How to stop a dog from being obsessed with toys?
Lorine Bode
2025-06-07 17:13:26
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: 5
If your dog is prone to shredding or destroying toys, choose the toy wisely. In almost all cases, your dog just really likes his toy or the play time that he associates with it. Certainly if your dog is snapping at you or other dogs if you try to take the toy away or if your pet continues to search for the toy long after playtime is over, you should consult one of our doctors on what to do. Your dog’s obsessive behavior may really just be a sign that he needs a better way to blow off all his excess energy. Monitor your pet’s toy, when it starts to fall apart, throw it out. Choose The Right Size, don’t pick a toy that your dog can fit entirely in his or her mouth, especially balls.
Laurianne Collins
2025-06-03 18:35:56
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: 13
If your dog is never seen without their ball in their mouth, and likes to constantly drop it at your feet to be thrown, it might help to put some limits on their time with a ball and play with it on your terms, not theirs. Try keeping their favourite balls in a box and bringing them out once or twice a day for a play session. If you want to address your dog's ball obsession, then reducing the time they spend practising and reinforcing their ball addiction will help a lot. After your dog has enjoyed playing with their ball for a period of time you’re happy with, tell them with your choice of command that the game is over and then put the ball away. The key here is to stick to a set period of time and when you say the game is over, and mean it. Lowering your dog’s arousal level by switching to an alternative ball game such as ‘find it’, tug or rolling the ball along the ground gently to help bring your dog’s obsession levels down a notch so they can give the ball up. You can try holding their ball and when they let it go say ‘give’ and reward them with a treat. Introduce alternative games to fetch, balls can be great fun, but their use as a training aid for learning new skills and behaviours is limited. Our Powerball range is excellent for encouraging ball obsessed dogs to enjoy playing tug. If a ball is your dog’s number one motivator, but you want to use it in a more constructive way, our fauxtastic powerball bungee is a game changer.
Ted Kirlin
2025-05-21 23:18:41
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: 11
I would not allow any toy obsessed dog to be able to get toys whenever she felt like it. The toys are MINE and I allow her to play with them when I say, and only when she behaves in a manner in which she earns them. You can use a toy as a reward and get great obedience from her if you put in the right training effort. You need to control her free time and her toys and give her something positive to do with her energy to earn her toys. Set her (and yourself) up for success. I’d start with basics, since your dog is toy obsessed you can use a toy as a reward. You can always go to the remote collar but first she needs to learn what you expect.
Sid Ferry
2025-05-21 23:05:07
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: 8
The toy should always come from you and you invite the dog to play with it, not the other way around. To give you an example, Darcy was always going to grab his ball and would drop it in front of people’s feet or in their lap and push it at them to play when they came to visit. Now the toys go away in a box and I bring them out when it suits me and offer the game. When we’re done I say ‘finish’ in a firm voice and calmly put it away. He now knows that the game is done and settles down nicely so I reward that calm behaviour as soon as it is displayed. You make the toy come to life sometimes, so the toy becomes much less interesting. Teaching your dog to ‘give’ a toy or ball is really important, and this can be done by making the toy / tug come to life and then making it go very still. Finish – and mean it, when you stop the game always ends with the same cue like or “finish” and PUT THE TOY, BALL OR TUG AWAY.
Nellie Kuphal
2025-05-21 21:06:58
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: 11
As the pack leader you want to be the one to start and stop the excitement level, and never let it reach to a point of obsession. It can actually be a fun and mentally stimulating game for your pet to present a toy or treat to them but practice keeping the dog away instead. Do not let the dog have the item until it is in a calm state. Not just practicing a sit in front of it, but waiting all the way until the dog submits and is relaxed in its presence. This may take 20 or 30 minutes for some but will gradually become less and less over time. Don’t think that this is teasing the dog, what you are doing is teaching them patience and what it means to be balanced. A dog who is obsessed or fixated is not in control of his energy so it is your role as guardian and pack leader to help him through it.
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