Homemade dog toy: 9 DIY Dog Enrichment Toys You Can Make at Home

9 DIY Dog Enrichment Toys You Can Make at Home

Does your dog chew through toys like a starving velociraptor? Are you and your pup tired of the usual squeaky toy? Here are a few of the best dog puzzle toys you can easily make at home. DIY dog toys are a resourceful way to make use of old items around the house. They’re fun and engaging to make, and a joy for your pup to behold once you’re finished! Check out these ingenious DIY dog toys that will perk up their ears and get those tails wagging! 

**As is the case with any toy, think of your pup’s safety first. Supervise your dog when they’re playing with all toys and regularly inspect them for damage. Be sure to get rid of any toys that are falling apart–—you don’t want your four-legged love to swallow anything harmful!

What’s below:

1. Hide and Seek Muffin Tin
2. Rope Ball Surprise
3. T-Shirt Wrapped Water Bottle
4. Tennis Ball Puzzle Toy
5. Cereal Box Dog Puzzle
6. T-Shirt Tuggable Toy
7. Tennis Ball and T-Shirt Fetch Toy
8. Dog Toy Fishing Pole
9. Tennis Ball Foxtail

1.

Hide & Seek Muffin Tin Treat Game

Stimulate your dog’s mind and their whiskers with this easy to set-up muffin tin game. Hide treats underneath tennis balls and let your pup sniff them out! Similar to a snuffle mat, this DIY enrichment toy will stimulate your furry friend while encouraging natural foraging skills.

Here’s How:

• Find muffin tin
• Find tennis balls
• Hide treats underneath
• Voila

2. Stuff Treats Inside This Rope Ball Surprise Toy

Hiding treats can be fun and enriching for both you and your furry friend. Tie some spare rope into a monkey’s fist, but before you finish, slip in some dry food or a dog treat! This pooch-puzzle is like an elevated brain game toy.

Here’s How:

• Tie a monkey’s fist (this might take some practice)
• Slip a treat inside
• Let ’em go to town

3. DIY T-Shirt-Wrapped Water Bottle

It’s the perfect chew toy for a pup that likes crinkle-crinkle sounds. (Let’s hope you like them too!)

Here’s How:

• Find empty water bottle
• Find old t-shirt
• Cut strips of fabric
• Wrap the bottle in the t-shirt and tie with strips

4. Test Their Wits with this Tennis Ball Treat Puzzle

Make a cut along the seam, stuff with your dog’s favorite treats or dry kibble, and voila! (Best part? The felt on the tennis ball keeps the rubber from tearing.) The tennis ball food puzzle is a highly interactive toy, perfect for developing smart dogs and great for your dogs teeth. As a bonus for any dog owner, this is one of our dog enrichment ideas that is fairly quiet.

Here’s How:

• Find tennis ball
• Make incision along the seam
• Stuff with kibble

5. Hide Treats Inside A Cereal Box, Then Tape It Shut

(Destruction intended.) Toss some dog food or peanut butter dog treats inside an empty box, tape it shut, and watch your pup tear it to shreds. Have a Pit Bull? He’ll love this one – place some food for Pit Bull’s inside and watch him go!

Here’s How:

• Find empty cereal box
• Add treats inside
• Tape it shut

 6. Turn Old T-Shirts Into A Tuggable Toy

Just grab two t-shirts and some scissors, and you can quickly fashion this t-shirt dog toy! Great for aggressive chewers!

Here’s How:

• Cut strips
• Braid together
• Start the tug-o-war

7. DIY Tennis Ball & T-Shirt

Fashion this swingable, tuggable, tossable t-shirt and tennis ball combo for the pup who loves to fetch, with the old shirt on its last legs.

Here’s How:

• Cut fabric into wide strips
• Wrap tennis ball inside
• Tie with t-shirt strips

8. Dog Toy Fishing Pole

Tie one of your dog’s favorite toys to the end of a PVC pipe and go fishin’! This interactive dog toy keeps everyone entertained!

Here’s How:

• Drill hole in PVC pipe
• Attach dog toy to the rope
• Tie rope to the pipe

9.

DIY Tennis Ball Foxtail

Stitch the foxtail to the seam of a tennis ball and go wild! For even more fun, drop a tennis ball in one leg of and old tube sock and tie a knot!

