DIY dog toys at home

We love our pets with all our hearts, and therefore we are ready to make them happy every day. A gift for a dog - this phrase sounds somehow strange to the average person. But for a dog lover it is quite pleasant and cute. Therefore, if you have a dog or a friend who has a pet, then you can prepare a wonderful surprise.

Does a dog need toys?

A dog is a social and energetic animal. She needs to move a lot, spend energy somewhere, communicate both with people and with others like her, and study the world around her. If the owner does not pay enough attention to his pet, then one day the dog will begin to spend unrealized energy on something else. For example, the owner’s slippers or favorite sofa will be used up - everything will depend on how bored the dog is and how ready he is to destroy the apartment.

Without proper attention, the dog will begin to chew everything.

Most often, puppies spoil things out of boredom. But here you need to take into account the peculiarities of age: the baby simply does not yet know what can be chewed and what not, he is teething, which means everything in his mouth itches. Any surrounding objects can be used as a “scratcher”.

Special toys for dogs are an excellent “alternative” to things that an animal may consider its toy . That is, by teaching a dog to play with special objects, you can forget about spoiled things in the house: the pet will simply play with balls, ropes and other types of toys in his free time from communicating with people.

Dog toys are very useful

Important! It is important to properly train puppies to play with special dog toys. A lot of effort will have to be spent to explain to a four-legged baby what is allowed to play in the house and what is not.

Dog toys are also necessary during training. Pets love to play, and a toy and game can be an excellent reward for successfully performing an action on command. This is ideal for dogs who are not food eaters - the latter will prefer a reward in the form of treats.

Toys help in caring for your dog

Toys, or rather, running after them, help your pet stay in shape. Plus, the animal’s mood will only improve if it engages in outdoor games. All dogs love outdoor games.

There are “developmental” toys. In addition to things for entertainment, they can also become a subject for the development of intelligence. By enthusiastically taking out pieces of treats from such toys, the dog begins to think better and faster.

An educational game that will take a minute of time and an empty box to create. Place some dry food or special treats on the floor and cover them with a box. Get the dog's attention. How quickly will he figure out what to do?

Plastic bottles, stand and treats. The dog gets a treat for playing if he can figure out how to get it

Types of Dog Toys

The variety in the world of toys is created not only for children, but also for our four-legged family members. Pet stores offer a large selection of play items that differ not only in size, but also in shape, purpose, and the material from which they are made.

The toy can have any size and purpose

Important! When choosing a toy for your pet, you need to look not only at its appearance and cost, but also at its quality. The toy must be safe.

Table. Main types of toys for dogs.

Puller – training equipment for animals

Important! You can only play tug of war with adult pets. In puppies, up to 1.5 years of age, a bite is formed, which can easily be spoiled if you play with them incorrectly. Ropes are convenient for training a dog to fetch. And you can get used to it from puppyhood. In addition, ropes are good “toothpicks”.

Soft toys for dogs
Toys can be divided into several types and depending on what materials they are made from.

1. Rubber or rubber toys are the most durable and suitable for chewing.
2. Vinyl toys are fun to chew around, and some can be very durable. Most often they are equipped with a squeaker, which dogs like so much.
3. Fabric toys are fragile, but dogs love to fiddle with them and carry them in their mouths.
4. Rope toys are dense, but not durable. Suitable for games of tug and fetch.
5. Wooden toys are dangerous for dogs; pets can hurt their gums and tongue. Now they are almost never produced, but if they are produced, then you need to buy toys only from maple, ash, walnut or beech. Toys made from coniferous wood are strictly contraindicated for dogs - they contain resin, which is dangerous for animals.

Rubber stick for dogs

A wooden dog toy is not the best option.

Important! It is not advisable for dogs to play with sticks. They may get injured.

Tug toy with four balls and two loops

T-shirt braid

For this toy we take three old T-shirts. It is better if the T-shirts are of different colors. This will make the braid more interesting and brighter.

We cut off the sleeves and necks of the T-shirts (Fig. 2). We get three multi-colored rectangles, each of which consists of the front and back of a T-shirt.

We roll each rectangle into a “tube” (Fig. 3). If you have a small dog, you can take only one half (front or back). And if the dog is large, you can roll up a tube from both parts.

Cut two small ropes from one of the T-shirts. Using one of them we firmly tie all three tubes together (Fig. 4).

Let's start braiding.

