Puppies are a lot like children—they love their toys, and they love destroying their toys. Mammal babies are just wired to want to tear apart colourful things. Most toys for pets face the same fate. When it comes to your beloved pooch, going all the way to the pet store every time they put their favourite toy to rest gets pretty annoying.
There’s no need to despair.
All you need is some free time and a handful of things you can easily find all over your house. Pets care, and so should you. Here’s a list of easy-to-make puppy toys that you’d love to see your pet rip into shreds.
- The Crackling Sock
This is a toy that you can make in a few minutes and costs practically nothing. All you need is an old sock, a plastic bottle, a needle and a thread.
- Take the bottle cap off and throw it away
- Flatten the bottle to remove any air
- Insert the bottle into the sock. Add a few more sock layers in case your pup is a strong biter
- Tie the open end of the sock. You may want to sew it up for more durability
- Walk into the room making as much noise as you can with the bottle to grab your pup’s attention
- Watch your pet lose its mind
- Tennis Ball And T-shirt Tug Toy
Another great way to put your old stuff to use. The ingredients for this epic dog toy recipe are an old t-shirt, an old tennis ball, and a pair of scissors.
- Cut the body of the t-shirt horizontally into three strips; two strips that are about 5-6 inches wide, and one strip around 2 inches wide. Cut each from one end to leave you with three long strips of cloth
- Take the wider strips and lay them down in an ‘X’ shape.
- Place the tennis ball in the middle of the ‘X’ and wrap it up.
- Use the thin strip to tie the ball into place
- What you’ll end up with is a tadpole-like structure with four wide strips
- Take each strip and cut it lengthwise down the middle to get 8 strips
- Pair two strips and braid them up nice and tight to get 4 long braided strips
- Next step? Play a game of fetch or just let your pet chew the life out of the braids
- The Indestructible Potato Rope
Remember all the toys that you received from your older siblings and cousins? Yes, the same ones that you passed on to your younger cousins and siblings. Well, if you make this doggy toy the right way, your pups could be handing it over to their own furry children. You’ll have to do a little bit of shopping for this. It’ll still cost you less than anything you get at the pet store.
Rope is tough, and if it can stand this wild cat’s onslaught, it’s definitely a good fit for your dog.
- Buy a hemp or jute rope and a couple of sweet potatoes
- Slice the sweet potatoes into pieces about ½ an inch thick
- Cut holes wide enough for your rope to fit through the slices
- Bake the rings in an oven preheated to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
- Bake for 2 1/2 hours on each side till they’re completely dry and hard. Bake a little longer if needed. Allow to cool
- If you’re using a thin rope, braid a few together so that the rings fit snugly
- Start putting the rings onto the rope and tie a knot after every two rings
- Repeat the previous step till you get to the end of the rope. Remember to place knots at both ends of the string
- Your job is done, let your quadruped friend enjoy their indestructible toy
- Frozen Fetch Sock
Probably the easiest and cheapest toy to make on this list. All you need is a pair of socks and a refrigerator.
- Take one sock and knot it up into a ball.
- Put the sock ball into the other sock and tie a knot.
- Wrap up the free end of the sock over the knot to make it look something like this
- Soak it thoroughly with water
- Place the soaked sock ball in the freezer
- Wait
- Remove sock ball from freezer
- Play fetch with your dog
- Die trying to get the sock ball back from your pup
If you’re ever in need for anything else for your canine pal, just log on to Quikr. You’re bound to find great deals on pet toys and pet accessories.
Download Quikr App for Android, Windows and iOS devices here.