Toys are an essential part of the environmental enrichment of dogs, since, on the one hand, they keep them entertained and stimulated, while, on the other, they allow us to also interact and play with them, thus favoring our bond. However, we may not be able to afford a large number of toys to offer our dog variety, which leads us to wonder if we can make them at home from recycled materials. Well, the answer is yes!
Today we have many toys for dogs: teethers, food dispensers, intelligence toys… Each of them is designed to fulfill a function, beyond pure entertainment, such as promoting smell, alleviate the pain puppies feel when teething or stimulate their minds. Thinking about all this, in this article on our site we will show how to make homemade toys for dogs of all kinds, don't miss it!
Homemade Kong for dogs with a plastic bottle
Kong is a brand of toys for dogs and cats that has developed one of the most popular food dispensing toys worldwide. Currently, we find them of many other brands and with different shapes, but all of them have in common the possibility of introducing food so that the dog entertains itself by taking it out.
If you have empty plastic bottles, you can give them a second life by making a homemade kong, in this way they take advantage of this type of packaging. Without a doubt, this is one of the best anti-stress toys for dogs because it allows them to spend a while trying to get the food out, paying attention to nothing more than this task. Therefore, it is also ideal for dogs with separation anxiety.
Don't miss this video in which we show you the necessary materials and the step by step to make this toy:
Homemade Kong for dogs with cardboard rolls
If you don't have plastic bottles, don't worry! You can use cardboard toilet paper rolls to make a smaller food dispenser toy. This version is ideal for toy, dwarf or small dogs, as well as for puppies, but not for large dogs or dogs that are very rough when playing because most likely is that they end up breaking it and, in the worst case, eating the cardboard.
These cardboard rolls offer you several possibilities, but we will highlight two simple ways to make a toy to put treats inside.
Cardboard ball
Get your cardboard roll and a pair of scissors and follow these steps:
- Cut 5 rings.
- Insert the rings one inside the other to form a ball with small holes.
- Through the holes, add treats and let your dog try to get them out by moving the ball.
Kong type tube
This time, in addition to the cardboard roll, you will need a cutter to make holes. If you don't have one, you can use a knife or scissors, but be very careful. These are the steps to follow:
- Make holes with the cutter all over the roll, except for the ends because you will have to fold them. Keep in mind that the size of the holes cannot be too small because then your dog will not be able to get the treats out.
- Close the roll on one side, folding down the ends.
- Insert the treats and close the other side.
Both toys are considered intelligence toys because they also stimulate the dog's mind by motivating him to try to get the food out. However, we remember, it is essential to make sure that our dog will not eat the cardboard.
Homemade dog teether with t-shirts
Do you know the typical rope teethers? You can make them at home from old t-shirts! Instead of throwing them away, give them a second life by making this simple homemade toy for your dog. It is also a very recommended toy for puppies, for very active or hyperactive adult dogs, as it allows them to bite, throw and volley it all they want. If your dog is very anxious and even hyperactive, don't miss this other article where we talk about Hyperactivity in dogs.
On the other hand, this teether is also ideal for having a fun time with your dog, since you can throw it at it so that it will fetch it and bring it back to you or play tug-of-war. Follow the step by step that we show in this video:
Homemade dog teether with socks
If you don't have old t-shirts, you can also make dog toys out of socks! You can use any type of old sock that you no longer want, although it is preferable to avoid those made of wool because your dog could tear them more easily and swallow the fabric.
With two socks, you can make a simple teether for puppies or dogs that are not very destructive, since, being a toy made of fabric, it is more likely that a very destructive dog will end up breaking it. In any case, we will also give you some tricks to reinforce the toy. Follow these steps:
- Take a sock and cut off the closed end to make two openings.
- Fold the other sock to form a ball and insert it inside the previous one, placing it in the center of it.
- Make a knot at each end so that the ball is completely attached and firm in the center.
- You can leave the ends as is if your dog is not very destructive or reinforce them. To do this, cut them into three or six strips.
- Form one or two tight braids with the strips you have cut and tie the end again. This way, it will be more difficult for your dog to break the ends of the toy.
If your dog is a puppy or an adult dog who tends to play quite gently, you can make an even simpler toy:
- Take a sock and make different knots, trying to keep them as close together as possible.
- If your dog likes to play with strips without breaking them, you can leave the ends free to cut them into different strips.
