How to Make a Dog Rope Toy

Dog of all sizes love to play with rope toys, and as an added benefit, chewing on a rope toy will help to clean your dog's teeth and massage her gums. Pet store dog rope toys can be very expensive, but you can make your own sturdy rope toy for much less.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp scissors or utility knife
• Soft cotton rope

Instructions

1. Cut the soft cotton rope to a length of about 18 inches with a pair of sharp scissors or a utility knife.

2. Tie a secure overhand knot on one end of the cotton rope.

3. Form either an overhand knot or a loop on the other end so you'll have something to hold on to while playing with your dog.

4. Let your dog play with the rope toy or toss the toy and let your dog fetch it.

Tips & Warnings

• Cotton rope is preferable to synthetic materials, which are very strong, but can sometimes cut into the dog's gums.

• The diameter of the rope will vary according to the size of your dog, and a thicker rope is safer than a thinner one. However, a general guideline is that the rope should be roughly the size of your thumb, slightly larger for large dogs, and slightly smaller for little dogs.

• You can purchase cotton rope at your local hardware store. Some stores will cut the rope to the desired length, but at others, you may have to buy the rope by the package.