Here’s How:

• Cut a 30 x 9 piece of fabric that tapers down to 2 inches
• Fold and sew a cone
• Stitch tennis ball inside with needle and thread
• Toss that baby across the yard

35 DIY Dog Toys to Keep Your Pup Entertained

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We all love our dogs and are always looking for ways to make their lives happier, much like they make ours lives so much better. So, let’s find a few creative ways to bring them joy with some DIY dog toys!

Dog toys are fairly easy to make, although it will depend on the project you choose. Certainly, your pup will be happy with whatever you give them.

Before you start making a toy for your doggy, you should really take into consideration whether or not the project you’re going for has any life expectancy. You know your dog! Will they break it apart in minutes, or will the thing you’re crafting survive for at least a week or two?Taking all things into consideration, pick the right project (or projects) for you and start your DIY dog toy!

DIY Dog Toys to Make

Let’s dive right in and check out 35 cool dog toys you can make yourself!

1. Feeder Toy

If you want, you can mix the fun with the useful and create an interactive toy that will also feed your dog. These are ideal if your dog usually scarfs down everything you put in his or her bowl. Just pick up a PVC pipe and some caps, and get to work on building a toy they’ll love and will keep them occupied for a while. Ever your cat can play with one of these! Check out the tutorial from Dog Tipper.

2. Soft Chew Toy

If your pupper would rather have a chew toy, we have you covered. This tutorial from Real Housewives of MN can help you craft a really cute toy that is also going to resist for a few days without the stuffing coming out. You’ll just need some really resistant material and a bit of ingenuity.

3.Water Bottle in a T-Shirt

If you’re hoping to entertain your dog for a while, you can put an old T-shirt to good use. How, you ask? Well, you wrap a plastic bottle in it, of course. The plastic bottle will make all the sounds that keep dogs entertained, while the T-shirt will somewhat protect it for a while so it lasts longer. Get the tutorial from Ammo The Dachshund!

4. Tennis Ball Braid

The next project on the list is a really cute set of toys made with old tennis balls and fabric braids. More often than not, tennis balls stop bouncing like they used to, and they may even get a cut or two from your pup’s teeth, so it’s time to repurpose them. By using some fabric strips, you can braid them and pass them all through the middle of a tennis ball. Get the tutorial from Simply Shellie.

5. Braided T-Shirt

Since we already discussed braided fabric strips, well, a good tug toy can also be made out of an old T-Shirt. So, go dig through your dresser and find that T-shirt you last wore two summers ago, cut it up, and braid it up. Your dog will certainly be happy to have a new toy and you’ll avoid spending $10 on a new tug toy they’ll destroy in a week. The folks at Bark Post have the tutorial on how to make one of these.

6. Octopus

If you want to build a fun octopus for your dog, you only need an old ball and an old shirt, or any other fabric that has any type of durability to it. You’ll get a full tutorial from Ammo the Dachshund’s blog.

7. Rope and Sweet Potato Chew Toy

If your dog has a tendency to rip up their toys, maybe make them one that also has a treat included? We found this fun idea that involves some rope and sweet potatoes. They can pull on the tug toy and chew up the sweet potato while they’re at it. Get the tutorial from Instructables.

8. Puzzle Treat

If you want to keep your dog super entertained, then you need a muffin tin. Yes, a muffin tin – preferably one you haven’t used in the past five years but for some reason still haven’t thrown away. You’ll also need tennis balls and treats. Place treats in the pan and the tennis balls on top so once your pup managed to take one of the balls out, they’ll have a yummy treat to reward them. Get the instructions from Dog Eared.

9. Spider Rope

Rope toys are fun for dogs and owners too, so, why not make your own? All you need is to have some climbing rope on hand. Cut it up in 5 pieces and build up this spider so you have more ends to pull on. Get the tutorial from Instructables as they make it super easy to create.

10. Prey Stick

You know how cats love these little “fishing poles” where they run around after whatever you hanged on a rope attached to a stick? Well, dogs love them just as much. This tutorial from April Rodriguez on YouTube helps you create one of these prey sticks in no time so you’ll entertain your pup.

11. Knotted Toys

Rope toys are usually super sturdy and will survive any size dog. The only thing you’ll need to do is to change the diameter of the rope since smaller pups won’t be able to chew up bigger toys as easily. You can get the tutorial on how to make one of these (or more) from Instructables.

