Save Money with Homemade Dog Toys

Tired of spending your hard earned cash for toys that last just a few days before they're destined for the garbage? Why not make your own dog toys instead? These dog toys take just a few minutes of your time and provide hours of fun for you and your pet.

If your dog is an aggressive chewer like mine, finding toys that will last more than a few minutes of chewing can be a real challenge. These easy to make dog toys avoid vulnerable spots like arms, ears and legs that are easily chewed off.

Best of all, these homemade dog toys can be made with old clothes, socks, fabric or other items you have around the house.

Make Your Own Long, Cylinder Dog Toy

This homemade dog toy is a long, cylinder shape that is suitable for retrieving after thrown. For materials, you'll need a 12" x 12" piece of fabric. You can also use fabric from worn jeans, old t-shirts, or fleece blankets. You'll also need a needle thread and scissors.

To make this dog toy, roll the fabric up into a long roll, similar to the way you would roll up dough when making cinnamon rolls. The roll design prevents the need for stuffing. Use a needle and thread to carefully sew the ends of the fabric shut. The end result, a long toy your dog will love chasing down.

Make Your Own Rope Dog Toy

Whether your pet loves a good game of tug-of-war or to chase and retrieve toys, this rope toy is durable and easy to make. This braided rope dog toy uses scraps of fleece fabric. Each piece should be 24-inches in length and two-inches wide. Tie a knot to hold the three individual pieces of fleece together. Carefully braid until the complete length of the fabric is used. Tie another knot at the end and the homemade dog toy is now ready to use.

Hide-a-Treat Boxes

This homemade dog toy encourages your dog to find a treat hidden inside one of two boxes. To make this dog toy, you'll need two shoe boxes with lids and either a rope toy your dog has already chewed through or two socks that have lost their partner. You'll also need scissors and duct tape or heavy-duty masking tape. The rope or sock works as a handle for your dog to use to open the lid. To make this homemade dog toy, use a pair of scissors to cut a hole in the lid of each shoe box. The hole needs to be big enough to slide the rope or sock through. Then use duct tape or masking tape to tape rope or sock to the underside of the shoe box lid.

To play with this homemade dog toy, place a treat inside one of the boxes and place them both on the floor. Your dog will then sniff each box and open the lid to find a treat inside. Be sure to remove the boxes after your dog has found the treat.

Dogs should be supervised when playing with homemade dog toys or items purchased at a store. If the toy has a tear in it or has been damaged, discard or repair it to prevent your pet from accidentally ingesting toy materials.