D.I.Y Dog Chew/Tug Toy Tutorial

Wednesday, March 2, 2011
A few months ago I was looking for some new toys at the pet store for Angus, and they have a wide array of things, but they are pretty expensive. I am not really willing to fork out the cash for for something he will either lose in the front yard, leave out in the weather or chew to pieces. So, I decided to figure out how to make my own toys for him. I really wanted to share it, because it is so simple and so easy and most people have everything they need to make them already.

What you need:
1 or 2 old t.shirts (depending if you want a multi-coloured toy)
A sturdy pair of knees to hold it as you make it! ;)







Step 1:
Find old t.shirts, and then cut them into 4 strips, depending on how large or small you want it you can cut anyway you want, and any thickness you want. Some shirts don't have seams down the sides so you can cut straight across, others it is better to cut lengthways. I cut mine about 5-7cms wide















Step 2: Tie all four strands at one end into a knot.

Step 3: Put the knot between your knees, or something that will hold it firmly in place. Lay out all four pieces as shown below.
Step 4:
Take the strand on the bottom left and loop it over the strand on the bottom right (brown over white in the picture)
Step 5: Take the top right strand and loop it over the top left strand. Top brown over top white.
Step 6: Take the bottom right (white) strand and bring it over the first loop and through the second loop (brown)
Step 7: Take the top left strand (white) and place it over the the brown loop on top of it, and through the loop on the bottom.
Step 8: Start to pull each of the strands (two at a time) tighter. As you start to pull them they should make a square shape like this
Step 9: Pull them in as tight as you can until they make a nice little knot like this
Step 10: Repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat (you get the picture) until the strands have become quite short at the end. Making sure you leave enough room to tie a knot at the end.
The final product should look something like this
The tightness you make your knots, and the longer the fabric, and the thickness of the fabric you use to make the toy will larger or smaller depending. I recommend using 10 or more cm thick strands for big dogs. Also, if you have a dog that tears things apart quickly it would be wise to watch them play with it, or play with them!!

Step 11: Give it to you beloved pooch!

Angus loves these toys! The best part is they don't cost me a cent. Hope you enjoy making them. If you have any questions or feedback I would love to hear it.
6 comments on "D.I.Y Dog Chew/Tug Toy Tutorial"
  1. My dog (or third child, as my teen son likes to refer to him) is a 65 lb, 9-month old German Shorthaired Pointer. He chews through toys like crazy. I have made many DIY toys to provide him a larger selection of playthings. I came across your site while looking for toy ideas. I found many posts on tug toys. Your post is by far the most detailed. Your images add clarification and your instructions are precise. I just wanted to say thank you and congrats on a job well done.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Amazing and well explain DIY! Easy and funny dog chew toy, thanky you for this post and for that perfect dog toy! My Standard Schnauzer girl really thanks you for her new chew toy! If you don't mind I will agregate this post to my pinterest board 'cause it's a perfect tutorial to share.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Just found this on Pinterest and whipped out four in about 10 minutes, i used old jeans! Thanks for the instructions - pup loves them already - and soooooo much cheaper than store bought!

    ReplyDelete
  4. This is AWESOME!!! My dogs love rope toys, so now instead of having to buy them I can recycle old clothes. Win-win. Thank you so much for the idea!

    ReplyDelete
  5. What type of toy should I choose for my dog? There are so many different types of dog toys that choosing the right one can be a take a bit of time. reflective dog gear

    ReplyDelete