getting an older dog to play

I personally think that it is normal for our Beagles to get lazy by 4. Shoot Maya is only 2 1/2 and she is already so lazy that she doesn't play.

Have you had her for a few years or is she new to your family? Toby will be 9 this year and most of the time I think he is getting old. He sleeps all the time, kinda mopes around and such. Then, I can take him to the dog park and I think he's 2 again! It's just his thing, I guess! He loves to run around, chase and be chased, fetch sticks, etc. He started off as a show dog, too ( a beauty school drop out!! LOL!). I think you just have to find what gets her excited!

We adopted Booker at 3 1/2 and I don't think her original owners ever played with her - or maybe it just wasn't her thing. But we would give her toys and she would just look at them as if to say I can't eat that - where is the food?. Absolutely no interest. We thought she might start to play when we got Moosie - he tried a bit but except for the odd 20 second playburst that never really went anywhere, nothing. Same when we got Popcorn - a few short episodes but nothing ever sustained. But then with Buzz she is totally different - she will get into playing with him even to the point of going down on her front legs - we have never seen that before! Still no interest in toys, but it is wonderful to see her learning how to play at 12... maybe Georgia needs a playmate to teach her how to play?!

Susi and Snoopy were research dogs for their first 6 years, so never learnt to play. Snoopy would love Susi to play chase and zooms around the garden, but only a couple of times did she respond. As for toys, no way, they both look at us as if we are mad if we throw a ball or something. Soft toys are out as Susi starts nursing them.Her life was giving birth in the lab and losing her pups after a couple of weeks.

Oreo's version of playing is a stufft kong or going for a walk. When I first take him out, he'll crouch and jump up a few times or run in circles for a bit.

But otherwise, he doesn't play. I wish I could get him to play but I'm just happy that he likes his kong (took over a week at first).

All I keep thinking is, God I've got to wait until Bodie's 4 to calm down!

I think what the others' have said about beagles is true. They are a more mellow and laid back breed. I just thought it would be older then 4 years before that happened.

Do you take her for daily walks?

I wish my dogs slept all day lol. Rosa is 8 and Sherry is 11 and they are very active. Rosa plays a lot, she loves her toys and will play fetch with her stuffy's with me. Sherry is quite active considering how ill she is but she doesn't play with toys at all because she's a rescue and was never taught to play.

That's why we got Casie, or one of the main reasons, because Cobi had always had a playmate and with Chipper gone, he had become a couch potato....now Casie -- 18 months --- leads the pack out to play and Cobi is right there in the middle. Amazing what a young whippersnapper will do to the old boy.

bonnie and clydes parents are 6 and 7 respectively.
they lay around like the hound dogs on Hee Haw until they see their hunting box get loaded.
then look out.
I would say that if nothing else, buy a stuffed rabbit, buy some rabbit scent (cabelas online) and just drag it around the yard on a string, then hide it. Then let the dogs out!!
start the trail right at the door.
if that doesnt get their tail waggin, nothing will.

i think once a day of that for a while, say 2 weeks, then just give them the stuffed rabbit. they will of course destroy it, so get em another one.
another idea is to dog sit for others. my wife's office is at our house, so then her employee brings her dog over for the day and they all play. seems new blood encourages them. i also bring them to work with me once in a while, at my shop we have 2 dobermans, they all go ballistic when they are together.
hope this is helpful.
H.

I like those puffle's they are really cute. Glad she found something she likes.