Have You Ever Made Your Own Dog Toys To Save Money?

Discussion in Pets started by cocolgooh • Feb 10, 2016.

  1. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    I've made toys for my dogs out of old socks before. One of them in particular loves socks that are balled up. I'll put four or five socks together in a ball shape, one inside the other, and he loves trying to get them out. Sometimes I'll hide a biscuit in the middle. It keeps him entertained for ages!

    I've also tied old socks together so they can use them as tugging type toys. Surprisingly they've never picked up any of my "good" socks to use this way either which is always a bonus!
     
  2. Zyni

    ZyniWell-Known Member

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    I don't currently have any pets, but yes, I used to sometimes make toys for them. Tying knots in orphaned socks for tuggy toys does work well. It's also a good way to repurpose those lonely socks.

    You can also take strips of fabric from old clothes and braid them together to make a chew toy or tuggy. Those were good ways to use up stained t-shirts from the kids. Little stuffed dolls work too. Lots of pets like those.

    The ball idea is a cute one. I bet they love that.
     
  3. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    I know people that have used strips of fabric like that as well, now you mention it! I know someone that made an octopus out of a sock and strips of fabric. Their dog loved it! Maybe I'll have to try that as well for my dogs!

    As for stuffed doll type toys, my other dog has a toy fairy he carries around, although it was just an old kids' toy that he took a liking to when it was going to go to the charity shop. He's had it for a few years now and he still loves it! It's had to be mended a couple of times though.

    I just remembered another toy I've made for my dogs before as well. I've taken the cardboard tube from the middle of kitchen paper rolls and sealed the ends with something, put holes in the tube and filled it with some biscuits. They love to roll it around to try and get the biscuits out, although nine times out of ten they realise they can tear it up and then they just rip a hole in it and get the biscuits out that way!
     
  4. isabbbela

    isabbbelaWell-Known Member

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    Not for my dog specifically. He only likes playing with plastic balls or stuff animals, so I always get him those.
    But my cat, who doesn't really enjoy bought toys, got a really good play out of a feather belt I have. One of my dresses came with a feather belt and she loved it!! So it's not that I actually made it - but it was something I gave her that I didn't really buy as a toy!
     
  5. FenWoFon

    FenWoFonMember

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    LAst time I made a scratching tube for my cat so he would stop trying to break my sofa and mostly everything that has fabric in my house, I was also thinking about building him a little house or something where he could get into to sleep, would be amazing to see my little buddy sleeping like a king in a wood made house.
     
  6. CaptainOblivious

    CaptainObliviousMember

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    Yes! My dog used to go through toys really fast. I tried things from tennis balls to chew toys and he just tore through them in a couple of days. So I started making these large bags of shredded cloth packed tight (I get it from free from a cleaner's down the road :) ) These take him the same time as the more expensive toys, and it's funny to see him all confused when the bag tears and all these shreds come out. It's hilarious!
     
  7. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    I have tried, but I don't think my dog really liked them. Some of those dog toys just don't hold up very well though. The dogs can just rip them apart with little effort and then you have stuffing all over the place or they can choke on it. I don't have a dog right now though, so the point is moot.
     
  8. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    How long does it typically take your dog to get through to the fabric? Does he usually pull all the stuffing out? One of my dogs in particular always feels the need to pull the stuffing out of everything! He prefers to have his bed without the cover on it even!
     
  9. Ke Gordon

    Ke GordonWell-Known Member

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    Well, I don't have a dog right now, but my friend's dog visits often, and he can rip through stuffed toys pretty quickly. I can't give him anything with a thin fabric or it will be gone. I have a squeaky bone here that my other dog used to love, but since that dog has gone to doggie heaven I wanted to keep that bone as a rememberance, as part of a shrine. I have some other toys here that the friend's dog hasn't killed,,,but the squeaker has gone dead. You wouldn't think little chichaua has that much jaw power but he does. I need something indestructible that doesn't cost a fortune.
     
