Want to keep your dog occupied without breaking the bank? You don’t have to spend much money to give your fun dog toys to play with! Providing opportunities for your dog to play is essential for their mental, emotional, and physical health. Giving your dog toys and puzzles to play with can also help prevent your dog from starting to chew on your shoes, socks, furniture, and other things that don’t belong to them. Be sure to supervise your dog when playing with these DIY toys. Remove the toy from your dog if they start trying to eat the toys. Here are 10 toys you can make for your dog with supplies you probably already have around the house:
1. Towel snuffle roll
One of the easiest ways to make a toy for your dog is to create a snuffle roll game using an old towel. You can use any size towel, though the bigger your dog, the larger the towel you’ll ideally want to use. For this game, take a towel and some of your dog’s dry food or dry treats. Alternate between sprinkling treats into the towel and rolling the towel, creating a “cinnamon roll” looking rolled towel with treats rolled into each level. When the towel is completely rolled up, present it to your dog and let your dog snuffle and sniff to unroll the towel and reveal the hidden food treats. This game inspires dogs to use their natural foraging instincts and keeps them entertained.
2. Box search
To make this puzzle game for your dog, take empty, clean boxes like you get deliveries in or empty cereal boxes. Put dog toys and/or food and treats inside some boxes. Then, let your dog explore the box puzzle to find which boxes contain treats. Many dogs enjoy digging and shredding the boxes as well; just make sure your dog doesn’t try to eat any of the cardboard.
3. Tennis ball puzzle
Make your dog a challenging puzzle toy with a tennis ball and treats. To do this puzzle, take an old tennis ball your dog has popped and use scissors to expand the hole in the tennis ball, and add some of your dog’s favorite treats into the ball. As your dog plays with the ball, treats will be released.
4. No-sew fleece braided tug
If you have a dog who likes to tug, use fleece fabric to make a tug toy for your dog. To make, cut the fleece into long strips. Then, tie strips of fleece together and braid them before tying them at the other end. This no-sew fleece tug toy is quick to make and great for engaging your dog in interactive play.
5. Tube hunt
If you have a dog who enjoys shredding, take an empty paper towel roll and add treats or food into the cardboard tube. Then, twist the ends down to keep the treats inside. Give the tube to your dog to let them rip the tube open to find the hidden treats. This game is an easy and inexpensive way to entertain dogs who enjoy ripping up toys. Just make sure to supervise your dog while they are playing to make sure they don’t try to eat the cardboard.
6. Chair tunnel
Creating an indoor obstacle course for your dog using supplies you can find around the house is a fun way to keep your dog active during bad weather. To make a tunnel, put chairs back facing each other and drape a large blanket over the backs of the chairs. This blanket fort-style tunnel is a fun way to introduce dogs to going through tunnels if you want to get involved with sports like Agility or Barn Hunt in the future.
Use a treat or toy to lure your dog through the tunnel or call your dog through. Once your dog is confidently going through the tunnel, you can incorporate it into an at-home agility course for your dog.
7. Fleece snuffle mat
Entertain your bored dog by making this fleece snuffle mat. Use a rubber mat with holes that you can usually purchase inexpensively from dollar stores or home improvement stores. Then take strips of fleece and tie them through the holes in the mat. For added challenges, you can vary the length of the fleece strips. When the mat is entirely covered with fleece strips, sprinkle food or treats into the mat and give it to your dog to forage through to find the food.
8. Water bottle crinkle toy
If you have a dog who enjoys crinkle toys, you can make them yourself at home inexpensively. To make, use an empty plastic water bottle and extra fabric to sew a fabric tube to put the empty water bottle inside. Then, stitch the fabric closed. Another option is to attach Velcro instead of sewing it closed to keep the water bottle inside. The Velcro option allows you to replace the water bottle when it wears out. As an alternative, you can also insert the water bottle in an old long sock and tie a knot up top!
9. Muffin tin puzzle
You can challenge your dog’s sense of smell and problem-solving skills with this easy-to-make puzzle. For this game, you’ll need an empty muffin tin from your kitchen, some tennis balls (ideally a dozen), and treats or kibble from your dog’s meals. Drop treats into some of the empty muffin tin holes, and place balls on top. Then, put other balls into the muffin empty muffin tin holes. Let your dog explore the puzzle figuring out which holes have treats inside, and pull out the balls to reveal the treats.
10. Jump!
If you’re creating an at-home agility course for your dog, you can use supplies around the house to construct a jump for your dog. A lightweight plastic broomstick works as a jump bar and can be balanced on cans of food or small boxes. Remember to keep your jump heights low for safety, and only ask your dog to jump on carpet or other flooring that provides traction and support.
