If you’ve got a new pup, you probably want to get some toys for it. Even if you’ve got an older dog, you might still want some toys. Toys are a great addition to your dog’s life and they are a good way to help develop new skills, entertain, and keep them social. And stop them from going bored and checking your walls. Toys are always a good idea for dogs, as long as they play in the right manner and keep safe.
However, some toys can be expensive. As with most things these days, costs are going up. What can you do if you want to add some fun playing options to your pet’s life without breaking the bank? In this article, we’re going to have a look. There are actually some great ways to introduce fun to your dog and many of these toys can be made from things you’ve already got around the house. Some of them might be more simple than you think, but a dog doesn’t know how much you’ve spent on something and can enjoy almost anything under the right circumstances.
Safety tips
When you buy a toy from the pet store, it will have gone through all the necessary safety checks to make sure it’s safe for a dog. The problem with making your own toys is that they won’t have gone through these checks. So make sure you keep things safe and don’t have small parts that are swallowable. Make sure you oversee and supervise play with these toys, until you’re sure they are completely safe and can be left with the dog.
How to make dog toys
There are lots of different ideas for toys that you can make around the house that your dog will enjoy. Let’s have a look at them:
Tennis-ball tosser
You can wrap a simple tennis ball in an old cloth, bag or t-shirt. Tie or sew it up to keep the ball inside, and you can now fling the ball much further than normal. It’s also more tactile and more to grab hold of for the dog.
Rope ball
Try inserting and securing a rope through a ball. This is a great way to “fish” for your dog to jump up to the ball, or entice it around on an adventure It’s also more tactile and easier for the dog to catch.
Treasure hunt
Get some treats and insert them in an old cereal box. Fasten it up with tape and put it somewhere for your dog to explore. It’ll love finding the treats, so this is something it’ll remember for next time.
Knotted towel
If you don’t even have a ball to fasten into something, you can try knotting up an old towel. This will work similarly to the rope ball but is even cheaper and easier to make. You can throw the towel around or play other games with your dog fairly easily.
PVC piping bone
Loose PVC pipes look a lot like dog bones. They might not taste like them, but your dog could still enjoy throwing them around and playing with them. Make sure the plastic is safe to chew though, you don’t want your dog chewing too much of it.
Dish puzzles
You know those games at the fair where you have to guess what cup or dish a ball is under? You can do the same with a dog fairly easily, and cheaply. Try adding a treat under one cup to make the dog even more happy to find it, and more willing to play this game again.
Sock toys
There are a few different things you can do with old socks. You could sew or secure a ball into them for something similar to the rope or towel throw. You could also just knot it up, or even freeze a knot of socks. Even this could entertain your dog for a while.
General rope toys
Ropes are great things to have for pets, especially dogs. If you can’t tug a long one with them, try a rope loop to throw around and allow your dog to chew. Just make sure it’s clean enough first.
What to do if your dog doesn’t realize its a toy
While a dog can enjoy almost anything, your dog might already be used to shiny and colorful toys rather than something that looks like something its seen around the house before. So what can you do to convince it that it’s something fun?
Thankfully, dogs can be trained to do almost anything. Even old dogs. Start by acting playful and goofy around the toy and introducing it to your dog. Don’t let the dog touch it and put it somewhere it can’t reach. Put the toy away after a couple of minutes and stop playing while your dog is still in a playful and happy mood (before it gets bored).
Keep doing this every couple of days and increasing the timeframe. Let the dog get close to the toy but not get hold of it. Keep teasing and moving the toy away, so anticipation grows. Keep things as fun and playful as possible so the dog doesn’t get upset that it can’t handle the toy. After a while, you can let the dog touch and play with the toy. Keep it associated with fun and happy vibes and it’ll grow to love and enjoy the toy. Don’t let the dog play with it for too long so that it gets bored.
Hopefully, you’ve found enough options to let your dog play without breaking the bank. Some of the best toys are free, and can entertain your dog for hours. See what you can find and have an experiment.
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