[PennyPup]

Ok, so here is a video of Kyuss shaking his toys... essentially "killing" them.

I find it rather funny and cute, but I know this isn't a desirable trait. I've tried many different ways of getting him to stop from taking the toy away, to telling him "No" every time he starts, to not letting him play with any soft toys whatsoever.
The only thing is, it isn't limited to his toys. He does it with marrow bones, snowballs, his blankets (which he usually ends up blanket sucking immediatley afterward), clumps of grass etc.
I worry one day he'll get over excited playing with a small dog, person or child and do this to them.
He's a very happy dog and doesn't seem to have any aggression issues, and is quite submissive as well.
He also shreds soft things. All his teddies ended up with little holes cut in them where he would then proceed to pull the stuffing out and shake the empty shell of the toy.
I'm just at a loss as to what I can do to stop this play. =[

I searched the forum and couldn't come across much on this issue. Any suggestions are greatly appreciated, as well as links pointing me to a related thread.

Thanks =D

 

[ellenm]

Shaking toys are part of a normal dog and/or puppy's playing. There is nothing wrong with it! If he is resource guarding and growling if you try to take any toys away, that's a separate issue....but a dog just shaking toys with exuberance is nothing to correct.

Yes, I'd take away soft toys if he is destuffing and eating the fluff. Read up on "Dobergoats" on here! You don't want a blockage due to junk eating.

 

[vivienne00]

This is playing using prey drive. This is a very useful trait in training - it means you can reward your dog for good behaviors by playing with him with a toy instead of having to use food rewards.

As has been said, you will need to change toys so he can't tear stuffies apart since that is dangerous - try cuz toys that he can squeak and Tuff-Toys for things to throw around and play with.

I wouldn't try to stop this behavior - it is a good outlet and would be used in playing with another dog by trying to play tug with the other dog, not in trying to pick the other dog up and shake him.

If your dog becomes aggressive to other animals, then he may use this behavior to try to kill the animal and you stopping this behavior in play will have zero effect on his desire to do this for real. I had a bitch who never played with toys let alone tried to shake them. A small terrier style dog invaded her space (came under our fence) and attacked her and she tried to evade him for quite a while until in frustration she picked him up by the back of the neck and shook him and threw him away from her. He had a few puncture wounds but learned to stay away from her. (It took me a few minutes to get to where she was on our place and I watched in dread as this unfolded.)

 

[von Cosack Dobermann]

Hide the Guns and Knifes hahaa!!! This is normal and if he didn't do this I'd be concerned. Destructiveness needs to be watched and certain toys need to be replaced with ones that are less easier to destroy. Teething will come into play so some Raw Knuckle Bones frozen will help him deal with the discomfort from teething. Are you involved with OB training? If not find a quality trainer to assist you in gaining techniques to apply teaching manners and correcting unwanted behavior. You have to "train em up" or he'll "train YOU up" VON.

 

[Swoosh~66]

Dragons!! That's the only answer... never stop a dobie from killing Dragons... because one day, you may actually be up against a dragon for real... and your dobie won't know what to do.

Mine has done this since day one, and she still does it with her favourite toys, ball, rope, etc.

 

[ellenm]

I meant to add to my above post...is your boy getting a good amount of exercise daily? Many times destructive behavior can be lessened by a good healthy hike/run with your dog to get some of those calories spent running.

I don't think this will make him suddenly not eat soft toys though.

What is your daily routine with him?

 

[Amy]

Ahhh I know your pain!!! Most of Jackson's toys last 1 hour if we're lucky!!! If you find any INDESTRUCTABLE toys, PLEASE let me know!!!!

 

[Swoosh~66]

Ahhh I know your pain!!! Most of Jackson's toys last 1 hour if we're lucky!!! If you find any INDESTRUCTABLE toys, PLEASE let me know!!!!

I'm looking into the eGGe... nothing is indestructable... but they claim to be close.

Sorry for psuedo hijacking... but the OP may want to look into one of these as well.

 

[bean]

Dogs can distinguish. My Frankie has always shaken and killed her toys. Now, she IS a huntress and will also quickly kill a squirrel or rat or mouse or [insert rodent here].

