what kind of toys and chews can you make yourself for dogs?

[KurtNYC]

I saw a soft rope with a knot in it at a dog store for $6 and it got me thinking back to stuff we used to make on our own. I'm just wondering what kinds of things you make yourself and what your dog likes. And things like a tennis ball that makes a great toy.

My mother used to make a sock in sock thing which was very soft and the dog loved it but I think that leads into going after other socks as toys which is fine if you keep your socks put away.

What has worked for you?

[ThomasQED]

1. I've tried making chews in the dehydrator

Chunks of sweet potato, carrot, etc. The dogs like the results but I haven't been able to make anything that lasts very long yet.

[Kali]

2. tie a knot in the sock - and put a tennis ball in the toe

I had a lab that could eat Frisbees or plastic dog toys in a few minutes - one of the best most long lasting things we found (stole) for her was a big red cone from a road construction site.:rofl:

you can get thick cotton rope for less than a buck a foot at feed stores or maybe the hardware store. sticks, golf balls, real raw beef bones, make a "stuffed animal" out of fabric and some non-toxic stuffing - dog won't care if it is just a square - doesn't need to be an actual animal shape

[Curmudgeoness]

3. I used to use old jeans denim and make a roll of it, then tie it with

a natural twine. When the twine broke, I just tied it with more. And it can be washed easily, remove twine and wash.

[mitchum]

4. Eyeglasses left on the floor

Dogs love 'em!

[velvet]

5. any old rag ?

Friend-of-mine's dog, a small inner-urban terrier, had two favourite toys, the quintessential tennis ball and a bit of soft rag, probably part of an old t-shirt. The rag was yellow, my friend called it The Ducky.

[csziggy]

6. My golden retriever liked scraps of 2x4 lumber for toys

But he shredded them pretty quickly - in about 20 minutes he'd turn a piece a foot long into tooth picks. Both our dogs liked old lead ropes - soft cotton rope 5/8" to 1" in diameter. We'd take the old ones too short to repair, tie knots in the ends and the dogs would play tug o' war with them.

Their favorite toys were sticks. The retriever would run after one as long as he could get somebody to throw it. He'd fetch all day, given the chance. The other dog (the smart one) would run after it but would not bring it back. He did that once and when I threw it again, he looked at me like I was nuts. I could see him thinking, "Look, fool, I brought the stick back, but that is not going to be my life's work. To hell with that!"

By the way, rather than spend $6 for one of those short rope toys, spend a dollar more and get a 10 foot lead rope, cut it up and make several: http://www.jeffersequine.com/ssc/product.asp?CID=1&mscssid=8U146BMJV9T39JWDHCG32V90C8SEAJM4

[HopeHoops]

7. I get thick rope at Lowes (by the foot) and tie knots in it - WAY cheaper.

It is the same thing they use to make the toys at the pet store that cost $10+, but you can get a shitload more rope for $10 if you buy it by the foot. Cut it to length, tie it in loops, knot it, string tennis balls on it - whatever. It can't be any less safe than the stuff they sell in the pet stores. Note that I didn't assert that the stuff in the pet stores was particularly safe, but I haven't had a dog get sick on either kind so far.