You'd think that all dogs just love to play with toys, but it's not true. Some dogs are scared of toys. With these dogs you have to teach them to play again.
Karen Pryor's harlequin poodle, Misha, is one. Misha's late canine housemate, Twitchett, ruled the toy kingdom at home and rarely let poor Misha get in his fair share of fun and games. So, toys haven't held much interest for Misha, and can sometimes really scare him.
But you can teach dogs to love to play with toys again. Misha has learned to love new toys and plays with them joyfully! After reading the final manuscript of a wonderful new agility book by Eva Bertilsson and Emelie Johnson Vegh, which we are publishing early next year, Karen decided to teach Misha how to enjoy playing with toys! She broke out the clickers and some delicious Little Stars training treats that Misha loves. She began by carefully shaping Misha to take and hold a small ball.
Now Misha loves all kinds of new toys, but his favorite by far is the Pogo Plush squeaking toy! These irresistible plush toys have a free-floating squeaker inside that keeps him entertained until he is too tired to play anymore! The moving squeaker keeps dogs intrigued and the unique bounce-back design makes playing with it much more fun. Plus, the inner rubber frame makes them much more durable than a traditional squeaky toy. With no stuffing, if a dog does manage to disembowel the toy, there’s no mess. Watch the short clip of Misha playing with the Pogo Plush in the hallway of our office, and order one today to see your dog’s face light up as well!