When the braid is almost ready, tie the end with a second rope and trim with scissors.

Requirements for dog toys

Just like for children, you should not buy bad and low-quality toys for dogs that are not suitable for them. Let's figure out which products are considered good.

1. Toys should not stain your hands or have an unpleasant odor.
2. A dog toy should not have small, easily detachable parts.
3. It is important to choose a toy that is the right size for your dog. So, small balls should not be given to large pets.
4. The toy must be intact.
5. It is important that the material from which the dog toy is made is easy to wash. Yes, yes, dog toys need to be washed sometimes.
6. It is better to take yellow and blue toys - dogs see them best.
7. It is important that a dog, like a child, has a variety of toys that differ in structure, shape, size, materials, etc.
8. If the toy has a squeaker, it must be securely fixed so that the pet does not get it.

It is important that the dog toy does not have an unpleasant odor.

Important! Children's toys are not suitable for dogs! An animal can chew a child's toy, swallow a piece, and such a game will end with a visit to the veterinarian.

No matter how wonderful toys a dog has, it still needs live communication with a person. So you still need to play, walk and have fun with your dog as much and as often as possible.

Paracord dog toys

Most dog toys are expensive - it's a business. Moreover, it is not a fact that you will be able to buy a quality product in a store. That’s why some owners prefer to make toys themselves. Let's look at several options for homemade dog toys.

DIY fleece toys for dogs

First, let's try to make a toy from only fleece. It is very easy to make. Even a beginner in the world of needlework can cope with the task.

Step 1. The first step is to cut 4 strips of fleece about 6 cm wide.

4 strips of fleece cut

Step 2. It is better to take longer strips of fleece. If the length is not enough, then individual pieces of strips can be sewn together, thus obtaining a long strip of material.

If the length is not enough, the pieces can be sewn

Step 3. All four strips of fleece need to be folded together, aligning the edges, and tied from one of the edges into a knot that needs to be tightened well.

A knot is tightened from one edge

Step 4. Next, you need to put the workpiece on the table, straighten the fleece strips, fold one strand up above the knot, two to the sides, and the last one down. Arrange the workpiece in a cross pattern in this way.

Strips of fleece are straightened out

The workpiece must be positioned in a cross

Step 5. Then the bottom strip of fleece needs to be folded up, placing it on top of the horizontal strip on the left (away from you) side. Lower the top strip in the same way, placing it on top of the fleece strip on the right side.

The bottom strip is placed on top of the horizontal strip on your left (away from you) side

The top strip goes down similarly

Step 6. The right horizontal strip needs to be drawn through the workpiece and threaded inside the wrapped bottom part.

The right strip is threaded inside the folded bottom part

Another photo of the process

Step 7. Do the same with the left strip of fleece.

Refer to this diagram while working.

You need to do the same with the left stripe

Step 8. Next, you need to carefully tighten the knot, pulling all the strips of fleece.

The knot is tightened

Step 9. Repeating all the steps to form a knot, you need to weave a rope, leaving about 20 cm of free ends of the fleece.

You should get a rope like this

Step 10. The ends of the fleece need to be tied together and pulled tightly together - you will get a rope-ring.

The ends are tied together

You need to pull it tight

Step 11. It is better to cut off the excess ends of the fleece. The fleece ring is ready.

It is better to cut off the excess ends

Fleece dog ring

If you add an old dog ball to the fleece, you get a slightly different toy. It's also easy to make with your own hands. You need to take a ball with a hole in the middle - these are usually left over from old rope toys, the rope of which has long been “eaten”.

Step 1. You need to take three long strips of fleece about 8 cm wide and a ball with a hole in the middle.

Requires 3 strips of fleece

Step 2. Next, you need to fold all the fleece strips together and stretch them well so that the fabric stops stretching too much.

Fleece strips stretch well

Step 3. Next, stretch the strips of fleece through the hole in the ball. For convenience, you can push the material through with a pencil.

Strips of fleece are pulled through the hole in the ball

This is what you should get

Step 4. Then you need to weave braids from pieces of fleece - on one side and the other of the ball. About 15 cm of braid is enough.

Braids are made from pieces of fleece

Braids should be on both sides

Step 5. As in the instructions above, you need to form a ring, only you need to weave a new braid together from all the pieces of fleece.

A ring is formed

The new braid is braided from all pieces of fleece

Step 6. The end of the braid must be tied tightly, and the excess ends of the fabric must be trimmed. That's it, the toy is ready.

