Homemade Dog Toys

Homemade Dog Toys

Tips and ideas for making your own dog toys. Post your ideas.

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Homemade Doggy Toy

Take old beat up towels, cut them into thin strips. Braid the strips together into one long rope. Tie a knot on each end. Now you have a homemade Doggy toy! By RRementer2003 (03/11/2005)

By ThriftyFun

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

We use old socks as dog toys. Tie one or two knots in it to use as tug-of-war toy. Works great! (03/11/2005)

By ladybear

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I have spent lots of money on toys for my pup, and the ones that make him the happiest are the ones that don't cost a dime. Put peanut butter in a cloth, wrap it, tie the ends, wet it and freeze it. Its great for teething. Secondly I put out a margarine container for water and found him tossing it and having a great time (just watch out for it breaking). Then we thought he'd love a Frisbee, so I tried the margarine lid as a Frisbee. It works and he loves it. Good thing I spent $11 on a Nylabone he doesn't touch! (04/19/2005)

By angie79

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Take an old cotton rope, tie a couple of knots in it so it is about a foot long. Soak the rope in a chicken/beef broth for a while and then let it dry. The dog loves it and it is cheap. (06/28/2005)

By matt

Homemade Dog Toys

If your dog loves tennis balls, grab one and soak it in chicken/beef stock they just love it! (07/29/2005)

By sabrina_leegue

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

You can give your dog or puppy an old stuffed animal that someone doesn't want or like anymore. Just be careful that it doesn't have any glass beads as eyes or a nose. (08/09/2005)

By Aspen Corren

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

We put about a cup of rice in an empty pop bottle! The noise it makes keeps the dogs occupied and it's hard for them to grab (2 liter pop bottles work best for larger dogs). (12/10/2005)

By Abby

Doggy toys - homemade

If you take a hand towel, knot one end (easier done when dry- knotting is optional), wet it really well, twist the towel gently without letting much water squeeze out, leave it twisted and place in freezer. Leave in freezer for half a day to a full day and let dog play with outside. Its great for the teeth, its healthy (as its just water), plus its refreshing for the dog in the summer because it nice and cool. The knotted end is great to hold when you throw it. (02/26/2006)

By GuineaPigLover

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Cut off the leg of an old pair of jeans. Tie in a knot and it makes a great tug toy. My dogs love to play tug with this together. Careful not to let them chew it up and swallow pieces. (03/21/2006)

By mtnrin

My 5yr. old dog luvs it!!!!

All we do is get a bottle of water or just get an empty bottle (plastic) then squeeze it so it makes that crackly sound. Then throw it up in the air a lot so that your dog sees it and just keep squeezing it. Your dog will love it! (06/04/2006)

By Hattie

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My dog loves to lounge on the couch and just sit there and chew the couch to pieces. So if your dogs likes to chew furniture find an old pillow with no zipper, or if your dog chews wood find an old piece of wood that doesn't splinter and if you want even soak it in beef broth for awhile. (08/08/2006)

By Nevaeh

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Use an empty plastic bottle to make a Kong toy. Put dry food inside a hard plastic bottle, and cut a small hole in the end of it. As the dog pushes and shakes the bottle little bits of food come out! My Labradors love these and I leave them one each every day to play with. (09/10/2006)

By Joanne

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Take an old shirt, cut into 3 strips, and tie them together at one end. Then braid the three strips and tie the other end. You can spread peanut butter, soak it in broth, wet dog food or anything your dog likes or you can leave it plain. (02/04/2007)

By jackie

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I love the sock idea as it works brilliantly also if you take a tennis ball and drill a hole through it, thread some rope through the ball and knot the rope so that the ball can't come off. Your dogs will love this tug rope and tennis ball. (02/18/2007)

By ludo...<3

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I have a small Dog but even he can play with this toy. Take a plastic cup (The party kind or the kid kind for bigger dogs) and put a spoonful of peanut butter and a little bit of yogurt inside. Give it to your dog and they try to lick the cup clean. (06/29/2007)

By Emily

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

This is a great one! Put some dog treats/food in the end of and old sock and watch your dog try to get it out! (08/10/2007)

By dougalgirl

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My Siberian husky loves to play with empty Gatorade bottles. (09/08/2007)

By Siberian husky luvr

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Get A empty water bottle and fill it with dog treats and when your dogs roll it food comes out! (09/22/2007)

By Christy

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Take 1 tennis ball and poke a hole in it fill it with dry food and your dog will roll it around for hours! P.S. If you want you can soak it in chicken/beef broth for 1 day and your dog will love it more!!! (12/18/2007)

By Lily

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Gunner loves his 3' of cheap bright green hose! The house water hose is black and he hasn't had a problem. (12/22/2007)

By custompetcare

Here is a little something: it's called "Peanut Pops". Instructions: Take a regular rawhide like the ones sold in stores, and take some peanut butter. Use an ice cube tray and fill it with peanut butter. Insert the rawhide in the middle of the peanut butter. Freeze overnight or until hard. These are best in summer when your dog is hot. NOTE: If your dog gets sick with peanut butter, use water. It is just as good. (02/24/2008)