However - she has lived peaceably with cats and even a tiny kitten (with training), and has never, ever done this to a dog, even a small dog, even a dog she may have gotten in a scuffle with. And a person or a child? Not even close.

Encourage the playing, and then work on the training to keep your dog under control.

Shredding soft toys - now that I discourage with Silas, but not for reasons of worry about aggressiveness with small animals, but worry about intestinal blockage.
Frankie can shred toys because she doesn't eat the innards and isn't interested in de-stuffing my couch.

 

[Amy]

I'm looking into the eGGe... nothing is indestructable... but they claim to be close.

Sorry for psuedo hijacking... but the OP may want to look into one of these as well.

Thanks! :thumbsup:

 

[mand008]

Cute video! My dobie does that a lot too, except he lets go of it while shaking a toy and usually flys across the room, Im worried hes going to take out the Tv!! lol.

 

[2-charming]

Looks like every Doberman I have had, boys and girls, what good is a toy if you can't shake the snot out of it !!!!!! Of course they must disappear when they finally start pulling the dragon stuffing out. I have a couple of unstuffed toys called skins, they are like a plush toy, that they forgot to stuff. Mine love hers and they have really held up well.

Dragon Slaying Dobermans Inc. member #80

 

[lolonurse]

All of our dogs play this way - it is the instinct of shaking prey to snap its neck or back to immobilize it. But our dogs are mostly so domesticated, and mostly kept in a relative puppy state, so it is just play/rehearsal. I don't stop our dogs from doing it - it's fun for them, and gives them a sense of confidence and accomplishment. Heck, I even make toys for them to kill - and they never steal our stuff, because they have plenty of their own. And they have never, ever made a mistake between their toys and a child or a cat. They are way too smart for that, if taught the difference.

(I make large 'dead animals' from old jeans - tying knots in the legs and seat, and cut out the zipper. I also use old sheets with a bunch of tight knots... they think they have a goose or something! Also Wubbas are good, and the toys that combine heavy rope braids and rubber rings or "U"'s.)

 

[Lexxsmom]

lexx shakes his toys like mad! He is not however a dog that destroys toys. Nor does he do this to the family cat.

I don't see the issue at all! Its a normal part of play.

 

[Patches Mom]

Most Doberman's kill toys it is part of being a Doberman just have to be careful make sure they do not eat squeakers,stuffing and such you do not want an obstruction.Dobergoats is a good name for them.

 

[Kpablo]

Hm.....I think it's hilarious when Louie does this. I think it's even funnier when were at the park and I throw the toy and I egg him on by telling him 'kill it! kill it!" We got all sorts of fun looks. IDK that's part of owning a dog.

 

[Burns]

Red shakes his toys too - especially the tugs that I use in training. Everyone around us, especially at shows, gets a kick out of it because he's so into "killing" it. I've never tried to correct this behavior because I think he needs an outlet to satisfy that prey drive. He's never done it to anything inappropriately - except for maybe the occasional slow/stupid squirrel or chipmunk in the backyard

 

[Lori Z]

Eli also shakes all his toys. If he can't shake it then it isn't that much fun. I have pictures of him holding on to a retrieving orange dummy at the very edge because he is trying to find the rope piece at the end while he is running as fast as he can. He likes to grab the rope end so he can shake it. He lives with two tiny dogs and cats, he does not shake them. He has on occasion, pounced though There are toys he is not allowed to have in the house for example the big three hoop rubber toy, that becomes dangerous to all that live here and TV's, pictures, mirrors etc. He loves to run and whap himself with that toy. He is not allowed to have stuffies because he shreds them right away and I'm afraid he will eat some of the stuffing.

 

[eegreen]

Indy shakes all of his toys too, including his tug toy. Sometimes I wonder if he will shake his brains loose, lol.

:grinball1:

 

[PennyPup]

Ah thanks everyone. What a relief. I though I had a nutso dog lol. All my other dogs, (beagle, poodle, dali x pit, and a heinz57) never did this so I was really worried.

Kyuss is by no means toy/food agressive.

Thanks again =D