The Importance of Play: Tips for Encouraging Your Dog to Play with Toys

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Source: dogtime.com

If you take a look at the reports conducted by various institutions, you will see that most people who own pets decide either for a dog or a cat. There are a lot of reasons why people mostly opt for one of these options. However, having one of these is way more than it seems. Being a pet owner comes with a great responsibility. We are talking about you being responsible for the overall well-being of your pet. 

With cats, the situation is somewhat different than having a dog. Dogs are sensible creatures for a simple reason, they crave your attention. But you shouldn’t think that owning a dog revolves only around having a walk in the park from time to time. Playing with toys is crucial for the overall health of your dog. In some situations, you will see that some dogs do not play. There are many reasons for that.

Nevertheless, you must do everything in your power to ensure that your little friend starts to play again. The first one is to find the appropriate toys. If you want to check out heavy duty dog toys, then be sure to pay a visit to fenrircanineleaders.com. Today, we want to provide you with some tips on how you can encourage your friend to participate in this sort of play. Without further ado, let’s begin.

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Develop a Habit

As is the case with most situations in the life of your pet, you must ensure that playing becomes an important habit. Dogs usually have a lot of energy, and they must burn off a lot of it if you want them to feel good. With that in mind, you understand just how important it is for you to give your best efforts to build that habit. Thankfully, there are numerous ways you can achieve this if you utilize them properly.

As you can presume, it is a must for you to start with these tips from the youngest of the age of your dog. While there are no definite answers on when this should start, we would say that your dog being four weeks old is the time when most owners decide to start with this process. Not every dog has the same preferences when it comes to toys, so you should be careful when it comes down to choosing them.

We would advise you to start simple, by opting for traditional toys such as tennis balls. When your little friend gets older, then you can find some more complex toys that can help with development. We are talking about a wide array of different options. Some of them will help with the growth and sharpness of their teeth, while others will help them focus on things such as physical development.

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How to Choose the Toy?

Finding the right toy for your dog is usually more complex than it may seem at first. Most owners believe that whatever they buy will satisfy the preferences of their little friends. In reality, this cannot be further away from the truth. Yet, there are some things you cannot go wrong with. We are talking about finding something fluffy and soft. It is a universal shape and texture your pet will enjoy.

Sometimes, the toy can be as simple as some old sock you have forgotten about. Even though it may seem too simple, it can be exceptionally important for your dog. There are countless examples of how such simple things have become a favorite toy. The point is, you shouldn’t limit their options based on what you see in the stores. Do not hesitate to opt for something simpler, which can be way more fun.

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Increasing the Toy’s Value

There is another simple trick on how you can get your pet even more interested in a toy he or she adores. The easiest way for you to do this is to hide it while you are not playing. When you do that, your dog will be surprised whenever it sees it, which will immediately increase its sentimental value. 

Think about it, if something is always available then it can lose its sentimental value relatively quickly, which will result in your pet not being as interested as before. Another thing you can do is act excited whenever you use that particular toy. Dogs are sensible creatures as we’ve already said, and they will sense you being excited and they would want to share happiness with you.

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How Often Should You Play?

The final question we want to add is how frequently playing with your little friend should occur. First, we must say that there is no definite answer to this question and that you will need to seek the preferences of your dog. Learning about them takes time, and there is no way you can hit it on the first attempt. Every living being is different, and has a different personality, which also covers needs and preferences.

If you check out major studies on this topic, you will see that almost one-fifth of owners do it up to six times per day. Naturally, it is hard to maintain this sort of discipline every single day, especially since we are living in quite a busy day and age. Not to mention that some pets do not enjoy having this sort of activity that many times during the day, especially when they are older.

On the other hand, dogs who experience some sort of behavioral issues will simply decline to participate in playing. Having behavioral issues is way more common than most people believe. If you check out some studies on this topic, you will see that roughly half of all owners have stated that their pet has at least one of these. So, it is important to know what they are, and how you can take care of them by playing with toys.

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Summary

Finding the right toy to play with your dog is not always an easy thing. Here, you can find a couple of tips that can help you with achieving just that. We are certain you will find these tips useful.