I had a classmate over for a study group today and put Ryuk in his crate with some of his plush toys. My classmate was fascinated watching my dog play on his own with his toys. He rearranges them, squeaks them, sticks them up in the bars and rolls on his back to kick them, etc....I never thought this was odd until she mentioned it....she was so surprised that he plays with toys on his own that do not give him food or move on their own....


So what do your dogs do during crate time? Ryuk will sleep if he's tired but this is pretty normal for him. He's worked about 2-3 hours a day on weekdays, sometimes longer on weekends....

Jethro sleeps in his crate. The only things he wants to play with on his own are things that he is not allowed to have (tea towels, socks, shoes, sticks - all choking hazards). His plush toys cannot be left with them because he considers them chew and tear to pieces toys. When there isn't someone to play with, he lays down. Skipper sleeps in the house, too. He plays ball, but he insists that someone throw it for him and we do that outside.

Thats sweet, Jaime.

Tasha used to do stuff like that as a puppy. It always made me smile. Now she just throws stuff at me when she wants to play.

Capone only sleeps in his crate. He won't even chew bones. That's pretty cute tho!

Thunder just likes to lay around and chew on "stuff".
Trooper has a big, hard plastic ball that he tosses all over the yard. Funny to watch when he accidentally toss it in my flower beds. he knows they are off limit so he always takes a good look around before he jumps in to get it.
He's slung it over our 6ft privacy fence on occasion.
Now when he accidentally bounces it off of Thunder, lying on the grass, he pretty much forgets he was playing with it.

Vice will play on his own outside the crate. As I type this he is tossing a Kong around.

Murphy usually yawns on his way into the crate, then heaves a heavy sigh and a groan just before laying down in a ball and falling asleep. He has a couple of tough toys in there, but only seems interested in sleeping.

He will play by himself outside the crate though. He loves to shake and 'kill' things that squeak, and roll balls around for himself to pounce on.

Most all of ours sleep when in the crate. Ivo is the craziest player we have outside. He has a log that he "talks" to and rolls around and once in while even manages to pick up and throw around. This is on breaks from jumping in and out of the water trough!

Drift is the only one I have that will play in the crate. She will squeak a toy, growl and talk to it, and squeak it again.

Outside the crate, Drift is always getting into something. She will unload the wood wheelbarrow as Paul is loading it up, she will chase anything that moves, and will attack leaves on a windy day.

Toni will also play on her own. She likes to take a ball and watch it go down the stairs. If it doesn't make it all the way, she gives it a nudge. Then she goes and gets it and does it again. She's done this for half an hour before. It's hilarious when she does it with her Cuz as the sound it makes when it hits each step is priceless

Caterina prefers to steal Toni's toys and play "catch me if you can." Toni is not amused.

Shyner will not play. She missed out on this in her early development. She took hold of a squeaky toy and squeaked it once and then I got to spend about half an hour coaxing her out of the corner behind the bed.

Tyra will bark at whoever is playing if there's no frisbee present. If there's a frisbee she is occupied for hours.

--Kel

My male will toss his ball at the back door & then it will bounce on the deck & he will catch it & do it again, & again & again.

My female will growl & shake her head in order to smack her ball on the ground like shaking a prey item to kill it.

She will also find a rock in the yard & start rolling it around the yard by grabbing it with her front feet & pulling it underneath herself & backing up & doing it agian. She will drag the rock all over the yard that way.

Both will play in the water (a small stream) at the back of my yard.