What household items make good dog toys?

[MamaSheep]

We're loving our new puppy, but just recently we've started having this problem. During a lot of school time she just sleeps, but just in the past little while she's gotten to where she's awake for at least part of it. She can see us over there doing school, and thinks she wants in on whatever we're doing, so she barks. And barks. And barks. It helps if I can give her a new toy or a rawhide to chew so she has something busy to do by herself. But we've run through the toys we've got enough times that she is bored with them. I don't want to go spend a lot of money on more dog toys. Are there some household items that make good toys for a puppy? Or are there some easy to construct homemade dog toys I could throw together?

[southernm]

Empty water bottles! They love the cracking sound!

Here's a link to ideas after a quick google search: http://www.make-and-build-dog-stuff.com/favorite-dog-toys.html

[MamaSheep]

Empty water bottles! They love the cracking sound!

Here's a link to ideas after a quick google search: http://www.make-and-build-dog-stuff.com/favorite-dog-toys.html

 

Ooooh! Yeah! And she probably won't chew chunks off that she can choke on either. You're awesome.

[TXMomof4]

We tie old socks together for our dog. He likes them better than rope toys and they last longer too.

[bbkaren]

I wouldn't recommend old clothes or shoes; it's hard for an animal to tell the difference.

 

That said, we used knotted old socks when I was a kid, but after a couple of bad experiences, have learned that it all depends on the dog - and how much of your clothing/footwear you're willing to risk.

 

We use the tough-chew nylabones, and regular solid beef bones from the butcher. Our three dogs love them and carry them around everywhere, and they've literally lasted for years. We tend to lose them before they're worn out.

 

For a small investment, you've got a toy that's good for a long time.

 

They also like the knotted/braided string tug toys, but I do get sick of them unraveling into a long, trailing tangle of string. We have one now that's dragged around the house and is about 4' long, and there's a nylabone stuck in the frayed end of it. Still beloved, though, and good for their teeth.

 

eta: Can you move her crate somewhere else, where she won't be watching you? If you're rewarding her by bringing her goodies when she barks...or even by yelling at her when she barks, you're encouraging more barking.

Edited November 4, 2011 by bbkaren

[southernm]

Ooooh! Yeah! And she probably won't chew chunks off that she can choke on either. You're awesome.

 

lol Thanks! Just take it away from her if there are any cracks that open up. Don't want her to get cut. If you get to where you are going to purchase something, I'd recommend a "jolly ball". It started out as a toy for horses but is a popular dog toy now. My boxer couldn't live without hers. You can get it at any pet store in different sizes!

[dirty ethel rackham]

Our labradoodle loves empty cereal boxes and egg cartons (cardboard.) We often hide treats in them to play games with him. This pup needs lots of mental stimulation. The only downside is mess. Bear doesn't eat the cardboard (good) but we do need to clean up the shreds every day. If only I could teach him to clean it up:).

[I talk to the trees]

Do you have a Kong toy for her? A dab of peanut butter on the very top of the inside of her Kong will keep my chewer occupied for hours. And they're not expensive. We found ours at Target.

[specialmama]

Ditto the Nylabone and Jolly Ball. If you don't mind fabric, snip the leg off an old pair of sturdy jeans and stuff with whatever you have on hand; sew both ends closed. If the denim is very strong, it can last for years. We used marker and made some eyes and called it a snake toy LOL. My mom uses boat buoys and her dogs love them. Ice cubes are a real treat around here as well. And peanut butter smeared inside a Kong-type toy will occupy them for a while. When our puppy was behaving as yours is, we found some exercise helped, then allowing them to be near us as we schooled. Either on leash or in the crate, having them right beside us calmed the pup. They're social creatures, too! ;)

[jennsmile]

I agree with the kong with peanut butter, cheese or even just kibble.

[JudoMom]

Another vote for the Kong. I fill Jed's with food and peanut butter and it keeps him occupied for quite awhile. It's also fun to play fetch with since it bounces all over the place.

 

I tied old pieces of fabric in knots and he loves those. I've got a friend who soaked old knotted fabric in water and froze it in different shapes for her lab.

