woof wednesday

Hello puppy friends,

Ever since mom cleaned out my toy box, I’ve been itching for some new toys. Since mom and dad have really gotten into upcycling stuff lately and being more sustainable, I thought it might be smart for me to give them some ideas of DIY dog toys that I would just love to have! For some dogs it’s really simple; turn on a flashlight or laser beam, or start blowing bubbles, and we’ll be entertained for hours. But I’m the type of dog that likes to chew, destroy and chew some more. And if you haven’t noticed, I’m a big dog. So just any old wimpy dog toys will not do!

As with any dog toys, if your pets start dismantling the toys, it’s time for you to inspect it to make sure there is nothing that will harm them if swallowed, to trash the squeakers which have been extracted and make sure that nothing else that is going to choke or otherwise do your dog damage. Cause in some respects, us dogs are like infants: We’ll put just about anything in our mouths without a second thought and give it a good chew to see how it tastes.

So let’s get down to the fun! Here’s 10 very cool DIY dog toys that I can’t wait for mom to make me… cause darn it, no opposable thumbs sure does make these complicated!

1. DIY Octopus Dog Toy — This one is pretty cool and only requires 3 XL  t-shirts (or more if you get really inspired).

2. Make a denim chew pillow — Before you drop off those sacks of clothes at the donation spot, glance through them to see what you might be able to use for dog toys. If you’ve got an old pair of jeans, you can turn the legs into chew pillows filled with old t-shirts, socks or whatever you have laying around. I LOVE to eat the cotton fill in my toys…but if I do manage to get through the jeans and reach old clothes instead, I’m a lot less likely to chew up and swallow those.

3. The bottle challenge — We have some awesome Kongs around here that you can fill with peanut butter or treats. Then I have to go about rolling them and licking at them until I get the goodies out. But you can make something like this at home. Take an old plastic bottle or even a cardboard milk carton, throw away the lid and toss a few treats inside. Your pup will probably spend a good while rolling the bottle around and trying to get the treats out. If you use a cardboard container, you will probably want to put some holes in the sides. But make sure that they aren’t left alone with these toys because they might start chewing up the plastic which you definitely don’t want them swallowing! And once they get the treats out, they might enjoy just tossing the bottles around and chasing them…I sure do!

4. Super spiffy DIY dog tugga toy – This one is super simple and you probably won’t need more than one or two t-shirts. It also looks super cute with the colors they picked out.

diy dog toys

5. Paddio Sticks — These are pretty simple to make and only require 3 “ingredients”: a stick, an old t-shirt and some color tape (like duct tape). This is not the type of toy you want to leave your dog alone with for long periods of time if they tend to destroy toys, but it might be fun for your pup to chase like a crazy monkey since they twist and turn all over the place.

6. Sock & ball toy — This is a super simple toy which you can make in about a minute. Take an old tennis ball (or any other ball that will fit down in your sock) and put it into an old gym sock. Tie the sock once or twice so that the ball sits snuggly in the toe. Now you’re ready to play tug of war or fetch! I also love taking the loose end of the sock and thrashing it around so the ball whacks me and eventually I let go and it flies away. So awesome!

7. Indestructible & edible dog toy — This is a toy I can really sink my teeth into! No really. It’s made of rope and rings of dried sweet potatoes. How tasty does that sound?

diy dog toys

8. Socks or hand towels as freezer toys — During the summer, all my fur and the warm temperatures make me HOT! So mom is kind enough to do things like make me big ice cubes or doggie ice cream…and she also will put wash clothes, socks and sometimes even small towels into a plastic bag, wet them down and freeze them. If you’re going to use them quickly, you probably don’t need the baggie; but otherwise the water might evaporate from the towel if you’re keeping it in there for a few weeks.

9. Recycle old stuffed animals — I once discovered a huge dinosaur in the trash pile which I quickly claimed as my own and brought home. It was my best friend for a long while and nearly as big as I was. I actually still have him. But some of my favorite toys are my stuffies…and since I destroy them anyway, I might as well get the old ones no one wants from Mack’s room, at discount stores or from the trash heap (don’t worry folks, it was totally clean).

10. A cardboard box — Now, you might need to select different sized boxes for different sized dogs…but one of my favorite past times has always been helping mom with the recycling and shredding boxes.

Now if you’re still looking for more great ideas, head over to Wisebread’s DIY dog toys list for more than 100 ideas to get your brain going. And then go making something nice for the fur baby in your life!

Sloppy kisses,

 

 

 

This post is linked to Top Ten {Tuesday}.