Easy to make, using everyday objects to create some great homemade dog toys
British weather being as delightful as it is - there's often days where you look out of the window at the torrential rain and shudder at the thought of going outside. You drop (what was) Rover's favourite toy in front of him and he looks up at you as if to say, "not this old thing again"?
Rather than constantly purchasing new toys - try some homemade dog toys that will keep their minds occupied. Obviously these toys will depend on how destructive your dog is - if he's a prolific chewer make sure you have a stag antler or kong to chew on for dreary wet days!
There is many reasons why dog toys are important, first and foremost, they are fun! But also, they will encourage your dog not to chew and destroy furniture/shoes/socks/childs favourite teddy bear etc. (As the pictures below demonstrate)
Here are our top ten homemade dog toys for dogs of all ages.
1. Stitching required. If you have an old pair of jeans you were going to toss - here's a great opportunity to make a sturdy dog toy. Cut four identical squares from the cloth (denim is best) and lay them out. You want to stitch them together as a cube, leaving one side "open" to stuff with something crackly (cellophane), something noisy (mashed up old water bottle) or use your imagination! Once you stitched 5 sides of the cube together, turn it inside out so the stitching is on the inside, stuff with the product of your choice and then stitch closed. It is recommended you stitch over your initial stitches 4 or 5 times for extra strength. Commence play!
2. Paper towel/toilet paper tubes with peanut butter smeared inside. In fact anything with peanut butter smeared inside it! Try inserting the tubes into a sock for added complexity.
3. Cottage cheese containers or empty yogurt cups with about an inch of chicken broth frozen at the bottom. This isn't ideal for strong chewers - this would be ideal for puppies or toy/lap dogs
4. Empty cardboard boxes with dog treats inside. Cut holes just big enough for the treats to fall out when they turn the box around or over. Tape it shut with duct tape.
5. Put an empty plastic water bottle inside an old sock - preferably a long ski type sock. When chewed, this makes a crunching sound that most dogs seem to find quite satisfying. You can add more value by inserting kibble type treats inside and the dog has to work to get them out.
6. A giant knot. Take a long piece of fabric and tie a knot in it. Tie another knot around that first knot. Repeat till you rub out of fabric. Ensure the knots are extremely tight (you could also hide a few bits of kibble inside but it's unlikely they would ever get it out) Once you are done, cut off the excess fabric from either end and you have a throwing and chewing ball! In summer you could soak the knot in boullion or chicken stock and freeze which would be a lovely cooling treat.
7. Compact some bubble wrap (without allowing it to pop) and encase it in duct tape. This is a great toy for dogs who are strong chewers and would get through a toilet roll or yoghurt pot within seconds.
8. Old sock stuffed with kibble and knotted. This one does get a little messy - you will have to throw the sock out as the kibble juice will stain the sock forever but this one was extremely popular!
9. Take an old dish towel and cut it in half width wise, then tie it in a knot. This makes a really simple cloth toy with knots to amuse them. An alternative is to take the dish towel (or regular towel) and cut it into strips - braiding instead of tying in knots. You can use dish towel, regular towels or even denim (another use for those old jeans!)
10. Get an old tennis ball and cut it from east to west, about halfway round so when you squeeze it, the ball opens. Place treats that will fall out of the gap when squeezed by your dog. This way he has to learn to squeeze the ball in a certain way to release the treats. A great mental stimulation toy.

we hope you enjoyed this article, if you would like to share your creations, have dog toy idea's of your own or just want to share photo's of your dog come join us on our free forum http://forum.dogzforlife.com
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