5 Super Easy DIY Dog Toys

Wanted to answer a couple FAQ's for you guys:

1) no this is not going to teach your dog to chew on socks. dogs do not generalize very well, so giving them a toy made out of a sock isn't going to teach your dog that all socks are toys. however, if you have a dog that frequently steals/destroys socks, making them a toy out of a sock can help because then they have something that is theirs that they are allowed to have. to help with the sock stealing, first make sure that socks are kept as much out of your dog's reach as possible. then, if you notice them sniffing around the laundry or anywhere socks are commonly kept, call their name in a happy tone and encourage them to play with their sock toy. this is called "redirection" and it's how we teach dogs to "do this, not that."

2) i never said these toys were long lasting or indestructible. yeah, if you have a large breed dog that's a heavy chewer, these might not last very long. I have a german shepherd so... I get it! When he was younger I couldn't find anything that could survive longer than 10 minutes with him, which is how I started making toys. At least when he destroyed an upcycled toy, I didn't fret about wasting money since it was made out of things I was going to get rid of or wasn't using anyway.

3) PLEASE SUPERVISE YOUR DOG WHEN THEY HAVE A TOY!!! It's not the toy's fault if your dog swallows something, or even your dog's fault. They are a dog, they don't understand the concept of gastrointestinal blockages. They have the cognitive ability of about a 3-5 year old child. Would you leave a 3-5 year old child unattended with a bunch of legos or whatever kids play with these days? No. You'd watch them to make sure they didn't accidentally injure themselves. Same with your dog. You need to supervise them, especially if they are known to ingest things they chew on. If that's the case, stick with edible chews like bully sticks, himalayan chews, appropriate raw bones, etc. And still supervise them in that case too.

Make sure you let us know if you guys make any of these toys! I'd love to see your creation!

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