4 Homemade Dog Toys to Keep Them Busy

Most of the commercial dog toys that are available in the market come with a whopping price tag. Consequently, it seems a much better option to make some economical toys for your pup at home. The biggest advantage of these toys is that you have complete control over the quality. The following homemade dog toys are super-easy to make and they can keep your companion entertained for hours.

Sweet Potato Chew Toy

This is an excellent alternative because dogs love to chew sweet potatoes. This nutritious ingredient is extremely healthy for canines and you can use it comfortably for making dog toys. Simply string some pieces of sweet potato on a rope to keep your pup busy.

Materials Needed:

• 1 Large-sized sweet potato (you may need to increase the quantity for a large breed)
• 2 ½ feet piece of hemp or jute rope (the length of the rope can also be adjusted according to the dog size)
• Knife
• Cookie Cutter
• Sheet pan and parchment (you can also use foil if the parchment is not available)

Directions

1. Wash the sweet potato thoroughly and slice it into ½-inch rounds by using a knife.
2. After that, use the cookie cutter to remove the center of each round.
3. Preheat the oven at 100^o C.
4. Place the prepared rings on a cookie sheet and bake for 5 hours. Don’t forget to flip the side of the sweet potato after 2.5 hours.
5. Once the baking is finished, make sure that the rings are completely dried and hard. If you observe any squishiness in the sweet potato, continue to bake and don’t forget to check every 30 minutes.   
6. While the sweet potato is cooling down, prepare the rope. Start by making a knot at one end.
7. String the sweet potato rings on the rope until you reach the other end. Make another knot there and your homemade chew toy is ready.

Bottle Spinning Dog Toy

This interactive dog toy is ideal for keeping your pet occupied for hours. You can also use it to dispense food to your pup while you are away.

Materials Needed:

• Plank of wood having dimensions 1x12x8 (the size of the plank will depend on the size of your dog)
• Plastic bottles (you can use 2 or 3 bottles according to the size of the toy)
• Few pieces of dog treat
• A wooden dowel
• Metal rod and end caps
• Wood screws
• A drilling machine

Directions

1. Divide the wooden plank into 3 sections. 2 of these sections will have similar dimensions as they will make the sides of the frame. The 3^rd section will make the bottom of the frame and it should be wide enough to cover the bottles.
2. Use the drill to make holes in the planks so that you could screw them together.
3. Then, screw the sides onto the bottom section by using 3 wood screws for each side (each end and middle).  
4. Drill another hole and use the wooden dowel to stabilize the frame of the dog toy.
5. Once the frame is ready, drill holes in its sides to insert the metal rod. Put an end cap on each end of this rod so that it could spin.
6. Now, remove the labels and caps from the plastic bottles and drill holes through the upper/middle section of each bottle. If you want to make it more challenging, select bottles that have tiny openings. Similarly, drill the holes higher towards the opening so that the treats don’t fall out easily.
7. Lastly, attach these bottles to the metal rod and put some treats in them.

PVC Puzzle Toy for Dogs

It can be quite frustrating to see your dog destroy expensive toys within minutes. What if we tell you that you can make a long-lasting dog toy at home? Use the following instructions and the strength of a PVC pipe to make an interactive puzzle for canines.

Materials Needed:

• 1 foot of 2” PVC pipe
• 2 FIPT Fittings
• 2 FIPT Cleanout Plugs
• Dog Treats
• PVC Cutter (or any other saw)
• A Drill Machine with 5/8” bit
• Sandpaper

Directions

1. Use the PVC cutter to cut the required length of the pipe.
2. Drill 6 holes into the pipe and make sure that there is a reasonable gap between each one of them.
3. After the drilling is complete, remove all the burrs as they can be dangerous for your dog. You will use sandpaper to remove the jagged edges around the holes. You may use the back of a screwdriver for this purpose.
4. Now, attach the FIPT fittings on both ends of the PVC pipe and screw the cleanout plugs.  
5. Fill the dog toy with some treats and start playing!

Slingshot Ball Dog Toy

Most dogs are a huge fan of playing fetch and this homemade toy is ideal for a rigorous session. This dog slingshot can launch the ball quite a long way (over 300 feet). So what are you waiting for? Make this simple dog toy and have some amazing playtime with your companion.

Materials Needed:

• A Rubber Ball
• Coat Hanger (or a piece of wire)
• 2 feet of Surgical Tubing
• A Drill Machine
• Wire Cutter

Directions

1. Use the drill machine to make a hole in the rubber ball. Make sure that the size of the bit is identical to the diameter of the surgical tubing.
2. Cut the coat hanger in half so that it could fit the drilled hole in the ball.
3. Push the coat hanger through the ball and fold a piece of surgical tubing around it. The piece of tubing should be a little smaller than the ball.
4. Now, pull the coat hanger out of the ball while making sure that the surgical tubing stays folded. Repeat this step with the other end of the tubing to complete the slingshot.