How To Keep Your Dog Interested In Their Toys

The time will come when your dog gets bored with their toys and will prefer playing with a new toy. Use the following tips to keep your dog interested in their old toys.

You can try putting away a certain dog toy for a week and then giving the toy back to your dog. This will trick your dog into thinking that the toy is new, and they’ll be excited to play with it again.

Rotating Old Dog Toys

You can try the approach that involves rotating toys every week or whatever interval that you prefer. If your dog has a lot of toys, you can give them five toys a week. Then, every week, get out another five toys and hide the recently used ones.

This approach will keep your dog interested with their toys and make them excited to play with their toys every week. This tricks your dog into thinking that they have new toys to play with each week

This also prevents them from having a doggie version of “paralysis by analysis” in which having too many options leaves them indecisive. Also, having too many toys will lead to them playing with all their toys at once, and soon they may get bored of playing with all their toys.

Sometimes your dog wants to play with a certain toy every time. You don’t need to include that toy in the rotation. The rotation technique is used for dogs to keep them interested in the toys they got bored with. It’s not needed for the they always want to play with.

Making Old Toys Interactive

You can use this approach by making your dog’s old toys more interactive through games or treats. They can use these toys in a game of tug-o-war, fetching or finding. Using this approach, you should pick up a toy your dog doesn’t use and engage your dog into a game of tugging.

You can also try putting treats or items like Kong Stuff’N Snacks in the toys. For chew toys, you can try putting kibble on toys your dogs never touch to encourage them to use the old chew toy.

Knowing Your Dog

The most important thing you should know is your dog’s toy preferences. Every toy has a different entertainment appeal. You should notice which toys are neglected and which toys should be modified. Dog toys vary from bouncy toys to stuffed toys. Your dog may prefer toys that make noise or squeaks.

You can also try giving them chew toys. If your dog wants to play with something that smells like food, try giving them a Kong stuffed dog toy. It will be even more fun and interesting if you freeze the stuffed Kong overnight.

The Bottom Line

Dogs love to play with toys, however they sometimes quickly lose interest due to their short attention spans. You should learn your dog’s preference and try different approaches to keep your dog interested in their toys.