As I watched our puppy rip apart yet another toy, it occurred to me that I might as well hand her the ten dollar bill to chew. I'm wasting my money buying pet toys at the store time and time again. Instead, there are cheaper homemade toys that are just as fun for the pup and much easier on my wallet.
Stuff multiple socks inside one main sock. Tie the end and hand it off. Your dog has a great new chew toy without the stuffing that becomes such a problem. She can peel the layers off like an onion or chew all day. If you have a young pup, make the sock toy before washing the sock. We might not like the smell, but your puppy will appreciate your scent when you're away from home.
Double layer socks by stuffing one inside another. Then, fill the inside sock with sawdust. It's a different type of chew toy for a less aggressive chewer. If sawdust isn't available, use small animal bedding or a similar product.
The tug rope is the greatest toy to have when playing with a dog. Instead of purchasing a knotted rope at the pet store, make your own with old socks or t-shirts. Hold two socks together and knot them with other socks to create length. Make the knots tight so they don't give way while playing.
Combine the sock and the water bottle to recreate this toy. Place an empty plastic water bottle inside an old sock. Knot the sock and watch the fun.
Poke holes in the water bottle and remove the cap. Then, fill it with small or crushed dog treats. It works like the well-known Kong, allowing the dog to pester the bottle until small pieces of treats come out of the opening. If she destroys the bottle and gets the snacks, take the plastic before she can eat it and use a new bottle tomorrow.
On hot days fill the water bottle half way with water and lay it on its side in the freezer. Your dog has a solid chewing toy that will cool him in the hot weather, but it isn't too hard for his teeth.
Our pup invented the water bottle toy on her own. I left an empty bottle on the floor only to find her running through the house in absolute joy at her newly found toy. I did nothing to it, and it was just as pleasing to her.
To create the stuffing free toy that so many stores sell, buy some heavy fabric and get out your sewing machine. Cut out a basic shape - dogs don't care. Layer six or seven layers of the fabric on top of each other, sewing each layer to the one below it.
Remember, it's okay for your furry friend to destroy his toys now. It only takes five minutes to make new ones.
I'm looking for an inexpensive way to make toys for a lot of hounds (hunting dogs). Any ideas? Thanks.
By Orinda T. Berg from Gloucester, VA
I put a tennis ball into the toe of an old sock and my puppy went wild for it. As he got older I used two socks for added strength. He's nearly two years now and gets excited when a new one surfaces! Tennis balls can be bought cheaply at sporting good stores, but you can easily pick some up at your local college or high school.
Do you have any frugal chew toy ideas for dogs that are safe?
By Joy
When my leotards & other such stretchy knit clothes are too worn to wear on any self-respecting human, I wash & dry them & then tie them into big knots for use as dog tug-o-war toys. - Alekscat the frugal feline, Richmond,VA
I used to work at a Goodwill thrift store and people would come in and buy the stuffed animals by the bagfuls! They were giving them to their animals as chews toys!!
For the cheap dog toys request, Please let her know that many attended laundrymats keep a lost and found. After so long they discard the clothes. Towels and socks knotted make excellent dog toys. If she can sew, you can get squeakers and rattles at some craft stores. Also greyhound rescues often have days where you can volunteer to help make toys and blankets. If she attends one of these or can talk to the person in charge, you can get the toys cheap, or at least learn to make them.
- Rachel
Yard sales and garage sales are also a source of cheap stuffed animals.
Our dog loves playing with empty plastic cola bottles, especially the 2 liter size; Plain ol ordinary twigs & sticks; Ice cubes on the kitchen floor.
well you could take a old sock and stuff it with the other old sock and sew the end together and you have it a inexspenive dog toy. for cats take small baby mittens and
again stuff it with fluff and then sew the end together. (if you want slip alittle catnip in with the fluff) you could watch you cat go crazy with his/her new toy.
My dog only plays with tennis balls, but the ones marketed for pets are not good enough (pop in thirty minutes) In the sporting goods, you can get three for less than the price of two in the pet department if you look for practice balls. Also, tennis clubs may have them for sale if you go through a lot, and I have even seen used ones at thrift stores. We always found one per week during the summer at the apartment tennis courtyard we lived next to! THe longest he has kept one intact (or not lost) is one year.
For my cat (passed on in 2004) she loved those plastic seals from frozen orange juice concentrate cans, they were big enough to not fall apart when she chewed them, but we always had a ton under the refridgerator!
Sidenote....be careful on your choices for chew toys...when they misplace their favorite, they WILL look for replacements. I had that problem with shoes. My husband gave a puppy we had an old slipper, then she started on others. And if you have young kids, or plan to have them around, stay away from squeakers and rattles in the softies...a lot of baby snuggles have them.
I pick my dog's toys at either garage sales or thrift stores, but Walmart also has a great assortment for $1.
Dogs can destroy store bought toys faster than you might expect. If you are spending a lot of money on dog toys, consider making your own out of old scraps and dish towels.
This is a page about squeakers for dog toys. If you are making or repairing dog toys you will need squeakers for them.
This is a page about making a braided fleece dog toy. You dog will love this easy to make braided tug-o-war toy.
Put a dog treat under a jar lid and put it on the floor with the dog watching. It works a treat, just keep something handy for rescuing the lid from under the freezer, etc.
I am unemployed and even when I had a job, we wasted a lot of money on pet toys our Lab/Pointer destroyed in a few minutes.
I have an 8 week old chocolate Lab/Shepherd and he always tears up his toys. I love to make toys; do you have any ideas on toys I can make him before Christmas?