 

Jed also loves to wrestle plastic hangers. He needs supervision for that, though (he gets stuck in it sometimes).

[specialmama]

:iagree: When I went to Dog Guide training, the head trainer raved about this recipe: mix half peanut butter with half yogurt. Smear on the inside of a Kong and freeze. It works so good and the dogs loooove it. It's good to have a few different shaped Kongs so that there's always one ready in the freezer.

[MamaSheep]

Thanks all! She has a Kong wobbly toy, which is almost as big as she is and I think she's scared of it. I've put it in there with food in it and she just sniffs it and walks away. We also got one of the Kong balls that drops kibble when she rolls it around, but she turns up her nose at that one too. She LOVES the Kong rubber bone with the holes in the ends for treats, and that does keep her busy for a while. Her rope toy is possibly her very favorite of all. She also has a squeaky toy which she sometimes floats in her water bowl when she's irritated at me, but otherwise doesn't use much. There's a little rubber bone with a treat-stuffing area that I smeared peanut butter in, only to discover that she has absolutely no interest in peanut butter. So now I have to clean it out.

 

I'd rather not give her socks or clothing items because I don't want her to get the idea that it's ok to chew on clothes. And unfortunately, the same goes for stuffed animals. Ds is desperately concerned that she might go in his room and rip up all his stuffed animals so I told him we'd just train her that all stuffies are off limits so she won't get confused. Which unfortunately limits our toy options somewhat.

 

ETA: I did get desperate enough a couple of days ago to stick her crate in my bedroom upstairs, but that just made the barking worse. Last night I finally laid down the law that when the puppy is barking she is to be IGNORED. No talking to her, no scolding her, no looking at her, no turning in her direction even. If a child wants to check on her it MUST be during a break in the barking when she's being quiet. I've also started randomly taking treats over when she's being especially good and quiet and playing with her toys. She seems to be getting the idea. We'll see if it lasts.

Edited November 4, 2011 by MamaSheep

[I talk to the trees]

:iagree: When I went to Dog Guide training, the head trainer raved about this recipe: mix half peanut butter with half yogurt. Smear on the inside of a Kong and freeze. It works so good and the dogs loooove it. It's good to have a few different shaped Kongs so that there's always one ready in the freezer.

 

Ooh, I like this idea. That would make a great summer treat! I bet it gets messy, though, when the mixture starts to warm up!

[MamaSheep]

A plastic hanger sounds promising. And maybe I'd better invest in a couple of regular old Kongs.

[RoughCollie]

Aidan chews bits off of anything with hard plastic (like hangers and dog toys). His favorite household items are the couch, cooking utensils, hangers, and so forth ... but the damage done to the items, and potentially to him if he swallows the pieces could be significant,, and surgery to remove objects from inside a dog is expensive.

 

I went to http://www.bestbullysticks.com and bought him bully sticks that are cheaper than those at the local pet store. Since he is a chewer, I buy him the large braided ones, which are the largest he can carry around. They last a long time, and occupy him better than anything else he has. When I crate him, he is happiest when he has a bully stick.

 

We also use Kongs. Aidan ignored them until I put layers of liverwurst in one. His Kongs are the puppy-size. Aidan likes his filled with a mixture of dog treats (broken into small pieces), kibble lightly coated with Parmesan cheese, and liverwurst. I freeze Kongs filled with yogurt.

 

I make pupsicles in shallow plastic storage bowls, and freeze them. The ingredients vary, but always include layers of salt-free chicken broth, and plain yogurt, along with a variety of things like bits of chicken, a little bit of rice, and bits of dog food. No pb because Aidan hates it. I put the pupsicle in a large metal dog bowl to contain the mess. It takes Aidan about 1/2 hour to finish it.

 

I give Aidan raw beef rib bones. They are cheap at Wal-Mart. I supervise him with these, and don't give them to him more often than once a week.

 

Aidan likes to shred boxes all other paper products (including homework and magazines). He likes to open my Amazon packages. Sometimes I let him tackle a box. He does not eat the cardboard, and there is a mess to clean up afterward.

