Free Indestructible Dog Toys

[jnw]

When I got my first dog back in 2013, I bought those rope toys for a few bucks from Walmart.  They'd literally fall apart in like a week or two.

Ever since 2014, I found a free way to make dog toys which will last for months on end.   Take a pair of worn out holey/thin socks you are going to throw away, tie them together.

It then becomes the perfect length for a "rope toy".  I throw this for the dog to fetch and we play tug of war.  She absolutely loves it.   She can grip onto it really well and they just last forever.   You can wash them as well every so often.  When it finally gets torn to shreds, just make another with another pair of socks you were going to throw away. 

This toy is superior to what you'd buy at the store in my opinion.  You can tie to any length you like for shorter or longer "ropes".  You can even tie 3 socks together for a longer rope if you wanted, but I find two to be perfect.

I literally haven't spent a dime on dog toys since 2014.  My dog doesn't care at all about status :)


Tied together:

Here's my 8 year old fur baby with the socks I just tied together above:

[meadow lark]

Good idea!  I will try this.  Gorgeous pup!

[SunnyDays]

it's even better if you put a tennis ball into one of the socks, although this might require three.

[jnw]

it's even better if you put a tennis ball into one of the socks, although this might require three.

Just curious how it'd be better?  The knot mass in the middle allows me to throw it overhadn a great distance in the house.   Dog would have to open mouth wider to grab onto the ball at the end of the sock I guess.   You'd put the balls where exactly?   I'll try it but don't know the configuration you have in mind.

[SunnyDays]

Just put the ball in the centre of the second sock and tie each end to the first and third socks.  It’s better because it bounces and you can throw it further with the added weight of the ball.  Depends on the breed of dog you have - some like to retrieve more than tug.

[jnw]

Just put the ball in the centre of the second sock and tie each end to the first and third socks.  It’s better because it bounces and you can throw it further with the added weight of the ball.  Depends on the breed of dog you have - some like to retrieve more than tug.

She likes both :)  I often pretend I throw it but hold arm behind my back and she catches on fast and gets pissed and barks at me haha.

Our routine is I tease her hovering the rope over her, lifting it up as she tries to bite it.. she starts barking at me and I put my arm back and she gets ready to run.. then I throw it across the house and she darts to it and starts runnign towards me and away from me.. I then corner her and grab one end and play tug of war.  I do this for a while and usually let her have it to build up her confidence, sometimes I take it though and she tries harder the next time.  Sometimes I tug on it with one hand and use other hand to grab her side, and she starts growling and saying "no fair momma!" lol.   Once I get it back I then throw it again and we do the same thing again.. as she runs towards me I say "I'm gonna get you! I am gonna get you!" and she tries to run away with it lol.  When I let her have it she sits down and starts chewing on it for a few minutes :)

[MudPuppy]

My dogs take the indestructible part as a personal challenge, but they do enjoy getting toys from old socks and tshirts! We have to supervise because they do get destroyed in our house.

[beekayworld]

Another fun toy is to put an empty water bottle inside a sock and tie it closed. It makes a satisfying crinkle sound. When it's totally flattened, put it in recycling and insert another.

[jnw]

Another fun toy is to put an empty water bottle inside a sock and tie it closed. It makes a satisfying crinkle sound. When it's totally flattened, put it in recycling and insert another.

Cool I'll try this thank you! :)

[FIRE Artist]

Another fun toy is to put an empty water bottle inside a sock and tie it closed. It makes a satisfying crinkle sound. When it's totally flattened, put it in recycling and insert another.

I always just gave my dogs the bottle. 2L for the German shorthair and 600 ml for the cocker. No need to put in a sock, they loved to scoot them around and try to bite them in the middle only to have them fly away. Tons of free fun. Leave the cap off or on for some different effects.

ETA I always used soda bottles, they hold up better than the thin walled water bottles.

[jnw]

I'll try both ways, but I think the sock is a cool idea, because it would give the bottle more of a "fur-like" texture so they can pretend they are chewing on fury animals -- squirrels, rabbits, etc. lol.

The only water bottles we have here are the few 1L bottles we buy each month from Aldi for "carbonated soda".  (They cost 55 cents each for these 1L bottles, not too bad for carbonated water -- we make our own sodas here with it with a small amount of cranberry, lemon and/or lime juice, along with liquid stevia.. it's a rare treat.. like maybe 6 bottles per month.)  Is 1L too big for say a 60 lb dog?

(We filter our drinking water here for about 3.5 cents per gallon -- about 29 times less expensive than the most affordable bottled water.  So we never buy bottled drinking water only the carbonated water bottles.)

[affordablehousing]

Love these ideas thanks!

[Bogart99]

I have two young labs that love tennis balls. My male lab will get a new ball and will bite on it and crack the inner rubber ball within minutes and it no longer bounces very well. I got tired of spending money to buy new balls every couple of months only for him to ruin them in one play session. This weekend while riding my bike around I discovered a fancy gym that has a tennis ball court really close to my house. There is a vacant field next to the courts that had about 30 - 50 + tennis balls that had been hit over the fence. I was able to snag about 20 balls just this weekend. I should be able to never have to buy another tennis ball just from people that are too lazy to walk around the courts and pick up the balls they hit over the fence.

[MudPuppy]

Marine glue fixes tennis balls, fyi