Active Dogs – Nuzzle

Sick of spending half your salary at the pet store on toys that your dog will lose interest in after a week?

Besides cost, many dog lovers are concerned with where their pup’s toys were made. We all remember the scare when the dog food and toys from China poisoned countless innocent pups.

Finding toys made locally is almost impossible in most areas.

But, you can save a ton of money and know exactly where your dog’s toys come from!

Make DIY Dog Toys

Dogs don’t care where a toy comes from. If it smells good, makes a cool noise, or they love the mouth-feel, they’ll gladly play with it for hours.

So, rather than spend a lot of money on toys that were made overseas, why not make your own?

Bottle in T-Shirt

This toy is super simple to make, and is great for light-chewers who love to hear crunching sounds.

Simply take a large (1-L bottles are perfect for big dogs, 1-2 c bottles are great for smaller pups) water bottle and wrap an old T-shirt around it.

This is an awesome toy because:

Your shirt smells like you
The bottle makes a great crunchy sound that many dogs love

As with all toys, give this to your dog under supervision. Strong chewers can easily rip through the shirt and bottle, swallowing small pieces. If you notice the toy breaking, toss it and start over.

Tennis Ball Treat Puzzle

Dogs love tennis balls. If you have a few older ones that your pup has lost interest in, you can re-purpose it as a treat puzzle.

Cut a hole in the ball, insert treats, let your dog smell the puzzle, then unleash it. They’ll happily knock that ball around the house or yard for hours trying to get every last crumb.

Frozen Sock Knot

Great for those hot, humid summer days. Just take a few old socks, tie them into a knot, soak them, then put them in the freezer for a few hours.

When frozen, your dog will love chewing on them. This will cool them down, and gives them a way to exercise their need to chew.

Again, watch for breakage. If they socks begin to tear, toss them and start with a new pair.

Treat-Sicles

This is more of a treat then a toy, but when your dog is hot, bored, or being destructive, they can entertain and nourish them at the same time.

Grab an ice cube tray. Fill it with water or chicken broth. Then add small bits of fruit, treats, vegetables, or kibble.

These make a great, chewy and cooling puzzle in the summer.

Near-Empty Peanut Butter Jar

This is super simple. Take any jar of nut-butter that is nearly empty, give it to your pup, and watch them lick the jar silly. If you keep the jar (glass is better since it won’t break like plastic), you can smear the inside with peanut butter, bacon grease, or kibble crumbs.