  10. CaptainOblivious

    CaptainObliviousMember

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    Haha, we might have the same dog :)

    I use a thick cotton bag that the dry cleaners use for storing laundry and stuff. I put two bags one inside the other, with a lot of cloth scraps, then tie them up tightly. It lasts me about a week, but if my dog is feeling particularly active he can go through it in a couple of hours.
     
  11. cocolgooh

    cocolgoohActive Member

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    I think we do have the same dog! Mine will happily chew threw something in an hour or two if he's really feeling like killing something! My other dog on the other hand isn't so bothered by destroying things, he just loves to carry something. So I'll put a bottle in a sock for him and he's happy! It's definitely better to save money on toys when they're just going to destroy them anyway though!
     
  12. CaptainOblivious

    CaptainObliviousMember

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    Exactly, that's the point. If you know that your dog is going to destroy that toy anyhow, makes more sense to make some of your own and save money. Especially, since chew toys can be pretty expensive. I just like to see the dude happy.
     
  13. DrRipley

    DrRipleyExpert

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    I don't have pets anymore but back when I had a dog I bought him a fake bone toy which he loved. I was worried back then that using household items might make him think like he could do the same for all our other items so I just bought him a toy. I was also worried that if I did make something homemade I might end up making something hazardous like something he could chew up and swallow and it might mess with his digestive system. We didn't have internet to check good DIY ones back then though so I guess I'd be more willing to do it now since I could get better picture of what to make and get feedback and details on it as well.
     
  14. Kezmumtotwo

    KezmumtotwoNew Member

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    My dog isn't a toy sort of dog, he does like to play with a ball occasionally. However we had another dog a few years ago who loved to play with toys and usually household items! I was pregnant with my second daughter and had decided to knit her a baby blanket for when she was born. It had taken me probably two months (I'm not the best at knitting!) and I was fairly close to finishing it. One night, I put it on the sofa to be finished the next day, you can probably guess what happened next! I came downstairs the next morning to find my dog having a thoroughly good time chewing and pulling it to bits! He kept it as a tug rope for a long time! After crying a lot of hormonal pregnancy tears, I eventually finished the new blanket and my poor pooch out of the dog house. So no, I have never intentionally hand made a dog toy, but unintentionally yes I did!
     
  15. Denis Hard

    Denis HardWell-Known Member

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    I never buy toys for any of my pets.

    There's so much stuff around at home that can be used to make toys for pets and even if one has never done it can in less than an hour learn how to make a simple toy for their pets.

    You could "recycle" old T-shirts to make numerous dog toys.
     
  16. Kezmumtotwo

    KezmumtotwoNew Member

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    I like the idea of recycling unusable things for your pet. I bet it would be easy to cut tshirts into strips and tie them all together or plait them to make a fairly strong pull toy. I bet it would look pretty cool too! Have you got any you've made? It would be a nice idea to try getting my dog more interested in toy play!
     
  17. sidney

    sidneyWell-Known Member

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    No, I haven't made any toys for my dog, but we use a tennis ball and a chewable NylaBone toy when we want them to play.
     
  18. maxen57

    maxen57Active Member

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    My dog would chew on anything. I have my son's old rubberized baby toys that I just gave to my Clio since I can't afford to be new ones. Baby toys are made to be non-toxic so they'll be safe for dogs as well. I sometimes see chew toys that looked like ropes. I made my own by cutting old fabric and then I braded the strips. Then I attached an old bell from an old broken bracelet, just to have it make it jingle when she's playing with it.
     
  19. obliviousme

    obliviousmeActive Member

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    I haven't had the opportunity to make my dogs some toys. I haven't really had the time and to be quite honest, I'm not very creative so i wouldn't know the first thing to do. I guess there are tutorials online, but i don't have the time. I might have to try this one of these days, it would really help me save some money.
     
  20. filmjunkie08

    filmjunkie08Active Member

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    Yes, I have. Take a plastic 20 oz. soda bottle and stick a sock inside of the bottle. Dogs will generally play with that thing for quite a while trying to get the sock out (which of course they don't).