dog adored my scarf.  I'm not sure why, but I let her have it.  Some dogs wear a scarf or a t-shirt, but be sure any t-shirt doesn't interfere with movement.

Mostly, your dog likes to play with YOU.

Answer 2

- Invest in a Kong toy. I believe the biggest one is about $18, but you'd be fine with a normal size at around $9 or so (I think). Anyway, they are durable rubber toys that are rather beehive-shaped. They are hollow, and you fill it with goodies to occupy your dog, who has to l**k it all out. It takes a lot longer for the dog to get all the food out if you freeze the Kong. I usually use mashed fruit, fruit chunks, kibble, cream cheese, shredded cheese, cheerios, et cetera, then just stick in the freezer.

http://www.kongcompany.com/

- Buy a Buster Cube. A Buster Cube is a treat-dispensing toy. It's shaped like a block, and you put small treats or kibble inside of it. The dog has to push it around in a certain way to make it dispense a certain amount of kibble or treats, and any food-motivated dog will spend awhile making the food fall out.

http://www.bustercube.com/

- Get him some bones. I advise against rawhides. I prefer the digestible Nylabones, as well as the durable variety. These only last my dog like ten minutes, though.. he's a mastiff.

Even better, though, get some authentic raw bones! Contact a butcher, if you can. Pick up some cow femurs or something. Seriously, these occupy dogs for hours and hours.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/pic/articl...

http://www.naturalhealthtechniques.com/V...

- Play games with him. You don't necessarily need toys to play games; you can play games that stimulate his mind and improve his training skills.

"Find It:" This game is like hide and seek, with treats. First, put him in a stay. "Hide" a treat in plain sight (like on the floor near him), and release him from his stay, encouraging him to "find" the treat. Gradually work up to actually hiding the treat; next put the treat farther away, then behind something, and so on. Always let him watch you hide the treat, though, at least in the beginning. Eventually, you can move on to hiding the treats out of sight, and telling him to "find" it. This game should be fun for both of you, and it will really help his stays, too.

"Hide and Seek:" This should be pretty obvious, and can be very fun! This will totally strengthen his recall. Okay, start by just standing in the kitchen or something, and calling your dog to you. (I'm assuming he knows "come," and "stay," too.. if not, then why aren't you training instead of expecting him to play with toys, eh?) Be super excited when he comes, praise him like crazy, lots of hugs and treats. If he's very good at stays, you can put him in a stay while you go hide again; if he's not reliable enough to stay put while unsupervised, just wait until he won't immediately follow you out, then you can hide again. Well, don't actually hide yet, but gradually become sneakier and sneakier. Start hiding behind doors, couches, et cetera, until your dog is a grand master.

- Train him!! I imagine he already knows his basic commands. You can spend a few minutes reinforcing those. (Remember to keep training sessions short and fun! A couple minutes every few hours is much more affective than thirty minutes straight a day. Also, always end on a positive note!)

Or/also, teach him fun new tricks! Here's a list of common ones:

http://www.loveyourdog.com/tricks.html

- Exercise him. If he's "always wanting to do something," he's clearly got enough energy to pester you, right? So, he needs more stimulation. Exercise him hard; I don't know what kind of dog he is, but do something that suits him. Jog. Play soccer or fetch. Whatever. Sometimes, a walk just isn't enough. But by the end, he should be dead tired, so find whatever will do that, and do it!! Remember, a tired dog is a good dog.

- Do something that you know will tucker him out. Most dogs find exciting things like interacting with new dogs and people pretty draining.

Take him to a store that welcomes pets, such as Petsmart or Petco.

Enroll him in a training class. This would be ideal; interacting with strangers and other dogs would tire him out as well as all the mental stimulation of learning, and some classes even allow the dogs to actually play.

If he is friendly, set up playdates with other well-adjusted dogs. If the two dogs do not yet know each other, make sure you introduce them properly. The best way is to walk them both together and gauge their reaction. If they are clearly friendly and well-suited for each other, then move on to a fenced backyard or something to let them play. Supervise them carefully, and stay upbeat and in charge. That should tire them out!

Good luck!

Answer 3

Then you need to take him shopping for toys that he will like at PetSmart.

Answer 4

You can make a toy by taking an old tube sock and ball up the other sock and stuff it inside, tie a knot in the sock so that the balled up sock stays inside. Then you can use it as a throw or tug toy with your dog, and its cheap.

Good luck, I am sure there are other things you can do as well.

Answer 5

Dogs don't need lots of toys.  Only allow him one toy at a time - otherwise, the toys will lose their novelty and won't be fun anymore.

Walks are free.   Try a few short walks throughout the day.  

Kiddie pools are cheap, too, if he likes water.

Also try area dog parks and arrange dog play dates.

Answer 6

Well u dont have to have to have toys for him. Try playing with him outside and take him on walks.

Answer 7

~Get a kong for your dog and fill it with these fun recipes- http://dogs.thefuntimesguide.com/2006/02...

~Take your dog on a walk.

~Take him out and play fetch with a tennis ball.  If he doesn't know how, just let him run around.  

~Throw a ball across the room and try to beat him to it.