Why Doesn’t My Dog Play With Me

If your dog doesn’t want to play with you, you might be thinking about the reasons and the solution to this situation. In this article, we are going to show you several possible reasons and their solutions as well.
Mostly it is seen that dogs won’t play with their parents during injuries or illnesses, thinking about the punishment when they do play, thinking that their parents don’t want to play, during depression and anxiety or in older age.
Many reasons can lead your dog to show this behaviour of laziness. However, you must consider several things to figure out the main reason.

Reasons why your dog doesn’t play with you

There can be various reasons for your dog to do it. We are mentioning some of the most common possible reasons and their solutions.

Negative reinforcement for dog

It might be the reason that your dog learned not to play with you because of the punishment it gets during the play. If you usually punish it when your dog shows signs of excitement, as a result, your dog likely be hesitant to do such things as playing. Instead, the use of positive reinforcement training will help your dog to behave in the way you want.

Injury or illness

Another possible reason can be an injury or illness of dogs that won’t allow them to become active and energetic during play. This would be more likely to be a cause if your dog suddenly behaves like this. In this case, you could also notice unusual behavioural changes in other aspects as well. The best option in this situation is to bring your dog to a vet for a thorough check-up.

An issue with dog diet

Your dog needs energy to get involved in playing games. If you are feeding low-quality food items to your dog, it is quite possible for your dog to feel tired and lethargic. Low-quality feed can cause laziness in dogs This is more likely if a change in diet is triggered your dog to become lazy and tired. So make sure that your dog’s diet is a high-quality diet. You can talk to your vet to get information about a suitable diet for your dog.

Dog age

Dog age is also a very important factor that can cause laziness in your dog. If your dog is getting older, there are chances it may not have enough energy to play with you. Ageing factors can cause your dog to become more lethargic, sleepy and less energetic naturally. Your vet can help you by prescribing some food supplements for your dog to become more active and energetic.

Your dog may not think you want to play

It is a rare case but maybe your dog doesn’t even realise that you want to play with him. This issue can be resolved by just showing him his favourite toys, and his favourite game, which he always loves to play.

Nature of a dog

The nature of a dog is also an important factor as different breeds of dogs have different instincts. It may be the case that your dog is behaving like this naturally. It is more likely the reason that your dog always avoids games. Training the dog by rewarding him can help you in this case.

Dog depression

Dog depression is a real problem that can also be a reason for this matter. A depressed and anxious dog will take no interest in playing games. Dogs are smart creatures, they can feel the change in their surroundings. Any sudden event, such as mistreatment or one of the owner’s deaths, can cause anxiety problems in dogs. If your dog doesn’t play games after a mishap happens, depression is the only culprit to blame.
If your dog is suffering from depression and anxiety issues, it might improve its behaviour over time. You can help your depressed dog by giving a lot of attention and by increasing outdoor walking and exercise sessions. If the condition doesn’t improve over weeks, you should fix your appointment with a veterinarian.

Things to consider

You can consider the options below to figure out the main cause.

What happens when your dog does not play

If your dog has always behaved like that or if it has started to behave in this way suddenly. If your dog has started doing it suddenly, there are chances that your dog get upset due to any event in the recent past. So if your playful dog becomes very lazy and boring within no time, it could be due to reasons such as playing games resulting in being punished, depression, illness or injury.

What is different when your dog does play

Try to figure out the difference in situation, when your dog seems to be willing to play. If your dog wants to play at a certain time, maybe the diet issue is causing him to behave differently. After eating if your dog doesn’t get enough exercise, it may cause indigestion. Also, the fear of something can force your dog to stop playing at a certain time

What to do when your dog doesn’t want to play with you.

Below are some options which can help your dog to become playful and enjoyable again.

Avoid encouraging your dog not to play

It can be a case if your dog ever gets the reward of not paying with you. So always be discouraged whenever your dog doesn’t show interest in playing. Instead, reward him whenever it does play with you.

Avoid dog punishment

Dog punishment during play will teach your dog a lesson about not being playful next time. Avoid physical dog punishment at any cost, otherwise, it will make the situation worse. You can use the Positive reinforcement method to help your dog to get trained as early as possible.

Positive reinforcement training

Positive reinforcement training of your dog is a technique in which you reward your dog for every sign of positive behavioural changes. This is one of the most common and simple techniques that you can use at home to change your dog’s attitude the way you want.

Get him to the veterinarian

Whether your dog suddenly becomes uninterested in playing with you or it’s been always a boring dog, your veterinarian can help you in the best possible way. Take your dog to a vet for a thorough check-up. Share your problems with your vet and let him recommend therapy which can include medications or training.

Frequent Asked Question