Free, Easy Crochet Dog Toy Pattern

My dog loves those toys that are kind of like stuffed animals, except they're not stuffed. And I love that she loves them because I don't have to pick up stuffing when she tears them apart!

One day I was taking the dog for a walk, thinking about what my next crochet project might be, and inspiration hit me like a ray of sunshine on a gloomy day: I'll crochet the dog a stuffing-free critter toy.

This pattern is really easy and works up very quickly. The finished toy is about 14 inches long. It doesn't take a lot of yarn, but it's hard to say exactly how much because I use my scraps to make them.

Free Easy Crochet Dog Toy Pattern:

Scraps of any weight yarn. (It's helpful to have a little bit of yarn in a contrasting color for the eyes.)
Size H hook
Gauge is not important for this project.

1. Chain 10
2. Dc in third chain (ch) from hook and in next eight chains. (Ch 2 counts as first dc. 9 dc total.) Ch 2, turn.
3. Dc in each dc across and top of turning ch. (9 dc)
4. Repeat for a total of 22 rows, or desired length.
5. Decrease by skipping first dc, dc in next 5 dc, skip 1 dc, dc in last dc. (7 dc.) Ch 2, turn.
6. Decrease by skipping first dc, dc in next 3 dc, skip 1 dc, dc in last dc. (5 dc.) Ch 2, turn.
7. Decrease by skipping first dc, dc in next dc, skip 1 dc, dc in last dc. (3 dc.) Ch 2, turn.
8. Finish off and weave in ends. One side of the body is finished

9. Make another body, exactly like the first.
10. Put eyes on the second body by attaching contrasting yarn to the second post from the right on row 22. (The row before the decrease.)
11. Ch 3 and attach to same post. Finish off and weave in ends.
12. In the second post from the left on the same row, repeat steps 10 and 11 for the other eye.

13. Line the two bodies up and single crochet or whip stitch them together on all sides. Finish off and weave in ends.

Tips:
This pattern can be made in different colors. For example, I called the green one (shown) an alligator, but I've also made a brown one that we called a fox and a grey one we called a squirrel.

Further embellishments can be added. Some ideas: add a white stripe to a black body to make a skunk, or brown stripes to a yellow body for a tiger.

Crocheted dog toys make great gifts!