 

Keeping Aidan occupied is a challenge. When he was a younger puppy, he could play for hours with one of us. Now he is content with 15 minute active play periods dispersed throughout the day, plus plenty of walks, as long as he has a bully stick, etc., to occupy him. He does not play with toys by himself.

 

Note, please, that Aidan is an indulged dog ... having him helps fill my need to have a young child. Plus, all except one of my kids are in PS high school, and the one at home is in cyber-school. Hence, my suggestions may seem over the top.

Edited November 4, 2011 by RoughCollie

[specialmama]

Ooh, I like this idea. That would make a great summer treat! I bet it gets messy, though, when the mixture starts to warm up!

 

No, it's not messy. :001_smile: There was another recipe that was messy, but I kicked it out my memory because I don't do messy. :lol:

[MamaSheep]

Well, the water bottle with a handful of puppy kibble in it is a BIG hit!

[livingnlearning]

My pups have all hated Kongs, I think it's the smell. Two of my dogs have hound noses and they don't like any commercial dog toys that have rubber or plastic on them, they turn away their noses like they're offended.

 

The plastic water bottles have been a big hit here too, milk jugs, socks with knots, sacrificed old boots, an old ax handle was a great chew toy for a while-the wood was so hard it didn't splinter-and I always go to the 2nd hand store and buy a bunch of stuffed animals that have no buttons or noses that can be removed and those are huge hits too.

[MamaSheep]

Aidan chews bits off of anything with hard plastic (like hangers and dog toys). His favorite household items are the couch, cooking utensils, hangers, and so forth ... but the damage done to the items, and potentially to him if he swallows the pieces could be significant,, and surgery to remove objects from inside a dog is expensive.

 

I went to www.bestbullysticks.com and bought him bully sticks that are cheaper than those at the local pet store. Since he is a chewer, I buy him the large braided ones, which are the largest he can carry around. They last a long time, and occupy him better than anything else he has. When I crate him, he is happiest when he has a bully stick.

 

We also use Kongs. Aidan ignored them until I put layers of liverwurst in one. His Kongs are the puppy-size. Aidan likes his filled with a mixture of dog treats (broken into small pieces), kibble lightly coated with Parmesan cheese, and liverwurst. I freeze Kongs filled with yogurt.

 

I make pupsicles in shallow plastic storage bowls, and freeze them. The ingredients vary, but always include layers of salt-free chicken broth, and plain yogurt, along with a variety of things like bits of chicken, a little bit of rice, and bits of dog food. No pb because Aidan hates it. I put the pupsicle in a large metal dog bowl to contain the mess. It takes Aidan about 1/2 hour to finish it.

 

I give Aidan raw beef rib bones. They are cheap at Wal-Mart. I supervise him with these, and don't give them to him more often than once a week.

 

Aidan likes to shred boxes all other paper products (including homework and magazines). He likes to open my Amazon packages. Sometimes I let him tackle a box. He does not eat the cardboard, and there is a mess to clean up afterward.

 

Keeping Aidan occupied is a challenge. When he was a younger puppy, he could play for hours with one of us. Now he is content with 15 minute active play periods dispersed throughout the day, plus plenty of walks, as long as he has a bully stick, etc., to occupy him. He does not play with toys by himself.

 

Note, please, that Aidan is an indulged dog ... having him helps fill my need to have a young child. Plus, all except one of my kids are in PS high school, and the one at home is in cyber-school. Hence, my suggestions may seem over the top.

 

If I am perfectly honest, this is one of the reasons we got the puppy. We have always wanted a large family, but have fertility issues and spent three years in the foster system discovering that nobody but NOBODY is going to place a child in a home where there are already two special needs children. We may give it a go again down the road a little when our kids are older, but we're not getting any younger in the mean time. The puppy doesn't make it "all better", but she does help. :)

[Doodle]

We have two large plastic containers similar to the one in the picture from things my Dad bought us from Costco. The lids are not on the empty container. My puppy loves to play with them.