By Hattie

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Take 2 5x7 sheets of fabric sew them together and stuff them then give it to your dog it will love it. (05/03/2008)

By froboii

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Freeze a water bottle in the freezer. My dog loves it! When it thaws, just freeze it again! P.S. May make floor a little wet. (05/21/2008)

By SAlly

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

(submitted via email) Ham bones have been known to be brittle and break off in very sharp edges, not good for a dog. Ingested, they could cause permanent damage for the the sharp edges. I myself purchased a beef bone from a local store to find the same thing happen. I actually cut myself on sharp edge. needless to say it got pitched. Never give dogs pork bones, they shatter into very sharp pieces. Please think again regarding this practice. Thank you for reading. Louise (06/09/2008)

By jess_admin

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Remember anything you give as a toy is letting your dog know its ok to play with it. If you give socks, shoes and kids stuffed toys they will then see all as a play toy that they can take anytime. We have lost a few kids toys and shoes we wanted to keep as he didn't know the difference because we were giving puppy the old ones. My experience of stuffed toys is the stuffing all over the yard! And a lot of clean up. (08/04/2008)

By Margaux

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Homemade Dog Toys

I have a dog and I am getting a puppy. I need to make some toys for them and I need ideas.

Paige from Delray, Florida

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RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My dog likes a carrot tied in a sock. It is good for teething. (08/17/2008)

By mulberry204

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I bought my dog a "Kong" toy when he was a pup for about $8.00 or so. I've had to replace it just recently and he is 13 years old.(Boxer) To me it's safer for him than fabric or plastic would be and well worth the money. (08/20/2008)

By Lady

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I just did this with my puppy and he loves it. I took and old paper towel tube and put Scooby snacks and some of his other treats in it and cut a hole in the tube and he loves it. (09/13/2008)

By PetLover10

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

If you have a tree in your backyard, try this one. Find a limb that's approximately 20 feet up in the tree and tie one end of a 25 foot rope around the limb. Tie knots and loops in the other end so that it hangs about 2 feet off the ground. It works like a tug'o'war they can play by themselves. I found rope at a farm supply store and spent about $10 for the whole thing. I have a high energy dog and this keeps her entertained for hours. (09/25/2008)

By Charlotte

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

After finishing a 20 oz. plastic bottle of soda, wrap it in a towel and hit the bottom end with a hammer a couple of times to take out the shape, then take some small treat bones and put them in the bottle. The pup gets a "rattle" and has to work for their treat. (11/06/2008)

By CDiddy

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I just make an origami claw out of strong paper and give it to my dog and she can play with it for a few hours before I have to make a new one (they are very easy to make). My dog is a big Husky Pit Bull mix and is three years old. (11/10/2008)

By Kristina Emily

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I got some cellophane and stuck it inside a roll of paper and used duct tape to tape the ends up so it doesn't come out. Then I wrapped it all up in more duct tape. But you have to wrap it in like heaps of duct tape so your dog doesn't chew it up. Don't forget to go over the ends with duct tape too or else your dog could get it off the end and then eat the cellophane and its probably not that tasty. This toy suits big dogs because when they bite it the cellophane crackles and often a little dog like a Pomeranian doesn't have a strong enough jaw to bite it so it crackles. Its called a Munch and Crunch. (01/07/2009)

By Sam

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

I take the empty cardboard tube that comes with a paper towel or toilet paper roll, insert a doggie treat, then fold and pinch the cardboard ends several times to seal it up. It's ungainly, but he doesn't care. I throw it, he fetches, I grab it and throw it again, he's interested in guarding it. The toy is good for a few minutes of his attention. Not exactly a doggie long lasting toy, but good for the occasional diversion. (01/11/2009)

By cookwie

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My dog loves to eat peanut butter. What I do is take a squeaky toy with many nooks and crannies. I smother on PB in the hard to reach places. My dog loves to try to get his tongue to reach the PB. (02/16/2009)

By Lenny

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My opinion is for heavy chewers or dogs that weight over 50 pounds. My Bull Terrier loves to chew as much and often as possible. I tried putting a container with water and letting her bob for apples, this entertained her for a hour till she got the apple and ate it. Putting rice in a plastic bottle worked for 2 minutes.

But I found the best way to get her chewing habits relieved was a normal Kong (I have to use the extra strength black, but whatever fits your breed), and making homemade dog frozen treats like (mixed banana honey or plain yogurt honey and oats) keep her busy the most, changing up what you put in the Kong keeps them more interested than just freezing peanut butter every time. And to give her something to just destroy I give her paper towel rolls. I put treats in the middle and fold up the ends. (do not use string or ties on the ends if you dog eats or swallows it it can cause deadly intestinal damage). (02/20/2009)

By Bull Terrier Owner

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Homemade Dog Toys

I have an 8 week old chocolate Lab/Shepherd and he always tears up his toys. If it's a stuffed animal toy it's gone in at least a minute. I love to make toys; do you have any ideas on toys I can make him before Christmas? Thanks.

