homemade dog toys

[SecretAgent]

we've been trying to keep my puppy's interest off the furniture, and on his toys, but every time he gets a new toy he plays with it obsessively for a few days and then gets bored with it. we can't afford to keep buying new days every few days or so, so we've been trying to make them. he's already gotten bored with the knotted socks, and the tug of war rope...anyone have any ideas for homemade dog toys?

[Moo]

Hm, I wouldn't give him socks. That may send the idea that it's ok to play with socks.

I don't think he needs new toys, you just need to be creative with what you have. Find what he likes best, squeakers, tugs, chase? Latex, plush, or plastic? Solid things, hangy things, chewy things? Stuff treats in them, tie them to things, stick them under things to spark his interest.

Kirby's favourite 'homemade' toy is icecubes.

[HeartSong]

Try hiding the toys for a few days or weeks and then bring them back out again. He'll have forgotten about them and be ready to play with them again. I don't know about any homemade toys, mine all like stuffed animals and puppets. Other than that they don't really play with much else.

[SecretAgent]

moo: no, we don't give him socks. if you take a long sock and put knots in it, it doesn't look like a sock anymore, which is why i figured it'd be ok for him to play with those.

thank you for the ideas, both of you

[Moo]

Well, it's not just look, it's also smell and texture, so I would not anyways, but at least he's gotten bored of them already. lol.

Do you have treat balls/kongs that you can fill with food... peanut butter. Or dipping things in broth... A food driven dog would never get tired of that.

[HeartSong]

Originally Posted by Moo

Hm, I wouldn't give him socks. That may send the idea that it's ok to play with socks.

Oh yeah I've had that problem with stuffed animals too. When the dogs were younger I had to make sure they didn't have access to my stuffed animals. But now I think they all know that they are allowed to shred their stuffed animals but not mine. It's amazing how well they remember which ones are theirs. I'll find a toy under a bed or something that they haven't seen for months and they'll get all excited like, "Oh my goodness, that's MINE! I haven't played with it in ages. Oh give it to me please, please, please. Okay, DROP the toy NOW!!!" And then I went through some of my stuffed animals and some that I didn't want any more I gave to them and they're like "But that's yours. I can't play with it." My dogs crack me up sometimes.

[weimlover0816]

All of our dogs have always loved plastic soda and juice bottles (with label, cover and ring removed, of course!)... the make a fun crinkle noise, and bounce on the floor when we toss them. They are always supervised with them, of course, as they tend to chew pieces off of them, which can be bad when swallowed.

[dobermom]

Clifford loves those bottles too Weim.

I used to buy stuffed animals from the dollar store. They also have some regular dog toys there. Not too costly since its a dollar store.

[koni]

SecretAgent - my dog is notorious for getting bored with toys. But I take them away for a day or two, and he loves it all over again. Koni loves water bottles too, actually we caught him stealing some of our water bottles, before we even got to drink them.

[Spyder's Pal]

Originally Posted by HeartSong

Oh yeah I've had that problem with stuffed animals too. When the dogs were younger I had to make sure they didn't have access to my stuffed animals. But now I think they all know that they are allowed to shred their stuffed animals but not mine. It's amazing how well they remember which ones are theirs. I'll find a toy under a bed or something that they haven't seen for months and they'll get all excited like, "Oh my goodness, that's MINE! I haven't played with it in ages. Oh give it to me please, please, please. Okay, DROP the toy NOW!!!" And then I went through some of my stuffed animals and some that I didn't want any more I gave to them and they're like "But that's yours. I can't play with it." My dogs crack me up sometimes.

OMG! You just described my dog to a T, Heartsong! You even know how he talks! Is that spot on my lampshade really a secret listening device you planted?!

I have a wicker laundry basket full of beanie babies and other assorted stuffed animals (Mickey Mouse, etc.) that mean something to me. I also have been known to store Spyder's "future" stuffed animals in with them. Once in a while, I will show him a sneak preview of what's coming. He has NEVER ever gone in to get his animals from anywhere but his own basket!