How to Make Dog Toys

Dogs need mental stimulation. They also enjoy new toys and activities. It can become expensive to keep your dog entertained, so supplementing your dog's toy collection with some things you have made yourself will save you a little money and keep your dog busy and happy.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Old socks
• dog treats and kibble
• rope or twine
• soft dog toy or rag
• empty plastic bottles
• halloween treat bucket

1. Place an empty plastic bottle inside and old sock. Tie a knot in the top of the sock to keep the bottle inside. Be sure to remove the label cap and plastic ring from the bottle before you place it in the sock. Do not leave your dog unsupervised with this toy, or any toys not designed for powerful chewers.

2. Take an old sock and cut it lengthwise on each side so that it becomes a long strip of cloth. Place a fragrant dry or semi moist dog treat in the center of the strip of cloth. Take the ends of the cloth and tie them in a half know around the treat. Flip it over and tie another half knot. Repeat this process until you can no longer tie half knots. You should have a ball of knots when you finish. The first time you give this to your dog, make the knots loose and easy to untie. As he gains skill, you may tighten the knots and add more strips of cloth to the ball to increase the difficulty of this game of dissection skill. It is fun to watch a dog work for the treat, and they enjoy this doggie rubik's cube!

3. Cut the handle off of a jack o' lantern shaped Halloween treat bucket. Toss it for your dog, usually the noise and motion is enough to get them interested in playing pumpkin soccer. If they seem hesitant, smear some peanut butter or cream cheese around the inner lip of the bucket. This will make the toy seem much more interesting.

4. Fill an empty, dry plastic bottle with dry kibble or treats for your dog. You may vary the size of the bottle, for smaller dogs use a kid size water bottle, for larger dogs, you may want to use a 2 litre bottle. Be sure to remove the cap, label, and ring from the bottle before you use it as a toy. Do not lever your dog alone with this toy.

5. Make a chasing toy with a few feet of rope or twine and a soft dog toy or rag. Tie the rope tightly around the center of the toy, and drag it along the ground for your dog to chase. You may wish to use some dowel or pvc at the other end to create a handle that you can hold on to.

Tips & Warnings

• Play with your dog for at least ten minutes each day
• Use the introduction of a fun new toy or activity as an opportunity to reinforce the "come" command. Call your dog to you to give him the toy.
• Supervise your dog when he is playing with a new toy to be sure it is appropriate for his interest and activity level.
• Do not leave dogs unsupervised with toys not specifically created for chewing
• Even if a toy says it is indestructible, watch your dogs first few interactions with the toy to be sure he cannot chew off pieces and ingest them
• A blockage can kill a dog, and even if it is operable, blockage surgery is quite expensive.