it's not your toy!?

Question

My 3 months old puppy won't play with his toy but play with my roomate's dog's toys. I try to give him similar toys that my roomate's dog has but he would play with it for a while then always goes back to my roommate's dog's toys. I don't really like it when he does this since my roommate's dog has very bad flea problems.
Why won't he play with his toys? what other toys should I get him. He is starting to teeth. Also does your puppy go crazy with stuffed animal? My puppy looks possessed when he is biting his toys...as if he is trying to take it apart...it kinda scares me. I don't want him to be aggressive.

thanks for the replies.
I know that my puppy will end up with my roomate's dog's fleas. That's why I do not let them play together. My puppy is being treated with fleas. I told my roomate about this but she doesn't want to do anything about it. She says she has no money nor time to take care of her dog. That's why I divide the section so that my puppy can play only in one area. I don't let the other dog come near me. (I don't really get along with my roommate...one of the reason is that she doesn't take care of her dog) My roommate doesn't want my puppy to play with her puppy's toys. But if my puppy happens to see the other dog's toy...he goes crazy. Oh by the way, he does socialize. He goes out to play with other puppies. I just don't wnat him to play with my roomate's puppy cause she never took her puppy to the vet.

Answer 1

I'm sad for you and for your roommates dog. Your dog is lucky to have a much better owner.

If she can't afford the vet..she can't afford the dog.

Try to get another roommate or move out...and then report her to the humane society or animal welfare. She shouldn't have a pet.

Answer 2

ok first your puppy won't get fleas from the toy. your puppy already has fleas if your roomate's dog has them. treat both dogs for fleas, this is more important than which toy they are playing with. be happy the pup is playing with a dog toy and not tearing up something the pup shouldn't be playing with. if a dog in the same house has a very bad flea infestation, then so will your dog. and a very bad flea infestation can kill a small puppy. take the pup to the vet, get a flea preventative for both dogs from your vet. and have your dog vaccinated and set up a time to have the dog neutered.



if the dog's are in the same house, and depending on the flea preventative, you dog will still have fleas. fleas get into the carpet and flooring and furniture and migrate onto you dog. a plastic bubble is the only way to keep the fleas off your puppy. which i don't reccomend. not much you can do but tell your roomie if she doesn't want your pup to have her dog's toys then she needs to keep them put up.

Answer 3

Dogs are PACK animals
this behavior you are experiencing here immediately tells me that the other dog is older, and has been "established" within the household well before this little fella came along ---SO-- the propensity here will be for the younger dog to immediately take the older dog as being the Alpha (top pack dog) and want to be as close to and accepted BY that dog as possible !! The toys are just a simple way for the youngster to accomplish this !! A kind of---sharing with the other dog as it were !!
And, this will not end--no matter what-- at these early stages of this little fellas development !! So, best solution here---Give the NEW TOYS to the older dog----as soon as the older dog takes to them---watch the interest in YOUR little guy come to them double quick !! That way YOU feel better because you are paying the older dog and it's owner for the toys YOUR dog is "eating" up and the older dog is thrilled with getting NEW toys and the younger dog is thrilled with having his behavior verified !!
And-- with the others here---You All Have Fleas -- if anyone of you have them-- you ALL have them-- concert your efforts for Christ's sake and get rid of them TOGETHER--- your roommates -- not foreign relations departments !!!
And, as far as this added AGGRESSION that you are seeing in your little tyke---this is just the primal thing coming out-- leave it be-- much better this little guy gets this out on a toy than on your furniture --- right ??
Now go give the older dog some new stuff
Watch YOUR dog take them on !!!

Answer 4

First of all, the reason that your dog is playing with the other dog's toy is because it smells like the other dog. Dogs have a terrific sense of smell and they will usually go for a toy that another dog has played with, sort of like a territory thing. Secondly, if your room mate's dog has fleas, then your dog has fleas, the dog is not going to get fleas from a toy, but they will get fleas from the other dog, the carpeting, the bedding, etc. You need to get a flea shampoo and bathe both dogs then go to the vet and buy flea medicine. Preferably Advantage or the K-9 Advantix. Make sure that you apply the medicine to both dogs every 30 days, even if they show no signs of fleas on them. If they go outside, then they will get fleas again. Also, you need to bomb your house to get rid of the existing fleas that have already infested your carpeting, bedding, upholstry, etc. If all you do is put the flea medicine on the dogs, it isn't going to kill the ones that are in your house.

Answer 5

First off, if your roommate's dog has fleas, your dog is going to end up with fleas. That is a no-brainer. Secondly, a puppy has no idea which toys belong to him and which toys belong to another dog. All he knows is that they are toys, they are on the floor and he wants to play with them. Puppies need to play, they don't care with what.

All puppies play hard with their toys and can look "possessed". That doesn't mean that he is going to be aggressive. Puppies just have sooooo much energy and they don't know how to get rid of it all. It's funny, they play real hard and then nap for an hour, it's so cute, isn't it!? If he is teething, he will be chewing more than usual. If your roommate's dog doesn't mind, it won't hurt him to play with his toys. Just make sure you call your vet and get flea treatment/preventative for the dogs. Living in the same household is enough for you and your dog to get infested with fleas. It's an easy thing to fix though.

PS make sure he doesn't eat things he shouldn't. This could cause intestinal blockage which can only be fixed with surgery. Another thing I suggest is no pig ears. Even though dogs love them they are very unhealthy and can cause blockages.

Answer 6

First, if you room-mates dog has fleas, your dog has fleas. Nothing you can do about it - as flees spend less than 10% of their life cycle on a dog, and 90% of it in the carpeting, upholstery, and bedding of the host dog's home.

Second, your dog likes your room-mate's dog's toys because they smell like your room-mate's dog. It's a bonding thing - dog's are much more in tune with scent than humans are. To him, they just smell more "doggy" than the new toys you get him.

Third, you never mention what breed you have. Some breeds are by nature more aggressive than others. Don't expect a German Shephard or a Rottweiler to be a passive wimp dog. Don't expect a labrador retriever to rip your neighbor's head off. That's why there are different breeds - you should always check into their general disposition before you acquire them.

Answer 7

Why would it matter if he played with the other dogs toys? The fleas will get to this dog eventually if their in the same house. Buy your puppy the same toys or trade them.

Answer 8

He's taking the other dogs toys simply because they smell of the other dog and the puppy is also exploring its boundaries. "Is that other dog going to bully me", "am I going to be number one", "can I get away with stealing his 'food'"

In the short term one way to stop it is to give his toys to the other dog for a while and let them get scented up with the 'smell' of the other dog. Your puppy will be only too happy to steal and play with 'his' toys then.

Also remember that for a puppy, instinct is playing a huge part in his development. He's a dog at heart and his instinct is to practice hunting and killing stuff. That's what all the shaking and shredding is about.

Best remedy is to get toys that he can't destroy. My advice would be to get a 'Kong' which is a rubber rounded pyramid shaped chew toy. Stick a few dog biscuits and a bit of cheese inside - yes cheese - and your puppy will play for hours with it.

Answer 9

He is playing with the other dog's toy because it SMELLS LIKE THE OTHER DOG! Dogs have a very good sniffer and they can smell another dog or cat a mile away, and if another dog has peed/pooped/slept/played on something, then they are automatically attracted to it.

This toy smells like the other dog, so your dog is attracted to it, it's nature and it's simple.

Answer 10

let him play with the toy he chooses to obviously he smells the other dog and if you want him to play with his toys let the other dog play with them first. also if the other dog had fleas your dog will too