Dogs get bored easily. Give your dog a chew toy to play with to while away his time. But instead of buying his toys from the pet store, make your dog’s toys yourself. You can save money and find satisfaction in the fact that your dog’s toys are homemade.
Here are two different homemade dog toys that your dog will surely love.
Rope chew toys
The rope chew toy that you buy from the pet store for roughly $10 is simply made out of rope. Why pay that much for something you can make for less?
- Buy your rope. Buy non-toxic rope make of cotton. Select the thickness of the rope depending on the size of your dog. If you have a big dog, find at least a ¾” thick rope. Small dogs can play with ½” thick rope. Cotton ropes come in a variety of colors. Buy different colors to make attractive rope chew toys.
- Simple rope chew toy. Get a length of rope. The length should depend on the size of your dog. Tie a simple knot at both ends of the rope and you are done! When the rope chew toy becomes too frayed, simply make another one.
- Multiple-knot rope chew toy. Make a longer rope chew toy with several knots. Cut a long length of rope. Make several knots along the rope. Three knots should be a good number.
- Multiple-rope chew toy. Cut three different colors of rope of the same length. Knot them together in the middle. Then make knots at the ends of the ropes, too.
Ball chew toy
Dogs love chasing tennis balls. This easy dog chew toy will surely bring your dog lots of satisfaction.
- Gather your materials. This simple ball chew toy is made of garden twine and tennis balls. You will need a drill or something that can bore a hole in a tennis ball.
- Make the ball chew toy. Make two holes in a tennis ball. Thread a length of garden twine into the holes. On one end of the twine, make a knot. The knot should be right beside the hole where it was made. Make another knot this time on the other side. The knot should be beside the other hole. Leave a length of twine (6” will do) from the last knot then tie another knot at the end of this length. You now have a tennis ball chew toy with a twine that you can hold on to when playing tug o’ war with your dog.
Warnings:
- Never use plastic in making homemade dog toys. Plastic can break off into small pieces. This becomes a choking hazard especially for small dogs and puppies. Keep hard or soft plastic or even thin rubber away from your pooch.
- Instead of using strings, use heavy twine or rope made of cotton. Just like plastic, strings can easily ingested by animals and prove to be a danger to your dog.
- It is not okay for your dog to chew on your old shoe. He will not be able to distinguish between your designer shoes and your old worn out tennis shoes. Shoes are shoes; they are fun to chew for canines. Giving your dog “old” things like worn out shoes can confuse him.
Your dog will probably destroy a couple of dog toys in his lifetime. Big dogs especially have the habit of turning their chew toys into unrecognizable shapes. Instead of buying your dog toys from the pet store, make homemade dog toys for your favorite canine pal. He will surely be satisfied.