12. Tennis Ball With Treats

How about some tennis balls with treats? All you need to make these are some tennis balls that are not exactly in their prime, and scissors or a sharp knife. You can get the whole tutorial from Romp Rescue.

13.

Indestructible Ring

Ring toys are always fun to use with your pup, so why not make one yourself? All you need is some rope and a bit of time on your hands to learn how to knot all of it together. Instructables have a detailed guide that includes video, which you’ll frankly need.

14. Denim No Sew Toys

We all know that Denim is quite the resistant fabric, so if you have some old pants you’re no longer wearing, you can definitely turn them into a toy for your dog. It’s going to be a fun project and we’re sure they’ll love it. Get the instructions from Sew Historically.

15. Pull Toy

If you want to make an interactive pull toy, you have the instructions ready on Club Dogue. Stuff a treat in some old socks and push it in a toy they’ll have to pull the sock from. It’s genius and will keep your dog entertained.

16. Fox Tail

Fox tail-type toys are not that hard to make if you have a bit of sturdy fabric and some tennis balls. Your dog will certainly be quite entertained, and you’ll have spent pretty much nothing for the toy itself. Check out the steps you need to follow from Instructables.

17. Denim Knots

Some of the easiest toys to make are simple knots. Yes, knots. Your dog will have something to chew on, while you’ll have a spot or two you can pull on if you want to throw it for them. Just get some old jeans, cut the material and tie it in a knot. If they manage to pull it apart, just tie it up again. Easy.

18. Treat Popsicles

Ok, these aren’t necessarily toys, but your pup will certainly have some fun with them. By using some of their favorite treats and an ice tray, you can freeze them a popsicle-style treat.

19. Rope Bone

Is your dog destroying every toy they ever use? Well, we have a tutorial for you for a woven rope bone that is indestructible. We hope it will survive your pup, but it seems that even the largest doggies played nice with this.

20. Treat Mat

If you make a treat mat for your pup, they’ll be entertained every time you feed them. These are also beneficial for fast easters as they’ll spend more time chowing down the food. There’s an easy tutorial from Dogs Home available, so check it out.

21. Frozen Chew Toy

Summers can be difficult for pups, and even they enjoy cold things. So, we have an easy-to-make and cold toy idea for your dog – a frozen sock. Yes, yes, a sock. We know you have a bunch you’re not throwing away for some reason, and those would be perfect to get rolled up and put into the freezer. Get the details from Instructables.

22. Slingshot Ball

How about you make a cute slingshot ball for your pupper? You need a rubber ball, a coathanger, and some surgical tube and you’re good to go. Let’s make one of these things to keep the doggies entertained!

23. T-Shirt Frisbee

All those T-shirts you never wear can get cut up in strips and braided into a cute-looking frisbee. You’ll need some time to make all of this, but it’s genius and we just love how beautiful it is. The tutorial is actually for a rug, but if you make it smaller, it will be perfect for a dog toy.

24. Cereal Box with Treats

Do you have an empty box of cereals? Well, that’s ideal then. Place some of your pup’s favorite treats inside it, and let them have some fun as they try to pull out the pieces through the hole. Expect a mess, though.

25. Fishing Pole

If you tie up your pup’s favorite toy from an elastic band, and then push that band through a pipe, you’ll have yourself a fishing pole for the cutest dogs around – those in your home. It’s super easy to make, so get started!

26. No Sew Dog Toy

We have another idea – a tug toy that will require exactly zero sewing skills. However, the braiding process is a bit more complicated than what we’ve seen so far, but it’s really not that difficult once you get the hang of it. Get the tutorial from CreateLaughGrow.

27. Treat Puzzle

We have a treat puzzle on our hands! It’s a cute thing that doesn’t require that much work on your part, but will certainly keep your dog entertained. Get the tutorial from 3 Lost Dogs.

28. Fleece Loop

The folks at Dalmatian DIY also have a cool DIY square knot fleece loop dog tug toy you can make if you have some extra fleece at home. They’re easy to make and there are quite a few shapes you can go for. Check it out here.

29. Squeaky Dog Toy

If you’re looking into a squeaky dog toy, then we have the solution for you – and it won’t even require you to sew anything. This YouTube tutorial will help you through every step and you’ll end up with a toy that makes a lot of noise.