Don't forget to trim the excess ends

Photo of the finished toy

Rope for active games

One of the most popular games is tug of war. You can weave a rope for a small dog from old T-shirts, a terry robe or any other fabric. To make the toy more attractive, you should use materials of different shades.

For weaving you will need:

• fabric of your choice;
• scissors.

First, you should cut the clothes into 4 identical strips about 10 cm wide and 1 m long. After this, the strips need to be stretched in different directions so that they become narrower, longer and slightly curled into tubes. It is important not to overdo it so as not to tear them. In addition, material that tears easily should not be used to create a toy. It's better to choose something more elastic.

Then the strips are tied into a knot, moving 7-10 cm from the end so that the rope is comfortable to hold in your hand. Based on photo 4, you need to lay out the fabric in the shape of a cross. You can do the work either at home at your desk or in the fresh air, holding the bundle between your knees.

At the next stage, you need to wrap the right strip to the left and the left to the right, over the yellow fabric. Thus, the English letter “S” is obtained. Then the bottom rope is threaded into the loop on the top left, and the top rope, on the contrary, through the bottom right loop. You should get the same letter, only sideways.

After this, carefully tighten the loops, adjusting them to form a neat square in the center. Next, you need to repeat the steps from photos 5, 6 and 7 until the desired length of the toy is reached.

In total, this work takes 10-15 minutes. This weaving technique allows you to get a beautiful diagonal stripe. It is worth noting that there are a lot of varieties of ornaments and each has its own weaving method. To create a toy for a large dog, it is recommended to use a rope rope, since it will tear a fabric rope very quickly. That's all. It's time to invite your pet to play.

DIY toys made from jeans for dogs

What craftsmen don’t use to make objects for their four-legged amusement! Dog toys can even be made from old jeans. Let's see how to make a couple of the simplest options that pets will like. The first one is suitable for medium-sized dogs.

Step 1. You need to cut off the bottom of the trousers, retreating about 25 cm from the edge of the gacha.

The bottom of the jeans is cut off

Step 2. Next, you need to start folding the edge of the jeans, starting from the side where the cut was made. When folding, you need to form a denim ring.

The edge is rolled up

Need to form a denim ring

Step 3. You need to cut long strips of jeans, which you then need to start wrapping around the previously made ring.

The strip wraps around the ring

Step 4. You need to wrap two layers of jeans around the ring.

Need to wrap 2 layers of jeans

Step 5. The easiest way to hide the end of the denim strip inside the ring is to push it through with scissors.

The end of the strip is pushed inside the ring

Step 6. The ring is ready. It is made completely without threads and is safe for the dog. Suitable for games of tug and fetch.

Finished dog ring

You can also make a denim “bone” from old jeans. This also doesn't require anything other than scissors.

Step 1. You need to cut about 50 cm of fabric from the bottom of the denim gacha.

Need to cut about 50 cm

Step 2. The edges of the fabric need to be wrapped inside a piece of gacha.

The edges turn inward

Step 3. Inside the workpiece you need to put a piece of jeans folded in several layers.

A denim package fits inside

Step 4. You need to cut off the parts of the legs where the seam goes from the remaining jeans - you will get a kind of rope. They need to bandage the previously made workpiece so that the fabric previously placed inside is tied in the middle. You'll get candy.

The edges of the workpiece are tied

It will be a kind of candy for dogs.

Step 5. The excess ends of the ties need to be cut off. The jeans candy for dogs is ready.

Trimming excess ends of ties

Denim candy

Video - How to weave a rope?

Soft toy for dogs made from gloves

It is not advisable to give dogs objects that are similar to those used by the owner in everyday life. That is, the pet is prohibited from playing with old slippers, hats, T-shirts, etc., even if the item is ready to go in the trash. The fact is that the dog does not understand whether the thing is old or new . But, once she plays with the owners’ slippers, she can then take new ones, ruining them. So it is better for your pet to have its own toys.

But what if you change an old thing beyond recognition and turn it into something unique, giving it a new life? Let's try to make a dog toy from an old glove.

Step 1. In order to make such a toy, you will need an old children's glove, sewing supplies and filler material for stuffing.

What is needed to make a soft toy?

Step 2. You need to make semicircular cuts in the upper and lower parts of the glove so that the outer fingers remain on one side and additional “fingers” are obtained on the other.

