The best way to entertain and exercise your pet dog is to cosset it with innovative and safe dog toys, and toys without a doubt busy up your pooch in a harmless activity, keeping bad behaviors at bay. A feisty dog may be quick to tear and destroy even the most expensive toys bought by you with love. Though its good to look out for fun dog toys once in a while, it is not always feasible to do this on a regular basis due to cost effectiveness. So the best alternative is to get creative with things lying around the house that aren’t of any use to you? Re-purposing these items into fun dog toys & indulging your pet in some of its favorite games is the best thing to do.
Image Courtesy: Pillarboxblue.com[/caption]
Up cycling items in the house which you would otherwise throw away or pass it on to someone will also save a lot of your money. Here are the best DIY toys which are the best replacement to store-bought ones that don’t last long enough as expected.
1) Turn an Empty water bottle into a dog rattle: If noisy toys are your dog’s fancy then you can fill an empty plastic water bottle with rice or beans and place it inside a sock. Then close the open end tightly. This toy is suitable for large dogs. In case your dog is a heavy chewer, supervise it while it plays with the rattle. Replace the bottle if it breaks.
For small dogs a sock filled with cellophane will be sufficiently noisy and entertaining. The crinkling sound is what pups get attracted to.Image Credit - www.rover.com[/caption]
Empty plastic bottles can be sealed in a cut-out from old jeans. When you cut out the pant leg, leave six to eight inches of extra fabric on the top and bottom end of the bottle. Tie both the ends to close in the empty bottle. The denim case will help in increasing the life of this toy and preventing the bottle from breaking. Once the bottle flattens out, you can open one end of the denim sleeve and replace a new bottle.
Dogs love to hear the bottle crinkle every time their jaws meet the plastic. The selection of the bottle must depend upon the size of your pooch.
2) Using your old T-shirts: These can be used to create an indoor dig pit. Pile some old t-shirts and cut them into strips that are three inches wide. Arrange these fabric strips inside a decent sized box or a bin with low side walls that can be placed beneath a bed. Dog parents can hide the pets’ favorite toys/balls or treats/kibbles in between these fabric strips. Let him enjoy excavating the box to find treasure troves of goodies.
3) Stuffed toys made with socks: Canines enjoy chewing on soft toys. Use old socks or those that have lost their partners to create a stuffed toy that your pooch will love to carry around. A long sock has to be filled with some other socks to create a padded soft toy. The open end needs to be fastened. For a cooling summer toy soak the padded sock toy in water, then wring the water out and let it sit in the freezer for a little while. This toy can also be used to offer relief to teething puppies.
The bottle trick works well with your old socks too. Simply insert a plastic bottle in an old sock of yours and let the fun begin. Image Credit - Walking Winston[/caption]
4) Plastic soda or water bottles as dog food dispensers: You will need a litre sized bottle for creating it into this DIY toy. First wash the bottle then neatly cut a few holes on the sides using scissors/knife. If your pooch is the impatient sorts you’ll have to make more holes. Also the size of these holes will determine the quantity of treats that will dole out from them.
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For dogs that like to leisurely solve puzzles even two holes would be enough to keep it happily engaged.
Fill some treats or a suitable quantity of kibbles in this bottle and secure its cap tightly. The toy is ready to roll and for your dog to enjoy !. Image Credit - Pinterest[/caption]
5) Tennis ball as a tug toy for dogs: You can convert your old tennis ball into a dual purpose dog toy that can be used for a game of fetch or tug. Pierce two holes on either sides of the ball and insert a strong rope/nylon cord through these holes. You will have to make a handle for you to hold on by creating a knot on one end of the rope. Another sturdy knot is required on the bottom of the toy for your dog to grab and pull. This ball-on-a-string toy can be fetched by your dog at one point and the next moment you and your pup can enjoy tugging on it.
Slitting a used tennis ball and filling with your dog' favorite treat is sure shot way to entice the pooch, Image Credit - rover.com[/caption]
6) Worn out Toys on a yarn or cord to elicit a chase: Chasing isn’t just a cat thing, even canines love to chase dangling objects and grab them. Developing this game is simple, you’ll need to attach your pooch’s old/dilapidated toy to one end of a long string/elastic cord and encourage it to go for it. Dogs enjoy running after fast moving objects. Hold the string and move the toy in front of the pet. Initially drag the toy slowly and allow the pup to focus its attention on it and not the string.
Always supervise interactions between your dog and its home-made toys. If some piece of a toy is ingested by the dog, it can pose a choking hazard or tummy issues. Initial supervisions are important until you are sure the toy is aptly suitable to the pooch and it isn’t going to tear it apart and take in a piece.