30. Knotted Towel

Any toy will make your dog happy and you know how they can find joy in even gnawing on your shoes. So, why not use an old towel to make them a toy? You only need to make a knot and you’ve got yourself a happy pup on your hands. Get the details from Retrobellish.

31. Tilt Board

Your dog needs to keep in shape as much as you do, so let’s make a tilt board for them. You only need a few things to make this work and we’re sure your pup will have some fun with it as they improve their core strength. There’s a full tutorial on how to make this from Fitness with Fido.

32. Rope Ball

Making a rope ball may seem very difficult to do, but it’s really not that hard. You do need the instructions and to follow them to a tee, but we’re sure you’ll manage just fine, especially as the folks at Hands Occupied go into extreme detail to help you out.

33. Tennis Ball Tug

The folks at Vet Street are showing us that it really doesn’t require a lot of money to keep your pup happy and that you can easily make them a tennis ball tug toy. Follow the instructions here.

34. Bottle Spinner

The whole idea behind this toy is to fill the bottles with treats for your pup. Once they learn how to tilt the bottles, they’ll get to eat something yummy. You can keep them entertained and fed! Check out this clip from Eveline Poot and make your own!

35. Ball Pit

What dog does not like playing with balls in a pit? We know just how fun this can be, so why not make your pup such a pit yourself? You can simply use furniture as the limits of the pit and a big blanket or rug to hold the balls in. Put in the balls and watch your dog go nuts. Get the instructions from Life As Mama.

Final Thoughts

Keeping your dog happy doesn’t require a lot of money, but it does require some attention on your part. Put in the work and your pup will be happy and so will you. Let us know which of these projects you liked best by leaving a comment below and share pics of your creations over social media!

Do-it-yourself toys for dogs from improvised materials

Today we will make toys for dogs with our own hands. I think this topic will be very relevant, especially for owners of Jack Russell Terriers, who are famous for their ability to literally turn a new toy into a worthless rag in just a few seconds.

These toothy “monsters” can buy a new toy at least every day. And it’s good if you come across such an entertaining trinket that will last a day or two. This will be a huge achievement. But buying store-bought toys for your favorite gnaw every day is very expensive. After all, all toys for dogs are oh, how expensive.

Therefore, we will tell and show several options for making a toy for a dog from improvised materials with our chewing gum Jackusik.

Rope of threads

For this toy we will take cotton threads of different colors (fig. 1). So the toy will look more interesting.

For a cord 40 cm long, we need to weave (connect) a sufficiently thick strand of threads. How thick the rope will be depends on the size of your dog. Our strand will be about two fingers thick.

You can make one long strand of about 1.5 m or two strands of 70-80 cm. We will make one long strand.

Exactly in the middle we fix (dress) the resulting strand on some hook or door handle. Well, or you can ask an assistant to hold the strand while you weave the cord.

Take one strand in each hand and start twisting it to the left (Fig. 3).

Then, from above, we put the left strand on the right (Fig. 4). Be sure to tightly fix the strands so that they do not unravel.

Then we continue in the same direction: we twist the strands to the left, and in the same way we bring the left strand onto the right one. And so we weave to the very end.

Tie a knot on one and the other side of the rope. Try to tie it as tightly as possible. We trim the ends of the resulting “brush”.

Here we have such a wonderful rope for a dog. If you want to tie an additional knot in the middle, then the strand of threads will initially need to be made a little longer.

T-shirt pigtail

For this toy we take three old T-shirts. It is better if the t-shirts are different colors. So the pigtail will be more interesting and brighter.

Cut off the sleeves and collars of the T-shirts (fig. 2). We get three multi-colored rectangles, each of which consists of the front and back of the T-shirt.

We turn each rectangle into a “tube” (Fig. 3). If you have a small dog, you can take only one half (front or back). And if the dog is large, you can roll the tube from both parts.

Cut off two small strings from one of the T-shirts. With one of them we firmly tie all three tubes together (Fig. 4).

We begin to weave a pigtail.

When the braid is almost ready, tie the end with a second rope and trim with scissors.

T-shirt jellyfish

To make a jellyfish, we need two multi-colored or one colored T-shirt, roll-on deodorant or any small ball (Fig. 1).

If you took a deodorant, take out a ball from it (Fig. 2). Be sure to rinse the ball well to remove deodorant residue.

Cut off a ring about 10 cm wide from the bottom of the T-shirt (fig. 3-4).