Cutout shape shown

Finished cutout

Cutouts should be on both sides

Step 3. On one side you need to sew up the neckline with regular threads.

The cutout is sewn on one side

Step 4. The toy needs to be tightly filled with filler.

The toy is stuffed with filler

Step 5. When the toy is stuffed with filling, you need to sew up the second cutout.

The second cutout is also sewn

Step 6. For beauty, you can decorate the toy with large buttons by sewing them on it.

A button is sewn on

Step 7. The toy is ready. You can let the dog drag it, throw it and fetch it. The toy is not suitable for those dogs that like to chew toys.

Ready-made soft toy for dogs

Video - Mop dog toy

Braided rope with ball

To make a toy, take a ball with a ready-made hole (Fig. 1). We cut out three strips of fleece 7-8 cm wide. The length of each strip should be about 1.5 meters (Fig. 2).

We take the ball and thread all the strips into it so that the ball is exactly in the middle (Fig. 3). We braid short braids on both sides, about 10 cm each (Fig. 4).

Next, we combine these two braids into one and continue to weave one, thicker braid (Fig. 1-2). We fix the end of the braid with a tight knot (Fig. 3) and trim the uneven edges (Fig. 4).

DIY educational toys for dogs

Puzzle toys for dogs are expensive, and most of them are difficult or even impossible to make yourself. But there are also options that you can easily make yourself. For the first option, you will need a towel, a treat and a toilet paper roll.

Step 1. You need to unroll the towel on a flat surface.

Towel laid out

Step 2. Then you need to lay out pieces of treats on the surface of the towel.

Pieces of treats

Step 3. Next, you just need to roll the towel into a roll so that the pieces of food are inside.

The towel is rolled up

Step 4. The rolled towel needs to be pushed into the toilet paper roll.

The towel is pushed into the sleeve

Step 5. The toy is ready. Dogs will be interested in untangling it to get to the treat. It only takes 10 minutes to make. The only negative is that the toy is disposable. Most likely, the pets will tear the sleeve when they get the treat, and a new sleeve will be needed to make a new toy.

Dogs will be interested in such toys

Another version of the dog puzzle can be made from disposable cups. The main thing is to take paper ones that will not harm your pet.

Step 1. You need to take several cups and place a little treat in each.

You need to put a little treat in each cup.

Step 2. Next you need to arrange the cups with treats one by one.

The glasses are placed one inside the other

Step 3. After that, you just need to straighten the cups a little, put them on the floor and let the dog engage with them. Let your pet get the treats.

Finally, place the cups on the floor.

Simple DIY dog toys

We looked at several toys for dogs that are more or less difficult to create. But there are also completely simple options that will definitely please your pet and keep him occupied for a long time.

1. You need to take a plastic bottle, make small holes in its sides through which the treat will pour out, but not easily fall out. Next, you just need to pour treats inside for the dog and give the toy to her. The dog will roll the toy on the floor and try to shake the treat out of it.

   
   You can make a dog toy from a plastic bottle

2. Using the same principle, you can “upgrade” the ball. So, you need to make a small cut in a regular tennis ball, pour a treat inside and give the toy to the dog. True, such a toy is only suitable for a small dog.

   
   Tennis ball toy for dog

3. You can also use the principle of candy to wrap a small plastic bottle in a piece of fabric and use this toy for fetch. Dogs love the crunch of plastic bottles.

   
   A plastic bottle can be wrapped in a piece of cloth

4. You can put your dog’s favorite ball in an old sock, tie it, and the toy is ready.

   
   Toy made from a ball and an old sock

Homemade toys for dogs are easy to make in most cases and require virtually no costs, both monetary and time. And this is their main advantage. They are also generally safe and made with love. Try making them too!
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Fabric bone

The bone can be sewn from absolutely any fabric. Let's take denim. It is quite dense and durable. And even such a toothy dog ​​as the Jack Russell Terrier will be too tough, I hope.

In addition to denim, you will also need padding polyester. We make a template out of paper and transfer it to the fabric (Fig. 1). We cut out two identical fabric parts, leaving 1 cm for seam allowances (Fig. 2).

From the wrong side, we sew the two parts of the bone together along the entire perimeter, as shown by the red line in the figure below. We leave only a small hole for turning out (shown by the red arrow).

We will stuff padding polyester into the same hole. Let's sew it up, and...the bone is ready.