By Mikayla

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RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Store bought stuffy toys are quickly torn up in a minute or so and can become costly to continually replace with the same old thing, so I give my dog an ice cube and he loves running after it as it slides across the floor besides crunching down on it and eating it. It's the cheapest toy, very entertaining, and easily replaced.

I can't buy stuffy toys for my other dog because of my male being too destructive towards them, so I buy a lot of different sized balls that do different things to keep them entertained and also safe chewy toys that seem to last long.

An old sock is another favorite for my dogs and they play tug o' war with it often. Also, the red LED light that dogs like to chase after. They play a few minutes chasing after the light, but don't ever shine it into their eyes or make it a long time at play as it can drive a dog wild and become obsessed with the light searching all over for something that's long been put away. This is strictly in moderation and not frequent play. When the finger tires of holding down the button on the light, that's when the play ends and even sooner for a puppy.

You could buy a bag of squeakers that go into toys reasonably priced on the net and then make a blanket the dog can walk on and sew into squares and insert a squeaker into each square and when they walk on it, sound comes out and each time they take a step, a sound comes from where their paw was placed. Keeps them busy trying to go after that newest sound, and I'd try making it from a strong material like heavy denim or heavy remnant upholstery material. It should last longer than the stuffed toys. Still have to watch out for any holes made from teeth trying to remove the squeaker so they don't swallow plastic parts. I wouldn't let the dog have it when unattended for this reason. (12/07/2009)

By Lorelei

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

My puppy loved a carrot tied up in a sock. (12/10/2009)

By mulberry204

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Go to your hospital's lab and ask for a few of the used huge over sized rubber band type tourniquets they use when drawing blood. Go to Walmart and get a card of cat toy balls with the little bell inside the plastic cage type ball for $1.98. Tie the balls with the rubber band through the slots. Then shoot them across the room. He will chase them, they will skittle and ring, then he can spend hours holding the rubber band down and trying to stretch the ball loose, only to have it snap back and scoot some more. The rubber band keeps him from swallowing the ball, but the slots in the ball would still allow him to breathe if he DID somehow manage to. As the ball skittles and rolls, the tourniquet flies around like a tail on some creature he is chasing! (12/10/2009)

By dollyslaffn

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Take a long (knee high) sock and tie several knots in it. Good for tossing or tug-of-war. Stuffed animal toys can be found very reasonable at yard/tag sales or thrift shops. You can just toss them in the wash and then give them to your dog. You can also go onto Craigs list and ask for free dog toys or stuffed animals. A lot of people just throw them out and will give them to you for free. (12/11/2009)

By brdldy

RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Our puppy has a lot of fun with empty gallon-size jars of milk. We take it from him once the plastic starts breaking up, and just hand him the next empty one. He likes them better than most store-bought toys. He also loves potholders and oven mitts. I gave them a couple that were falling apart--probably because of all the food smell. Always be careful to make sure he doesn't end up swallowing stuff he shouldn't swallow. (02/13/2010)

By gunnercade

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Thrifty Homemade Dog Toys

I am unemployed and even when I had a job, we wasted a lot of money on pet toys our Lab/Pointer destroyed in a few minutes. Cheap toy ideas (please supervise your pet during play) can be right (almost) in your garbage.

Take an empty tissue box (cut off the plastic liner around the opening if there is one) and stick some small treats (food) inside. The dog will rip up the cardboard and play with this "busy box" you can then throw away. Get a paper lunch bag and stick some treats inside (I used bits of left over cheese or meat). Close the top and toss to your dog.

By Di from VT

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RE: Thrifty Home Made Dog Toys

A good source for stuffed toys for your pup is your neighborhood thrift store. Small stuffed toys are usually around 50 cents. Just make sure that you get the kind with sewn eyes, etc., so that your dog won't be eating little plastic features or accessories. (01/04/2009)

By 17538

RE: Thrifty Homemade Dog Toys

If you have an old pair of jeans (or any sturdy pant leg material) cut a leg off, you can put a tennis ball (or squeaky type toy if you prefer) inside and tie each end, or two tennis balls and knot each space. Good for tough chewers. Be careful with stuffed toys, the stuffing can be swallowed and become impacted and then you get a lovely trip to the vet. (01/06/2009)

By cowpunkgal

RE: Thrifty Homemade Dog Toys

Our lab loves empty water bottles, without the cap of course. Also, if you don't mind the mess, ours also loves to carry off an empty 12 pack soda box and carry it around the house. Eventually it ends up shredded, but provides a lot of entertainment in the meantime. (01/11/2009)

By Chris

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Homemade Dog Toys

I am looking for a pattern for fleece dog lanyards/pull toys. Anyone out there have any ideas? Thanks.

By Michelle from Highland, MI

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RE: Homemade Dog Toys

Newspaper ball: roll up newspaper. Cover it with several layers of duct tape.

Jeany the octopus: cut eight strips from a pair of old jeans. Tie a knot in the end of the strips. Make a face on the knot. Make duct tape hair. Cover the tentacles with duct tape.

Sock ball: put a tennis ball in an old sock. Tie a knot at the end.

Sock bottle: put a bottle inside the sock. Tie a knot in the end.

Hope this helps! :-) (05/02/2010)

By pempemem1