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Dog parenting journey comes with a fair share of responsibilities ranging from providing good nourishment to offering enough physical exertion.
Allowing your dog to sit pretty in the house without exercising might predispose them to chronic health conditions such as dementia and heart disease.
So, we made a guide of 30 DIY dog toy ideas to get your dog both physically and mentally stimulated for their health benefit and to strengthen your bond with them.
Dogs, just like cats, can get uninterested in similar store-bought toys, that’s why you need to add a variety of DIY-inspired toys to their lives.
The homemade dog toys featured in our guide are super easy to make, even for beginners in DIY. Here’s our list of the 30 easy-to-make DIY dog toys.
30 DIY Dog Toy Ideas
1. Ball and Rope Dog Toy
This precious ball and rope toy by Instructables opens our list and we’re glad that it’s super easy to make, with requirements for only three raw materials.
You can use this toy to play fetch with your furry friend to create more fun both indoors and in outdoor conditions.
This ball and rope toy can also be used to play tug of war with your best friend, just make sure to adjust the length based on the size of your dog if you intend to use it for this purpose.
2. Bottle Puzzle Treat Dispenser
This treat-dispensing toy is guaranteed to make your dog’s fun time engaging while sharpening their brain for problem-solving skills.
This DIY project should be super easy for most people since it requires readily available materials capped at about 14 USD.
This fun-making dog toy will also teach your dog to work for their own food instead of hanging around waiting for mealtime.
3. Braided Dog Toy from a T-shirt
You can repurpose an old T-shirt into a valuable toy to use for tug-of-war games with your beloved canine friend.
In addition to being quick and easy to make, this interactive dog toy is guaranteed to satisfy your dog’s hardline behaviors.
4. Handmade Dog Toy from Denim
Inspire your heavy chewer to get busy at home with these cute dog toys made from repurposed old jeans.
These stuffed dog toys are beautiful and highly functional in redirecting a dog’s chewing habits.
5. DIY Indestructible Dog Toy
Large dogs are likely to split up plush toys with their powerful jaws, strong paws, and destructive chewing habits.
If you have such a dog, you may want to get them an indestructible toy to keep them entertained for long hours without causing destruction.
Amanda Livesay from fakeginger has outlined a step-by-step guide on how you can craft an interesting indestructible toy for your canine friend.
6. DIY Jean Dog Ball
You can make this cute fun-making stuffed toy for your furry friend using an old pair of jeans and a few other raw materials.
Dogs with instinctive hunting skills will love hitting playing and chasing this handmade ball around your house and in outdoor spaces.
This sewing project is cost effective and it only requires about 20 minutes to get everything done even for beginners in DIY.
7. Handmade Washable Chew Toys
It’s a relief for pet parents with dogs who love playing in the dirt. Follow the procedure herein to make a chew toy that can be washed as many times as needed to guarantee a hygienic playtime experience.
This DIY toy is also a good option for heavy chewers who may sink their sharp canines into your valuable furniture and curtains at home.
8. Dog Snuffle Mat
Follow the simple procedure by The Honest Kitchen on how to make this DIY snuffle mat for your furry friend.
In addition to providing entertainment, you can use this forage mat to teach your dog nose work, search, and tracking, while searching for hidden treasures.
Dog parents with multiple household pets with love this toy because it can also be used by cats, guinea pigs, birds, and many others.
9. Homemade Fleece Dog Toy
Follow the instructions below to make a quick, stunning DIY fleece dog toy that will be big entertaining to hunt, attack, and gnaw.
You can also throw this DIY toy at a distance and let your furry friend fetch it for you, an activity that will heighten your bond and increase physical activity.
10. Flirt Pole Outside Dog Toy
This special toy is a must-have if you need to train your furry friend for some hunting skills. The store-bought flirt pole toy comes with a high price tag, so it helps to learn to make one at home.
This beautiful toy is guaranteed to make your canine friends run fast, hunt, and jump, making them do the regular physical workout neatly and brilliantly.
11. Interactive Tennis Ball Dog Toy
Are you looking for a super easy way to create a homemade food puzzle toy for your furry friend? Get inspiration from the romprescue on how to cut open a tennis ball and fill it with tasty dog treats.
12. Homemade Dog Toy Using a Water Bottle
Most dogs derive lots of pleasure from licking through a bone. Based on this fact, you can boost your furry friend’s fun by crafting a bone-shaped to for them.
This finely-made bone toy is guaranteed to give your canine friend long hours of self-entertainment while redirecting their chewing habits.
What we loved most about this project is how quick it is to get everything done and the fact that you can use recycled items both for cost reasons and environmental consciousness.
13. Tennis Ball Muffin Tin Puzzle
Are you looking for a really simple way to keep your dog entertained? You can follow the instructions to make this tin muffin puzzle with tennis balls.
This puzzle toy is a great way to keep your dog’s memory sharp and to exercise their brain for problem-solving skills.
The most exciting part about this project is that it is so simple even for beginners in craftworks. All you need is to place tasty treats in a muffin and cover them with tennis balls for an interactive tin game.
14. Easy-To-Make Interactive Feeder Toy
In addition to keeping your dog’s mind active during eating, food toys can slow fast eaters, and this can reduce their chances for bloat and other stomach-related issues.
This interactive feeder toy is easy to make, with the requirement of one major raw material and another optional one.
15. DIY Rope and Tennis Ball Toy
If you love playing tug with your furry friend, then you will appreciate this DIY dog toy made from simple materials.
This Rope and Tennis Ball Toy is guaranteed to keep your dog physically fit and mentally engaged, reducing their chances of boredom and depression.
