New dog - will he ever play?

[Caney Creek]

Well, we did it... We adopted a boxer! His name is Ace, he's 7 or 8 years old, and he's such a sweetheart. Everyone that meets him falls in love with him. He has adjusted very well I think in the short week that we've had him and he fits in great with our family.

One concern I have though is that he doesn't play with Caney. They get along just fine but she has tried numerous times to get him to play and he is either unsure or uninterested. Sometimes he tenses up, sometimes he redirects his attention on a toy. He also tried to get in between Caney and the neighbor's dog when they were playing. It seemed to make him very nervous.

Do you think he'll ever play with Caney? Or will Caney eventually stop being so bummed about him not playing? I just want everyone to be happy.

 

[Gatorblu]

Congratulations! I can't wait to see a picture of him.

Skully wants to play but doesn't seem to know how. He spent so much time alone in crate he never learned. They will wrestle a bit in the morning but he won't play tug o' war with a toy. He just gives in and walks away. He will play a bit of tug o' war with me, but if I pull too hard he gives up. In a way it is good because Arabella doesn't have the stamina she once did. She often doesn't know when to stop. If we let her she will run and play all day long just to end up in pain in the evening from overdoing it. (She will be 10 in a few weeks.) Hopefully it is just a matter of adjusting and Ace's more playful side will come out.

 

[LoveMyDoggie]

Congrats and where is the pictures? hint, hint Give it a little time. When we were fostering Mack it took him a couple weeks to get into playing with Daisy but once he figured it out it was game on.

 

[Roge]

Congrats!!!! What great news , can't wait to see a photo ..
Poor guy might be just finding his feet so to speak , who know what his situation was like maybe he was dominated by another dog or mistreated by his owner and learned to be submissive for a quiet life ..
Hopefully when he is more confident in his surroundings his playful side will show .
Again Congrats

 

[Caney Creek]

Thank you all I hope it's just a matter of him needing to adjust a bit more. He did live with two other dogs previously, a German Shepherd and a Great Pyrenees, so not sure what the story is there. Apparently he was given up because the owner's lugs grew up and moved out and he "needed someone to play with." I don't understand how anyone could give up a dog they've raised from a puppy. He's really well behaved, no food issues, house broken, great with the 2 yr old... Lots of good things going for him.

Here's Ace.

 

[Caney Creek]

Skully wants to play but doesn't seem to know how. He spent so much time alone in crate he never learned. They will wrestle a bit in the morning but he won't play tug o' war with a toy. He just gives in and walks away. He will play a bit of tug o' war with me, but if I pull too hard he gives up.

Caney is actually like this. She does not like to play tug and gives up immediately. She liked to tug when she was very young, so not sure what happened.

She plays with toys occasionally but more than anything she loves to play with other dogs. She loves to run, box, and she's quite vocal. I guess it may just be too much for Ace right now. I hope he warms up to her play style a little bit over time. He does love to play with soccer balls though.

 

[Jan]

Congratulations! I don't understand how anyone can give up an 8 year old boxer either. Their loss is your gain. He may just need some more time, before he relaxes and learns to play!
Good luck!

 

[joeys mom]

CONGRATS!!!! Ace is such a handsome boy. He is a very luck y boy

My Mother rescued a pit bull 1 year ago last month and she is just now starting to play...very little but she will some. Chance never knew how to play when we rescued him and now 3 years later he acts like a goofy puppy with his toys time will tell

 

[Murp.mm]

Congrats. He is absolutely gorgeous!!! I can never figure out how anyone could give up their dog. I am still missing Ms. Ali and it has been 11 months since her passing. Oh and thank you for giving him a second chance.

 

[johann]

He's adorable! Hopefully he'll settle inand start to play more