# How do I teach my GSD to play?



## fryetech (Nov 17, 2009)

Hello Everyone.

I need some advice..

Little over a year ago I got my first German Shepherd Dog. She is amazing. I loved her since the day I got her. 

Anyways. The person that had her before me a banded her in there back yard and moved out of the house. So she was left to die.. Thankfully a Officer (that happens to have Officer K9s) noticed her and got her out of that yard and took her to the vet held her for a couple weeks where she also got some good training and then he gave her to me. When I got her she was 30 pounds.. Very skinny. She is now the right weight and looks wonderful. I can tell she likes it with me.. 

However there is a small problem.. 

She has low self esteem. 

She will only play when I'm not looking.. She will be playing and then when I look over she stops and puts her ears back like she is in trouble..


I want to know how I can get her to play.. I would love to pay with her and boost her self esteem.

She won't even grab any kind of toy when I'm not looking. 

Thank you


----------



## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

Wow! Interesting situation. You are an angel for saving her. 

Does she seem to have favorite toys? Does she like squeakies?? Will she show interest in toys that you are holding, tossing, squeaking for her?

Poor girl, she needs to know that toys are okay, are allowed, and fun!

Does she play when you are in the room reading or doing something else?? If you ignore her when she plays, will she keep playing? 

have you tried getting a toy that can hold treats in it and giving it to her, she might not be able to resist the smells and tastes.

If you don't look at her when she's playing, if you are reading or cooking but quietly talk to her, would that perhaps begin to ease her mind?

I have to think more on this one, I'm no expert. Do you have pictures of your sweet girl??


----------



## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

do you mean she won't grab any kind of toy when you ARE looking, because in the paragraph before you say that she will only play when you are NOT looking, so i am a bit confused.

it sounds like she's afraid she's gonna be scolded if she plays.


----------



## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

People really suck sometimes.

Gator had a similar background and the woman who fostered him worked with him a lot before he came to live with us, and he was happy to play with us by that time. So, there is hope.

Moose is a rescue too. I have noticed improvements from him with obedience training with lots of praise. It has helped his confidence. 

Have you taught her anything yet?


----------



## Doubleminttwin (Aug 21, 2009)

Aww poor girl I'm glad you took her! I don't really know how you would teach her to play. Maybe try getting down on the floor and acting silly with her toys. Make it look like your having sooo much fun that she just has to come check it out. Baya CANNOT resist if you are playing with her toys. Try wiggling a rope of the floor, play with the prey drive lol Good luck and I hope your girl learns to play ASAP because its somthing no dog should miss out on!


----------



## HeidiW (Apr 9, 2009)

Thank you for saving this sweety! Have you tried to play ball with her? Even if it is in small steps, sit on the floor and roll the ball around. Make it look like your having fun and if she joins you treat her and praise.


----------



## MaggieRoseLee (Aug 17, 2001)

Some dogs do need to learn to play and tug..

How is your dog's food drive? This is a great toy that has a mesh to allow the stinky yummy food to be clear to the dog.

the tug it 

http://www.clickerdogs.com/createamotivatingtoy.htm 

http://www.clickertraining.tv/product.html?item=FREE-28

Clicker training would be ideal for your dog, specially a nice quiet clicker like Karen Pryor i-Click Dog Training Clicker:


----------



## fryetech (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank you for the quick reply. 

When she does play its with a Rop toy. 

Squeakier scare her when I push them.. 

If I ignore her. She will play until she sees me or someone else. Also if she hears my voice she will think she is doing something wrong.

I have tried giving her a kong with the can filling and also tried real meet and she grabbed it then put it down and went to her bed and just ignored it from then on.



Here are a few pictures and a video of Samantha


----------



## shadow mum (Apr 8, 2008)

What a sweet looking girl. Don't have any real advice for you except to be patient. She's lucky to have found you.


----------



## Ruthie (Aug 25, 2009)

She looks very sweet! How does she react when you have her rope toy?


----------



## nitros_mommy (Jun 26, 2006)

I rescued a dog too that didn't know how to play. She's awesome now, if i throw a ball she will beat my other dog to it. But she has had him as a teacher as well as us.

Try sitting down on the floor, back to your dog, play with the toy with your back to her, let her come investigate you, when she comes to see what you have, just turn your back to her again and keep playing. The more you hide what you have and show interest in it, the more your dog will want to see what it is. Avoid all eye contact. 

another one is to crawl around the floor and roll over on your back, keep repeating this action, it will get your dog wondering what you are doing, might initiate play and get her used to following you, which puts you in the leader position. 

Hope this helps. It certainly helped My Khya Girl.


----------



## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

oh what a dear face! for some reason i pictured her as a younger dog, from the pictures she looks as tho she could even be a senior. do you know approximately how old she is? sometimes it takes them a long, long time to get over being treated badly. i can she she loves you very much.


----------



## lucymom (Jan 2, 2009)

She is lovely. I think the suggestions above are good ones, to pique her curiosity. Poor girl, must have been so traumatized!


----------



## fryetech (Nov 17, 2009)

Thank You everyone for the info!

I just tried the turning back thing as well as rounding around.. The problem is that she isn't very interested in what I have. 

I tried using the rop and the kong with dog cookies in it.. Nothing. 

She just lays down putting her head all the way down. 

Tomorrow I'm going to try again maybe with cheese or turkey.. I'll try to video tape. 

Rolling the ball around doesn't help.. I've tried that a lot.. 

Anything else anyone can think of that I could try tomorrow?

I have done some training with her. Mostly with cheese


----------



## katieliz (Mar 29, 2007)

hey, just thought of something from your last post above...have you had her thoroughly checked out physically?


----------



## fryetech (Nov 17, 2009)

Yes a few times.. I also had her fixed and gotten her shots as well. 
She is healthy. 

Something I just thought about.. 
When I get home from being gone for at lease 15 mins she gets very happy and runs around.. Maybe that's when I should try to play with her?


----------



## gmcenroe (Oct 23, 2007)

She looks like such a sweet dog. Maybe with time she will become more interested in playing. Glad you were able to rescue her. She might still be getting used to being around your house. With more time and trust she might become more playful. Also if she has some food drive maybe you can get a kong and stuff it with some treats then she has to work to get the food out, that might get her going if she is interested.


----------



## CindyM (Mar 20, 2007)

She looks soo super sweet!!







I think that is a good idea to try playing when she is excited when you first get home. I always get my dogs excited by taking their toys and running around myself and playing with them and trying to get them to chase me... kind of imitating what another dog would do. Best of luck to you both!


----------