Both toys make great homemade teethers, but they're also perfect for tossing and encouraging the dog to fetch and then bring it back. If your dog still doesn't know how to do this, don't miss our article where we explain how to teach a dog to fetch the ball.
Home intelligence game for dogs with cans or bottles
Although we have already seen several homemade toys for dogs considered to be of intelligence, now we will show you one with a greater degree of difficulty, both for you as for your dog. In this way, you can gradually build the toys so that you both learn together and evolve.
The toy consists of a container to introduce treats, held by a wooden stick (it can also be made of plastic) that will allow your dog to turn the container so that the treats fall out. Depending on the size of your dog, you will have to adapt the size of the toy. Thus, for small or medium-sized dogs, a 33 ml can or a small bottle will be more than enough, on the other hand, for large dogs you will have to use much larger containers. The same goes for the wooden sticks to create the structure.
To make this toy, as we have just commented, you can use both empty cans and plastic bottles, so it is excellent for reusing these containers. In addition, you will need:
- wooden or plastic sticks that you no longer use and want to reuse
- several sheets of cardboard (you can cut a cardboard box that you no longer use) or a wooden base
- silicone or pet-safe glue
- cutter or scissors
Once you have all the materials ready, follow these steps:
- First you will need to create the frame that will hold the food dispensing container. To do this, you can form a base by gluing different sheets of cardboard, one on top of the other, if your dog is small or medium. Once glued, you can cover them with masking tape to finish securing the base. If your dog is large or very strong, then we recommend you opt for a wooden base or a material more resistant than cardboard. The size of the base will depend on the number of containers you want to add.
- If you used a cardboard base, you can use two wooden sticks or even pencils. In any case, you will need to nail them to the cardboard, one at each end, and secure them with silicone or glue. If you have used wood, use sturdy wooden sticks or bars and use silicone or a glue strong enough to prevent them from coming off easily. Now you should have a base with upright sticks.
- Take the container you are going to use and make two perpendicular holes to be able to pass through them the stick that will hold it to the previous structure. Insert the stick and check that the container turns without any problem. If not, make the holes bigger.
- Attach the stick with the container to the ends of the frame. You can use silicone or glue again. You can also secure it with masking tape.
- Let it dry completely before letting your dog play with his new toy.
If you are a DIY person, you can assemble the toy structure with screws, it will be much more secure.
Your dog may not understand the game at first, so you'll need to teach him that if he turns the bowl with his paw or nose, treats will fall out. Little by little you will see that he understands and loves this toy.
Homemade olfactory rug for dogs
Scent mats are excellent toys to stimulate your dog's sense of smellbut also his mind. In general, they are toys with a fairly high cost because they are made up of different parts inside the rug, with different textures and shapes that make the games more or less complicated. Therefore, we encourage you to make your own rug to obtain a very similar result, at a much lower cost!
Don't miss our video where we teach you how to create this homemade toy for dogs and we explain how to use it:
Homemade stuffed animal for dogs
If your dog loves stuffed animals to play or sleep with, it's a good idea to make them at home if you love sewing. Also, especially if your dog tends to break them frequently, it is much cheaper to buy the fabric and enough stuffing to make several stuffed animals, so you will save a lot of money
In this video we show you how to make an owl-shaped stuffed toy, but you can adapt this shape to create whatever you want:
Pyramid with treats for dogs
On many occasions, the simplest toys are the ones that our furry friends enjoy the most. To make this pyramid you will only need several cardboard rolls and a cardboard base to be able to glue them and hang the pyramid wherever you want (or leave it on the ground, you choose!)
With this pyramid we also seek to stimulate the dog's sense of smell and intelligence, since we will not hide treats in all the tubes so that he feels the need to search. That said, follow these steps:
- Cut the tubes in half so your dog can insert his nose and paws or his tongue.
- On the cardboard base, glue the tubes in the shape of a pyramid. Use an animal-safe glue in case your dog breaks the toy. You can also fill the entire base with the tubes without having to give it a pyramid shape and even let your imagination run wild and give it the shape you want. Shapes will make the game difficult.
- Let it dry completely and drop treats randomly into some of the tubes.
- If you want to hang the toy on a wall so that your dog does not have to be bent over, especially if it is older, you can stick a string with silicone or glue.
As you can see, all the toys can be adapted to baby, small or large dogs, so we are sure that you will find the ideal homemade toy for your dog. Tell us, which one has been your favourite?