If your canine is a tough chewer, you can use a braided fabric to make the rope tough to withstand the strong jaws during play.
16. Octopus Dog Toy
Ammo the Dachshund has outlined an easy-to-follow guide to make this beautiful toy for your furry friend.
You’ll need an old T-shirt or fabric and an old ball to get this quick DIY project done within a few minutes.
You can use the Octopus dog toy to play fetch with your canine friend by throwing it in your garden and allowing them to get it back to you.
17. Patriotic Dog Toy from Bandanas
We are almost certain your dog will enjoy chasing and tracking down this double tennis ball toy. You can also use this beautiful toy to play a game of tug with your furry friend.
This dog toy is guaranteed to create endless hours of fun. If you have a tough dog, you may want to use a stronger fabric to make the end product a little tougher.
18. Recycled T-Shirt Hem Dog Ball
You can repurpose your old T-shirts by converting them into this beautiful hem ball toy for your canine friend.
The instructions outlined by Dalmatian DIY are easy to follow even for people beginning their journey on crafting.
19. Rope Ball Surprise Dog Toy
This dog toy from Heidi Gustad of Hands Occupied is such a cool idea to keep your tough canine engaged in constructive ways.
The instructions provide a stepwise outline of how you can tie a knot with the rope and hide tasty treats to inspire your dog’s senses.
20. Rope Toys for Heavy Chewers
Pet parents with large tough dogs have to deal with the problem of their furry friend ripping apart plush toys within minutes, but not anymore.
This DIY colorful dog toy from Instructables is a perfect gift for the strongest chewer, to keep them from destroying your valuables.
Making up the knots can get confusing, so you might require a little more time while following the instructions to the latter to get the perfect end product.
21. Sock Water Bottle Dog Toy
This homemade sock water bottle dog toy provides a perfect way to entertain your furry friend at home. The toy looks interesting and can keep inactive dogs occupied for long hours.
This beginner-friendly project makes use of easy-to-find materials making it a cost-effective option to keep dogs active at home.
22. Spinning Plastic Bottle Game
This spinning bottle game is a cool way to keep your furry friends active while rewarding them with tasty treats for problems solved.
The only time-consuming part of this project is building the frame. Once that is done, all you need is to attach water bottles add a few treats, and let the fun begin.
23. Fleece Knot Dog Tug Toy
DIY tug toys are an excellent choice when you want to bond with your dog and teach them a few tips and tricks.
You can follow the instructions herein to make this colorful and durable tug toy for your furry friend with minimal resources and effort.
24. Homemade Squeaky Pizza Slice Dog Toy
This super cute pizza slice toy can be a perfect addition to your dog’s toy collection and it is not hard to make one for yourself.
This sewing project is surprisingly easy for most people to do and we’re almost certain your dog will love playing with the Pizza slices.
The squeakers filled in each pizza slice are a guarantee your furry friend will have a good time engaging with this stuffed toy.
25. DIY Squeaky Shark Dog Toy
Does your dog love water? Allow them to hunt sharks now with this squeaky stuffed toy. This homemade toy provides an avenue for your furry friend to hone their hunting skills.
The whole sewing project is easy to carry out although it requires attention to details while following the outline steps.
If your dog is a tough chewer, you can strengthen the squeaky toy by using strong fabric, fleece, and stuffing materials.
26. Sweet Potato Dog Chew Toy
This Sweet Potato Dog Chew Toy is easy to make, although you will spend some time baking the sweet potatoes for about 2.5 hours.
Dogs who love food will enjoy playing and chewing on this toy, providing enough physical stimulation and high-value nourishment.
27. Simple T-Shirt Rope Toys
You can make these beautiful upcycle tug toys for your furry friend while following the clear procedure outlined by instructables.
You can never have too many tug toys for your dog. Feel free to use any suitable fabric material so long as it is safe and strong enough to withstand your dog’s jaws.
28. Easy Tennis Ball & T-shirt Dog Tug Toy
You can hone your active dog’s hunting skills with this tug toy that is so simple to make with clear procedures from Borrow My Doggy.
The toy provides a guaranteed way to keep your best friend active while strengthening the bond when you use it to play fetch.
29. Upcycled T-shirt Tug Toy
Making this DIY tug toy is a pleasure and it helps keep your dog busy and mentally active for endless hours.
We loved how the end product turned out to be sturdy, which is a welcome move to use this toy even for the toughest chewers.
This project is cost-effective since it makes use of upscaled materials, and you just need about 20 minutes to get everything done.
30. Woven Rope Bone Dog Toy
We can already guess your dog loves bones, whether real or toy. So why not craft this woven rope into a yummy bone toy?
This project from Instructables might need intermediate crafting skills to make the best bone shape for your lovely canine.
Another interesting part about this project is that the authors give you additional tips you can use to create other rope toys with the remnant raw materials.
Conclusion
We hope these 30 DIY dog toy ideas have inspired you to use a few resources and your crafting skills to make something fun for your furry friend.
The homemade project ideas featured in this article have a materials list, tools list, stepwise instructions, visual illustrations, and detailed diagrams to help you make a worthy product.
Any of the above DIY dog toys will help keep your furry friend physically active and mentally stimulated for their overall well-being. Feel free to try more than one project and add a variety of options for Fido.
Laura is the founder of Furs'n'Paws. She is a also a pet writer and expert with more than 20 years of experience of working with dogs and cats. She developed a very strong love for animals at a young age. Her passion led her to establish a thriving pet sitting and dog walking business in Dubai. As an expert in pet training, behavior, and nutrition, Laura is committed to helping pet owners and pet lovers by offering high-quality information on a wide range of topics.
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