[Doodle]

 

I'd rather not give her socks or clothing items because I don't want her to get the idea that it's ok to chew on clothes. And unfortunately, the same goes for stuffed animals. Ds is desperately concerned that she might go in his room and rip up all his stuffed animals so I told him we'd just train her that all stuffies are off limits so she won't get confused. Which unfortunately limits our toy options somewhat.

 

 

 

We do not allow our puppy old clothes, shoes, or slippers for the reason you mention. My boy has a lot of stuffed animals too. Getting a puppy has been a big incentive for him to keep them off the floor! Our puppy has been trained to drop an object on command. I use the command on those occasions when he gets something that belongs to Doodle. My puppy does have toy animals (non stuffed, meant for dogs). He knows which are his.

[specialmama]

We do not allow our puppy old clothes, shoes, or slippers for the reason you mention. My boy has a lot of stuffed animals too. Getting a puppy has been a big incentive for him to keep them off the floor! Our puppy has been trained to drop an object on command. I use the command on those occasions when he gets something that belongs to Doodle. My puppy does have toy animals (non stuffed, meant for dogs). He knows which are his.

 

It's along those same lines that I mentioned the denim. Dogs do know the difference between a pair of jeans lying on the floor, and a denim stuffed leg. We stuffed one with cellophane for that crinkly feeling, and the dogs quickly learned that yes, this is their chew toy, but clothing is not.

[MamaSheep]

We do not allow our puppy old clothes, shoes, or slippers for the reason you mention. My boy has a lot of stuffed animals too. Getting a puppy has been a big incentive for him to keep them off the floor! Our puppy has been trained to drop an object on command. I use the command on those occasions when he gets something that belongs to Doodle. My puppy does have toy animals (non stuffed, meant for dogs). He knows which are his.

 

We're still working on that command. Any advice? We've only had her for four weeks, and she just turned 12 weeks old today. She's got "sit" down fairly well and a good start on "down". We're working on some other things too, like not jumping up on people. She actually does pretty well letting go of things on command unless she knows it's something she's not supposed to have and will not get back.

[Doodle]

Our puppy is now 9 months old. If he had something he shouldn't, I gently pried open his mouth and removed it while saying "drop it". Then he was given something he was allowed to play with. I don't remember how long it took before he learned the command. We are currently working on cementing the "come" command and this week I started training him to not bolt out the front door when it is open. He's a pretty quick study! He graduated to "big puppy" status this week too. He no longer sleeps in his crate. He shares the bed with Doodle.

[livingnlearning]

I've never had a problem with the dog confusing items. Maybe I just have had a long series of really smart dogs but they know that the stuffed animal that smells like dog slobber is theirs and the one that smells like laundry soap is my daughter's! Same for shoes and the only socks they get are ones with knots so they're different. But if you think it will cause a problem by all means forget my input.

[Chris in VA]

We're still working on that command. Any advice? We've only had her for four weeks, and she just turned 12 weeks old today. She's got "sit" down fairly well and a good start on "down". We're working on some other things too, like not jumping up on people. She actually does pretty well letting go of things on command unless she knows it's something she's not supposed to have and will not get back.

 

My dog trainer boss says to trade with the dog--your toy or treat for hers. Works!

 

As far as chew toys, you might try deer antlers.

[MamaSheep]

My dog trainer boss says to trade with the dog--your toy or treat for hers. Works!

 

 

Well sometimes that works. Other times she looks at my treat or toy and she looks at me, chomps her teeth in tighter and seems to say, "No thanks, I'd rather keep dd's sock." (Which is what I fish out of her mouth most, since dd has a tendency to leave them lying around and she is one of the puppy's most favoritest people in the whole planet of the world. So to speak.

[gardenmom5]

I never used household items as a dog toy because I didn't want the dog to think other household items were fair game.

[1GirlTwinBoys]

My mom took a plastic empty peanut butter jar and put something smaller inside, so when it rolls around on the floor, it makes lot's noise. Her Maltese loves it. Plus, they can smell the peanut butter and really want to get inside the jar.:)