In total, we need three of these rag rings.

Cut these rings on one side to make strips.

The resulting three strips are stacked on top of each other with the seam up (Fig. 1-2). We put a ball or ball in the center of the intersection of the fabric strips (Fig. 3). We wrap all the strips around the ball (ball) and tie it with a separately cut rope (Fig. 4).

We have a jellyfish with a head and six “tentacles”. Of these, we will weave two dense pigtails (Fig. 2). We fix the ends of the braids with tight knots.

You can make such a wonderful toy for your pet with your own hands.

Gryzlik is happy to deal with the “sea” monster.

Fabric bone

The bone can be sewn from absolutely any fabric. We take denim. It is quite thick and durable. And even such a nibbler as a Jack Russell Terrier will be too tough, I hope.

In addition to denim, you will also need a padding polyester. We make a template out of paper and transfer it to the fabric (Fig. 1). We cut out two identical fabric parts, leaving 1 cm each for seam allowances (Fig. 2).

We sew two parts of the bone together from the wrong side along the entire perimeter, as shown by the red line in the figure below. We leave only a small opening for eversion (shown with a red arrow).

We will fill the synthetic winterizer into the same hole. We will sew it up, and … the bone is ready.

Striped monster

And to make such a cute striped monster you will need: a bright striped sock with fingers, padding polyester and two colored buttons.

Cut out the sock from both sides as shown in the figure below.

From the wrong side, sew the edges, leaving only a hole for stuffing with padding polyester, as shown by the red arrow in the figure below. We stuff the toy with padding polyester, sew up the hole and sew on the button eyes. The monster is ready.

Braided ring

To make this braided ring, you will need four strips of fleece. The width of the strips is about 8 cm, and the length is about 1 meter.

Put all the strips together and tie a knot.

We begin to weave a ring. We lay out the strips in different directions so that we get a cross and the knot is in the middle (Fig. 1).

We wrap it in different directions and put the light stripes on top of the blue ones, as shown in fig. 2. Well, then we wrap each blue strip and stretch it into a loop from the white strip (Fig. 3-4).

We begin to tighten all the strips into a knot, gradually stretching each edge one after another.

We continue to weave further in the same way.

Untie the knot we made at the very beginning. This is how the rope should turn out.

Join the ends together to form a ring.

Next, we gradually tie all the strips together and tighten them tightly so that later they do not come undone.

We trim the ends and the ring is ready.

Braided rope with a ball

To make a toy, we take a ball with a ready-made hole (Fig. 1). From the fleece we cut out three strips 7-8 cm wide. The length of each strip should be about 1.5 meters (Fig. 2).

Take the ball and thread all the strips into it so that the ball is exactly in the middle (Fig. 3). On both sides we braid short pigtails, about 10 cm each (Fig. 4).

Next, we combine these two braids into one and continue to weave one, thicker braid (Fig. 1-2). We fix the end of the braid with a tight knot (Fig. 3) and trim the uneven edges (Fig. 4).

Rattle

Take an empty plastic bottle with a cap. The size of the bottle depends on the size of your wool friend. If the watchdog is large, then you can take a larger bottle. The bottle must be dry.

We also need a little of any cereal (I took rice) and a whole thick sock.

Pour a little cereal into the bottle and close the lid tightly. You do not need to pour a lot of cereals, otherwise there will not be such a sonorous noise that all dogs like so much.

Put the bottle in the groats into the sock and tie a knot. The toy is ready.

Today Jack and I told and showed how you can make a toy for a dog with your own hands, practically from improvised materials, while spending a minimum amount of money and time.

On our Zen channel there are a lot of different necessary and useful workshops for every dog ​​owner on making clothes and ammunition for their beloved pets. We also have a lot of interesting entertainment content. Come, subscribe, so as not to miss new useful videos!

Your ponytail will definitely be satisfied! Have you ever made your furry friend a toy? If so, which one? Share your ideas in the comments! Good luck and take care of your pets!

10 do-it-yourself educational toys for dogs

Educational games are a great chance to strengthen your relationship with your dog and have a good time. Also, such games are recommended for active dogs, with whom no matter how you walk, they still come home full of energy. The mental load exhausts the dog much faster than the physical one, so a few minutes with an educational toy – and the dog is already tired and satisfied.

The idea of ​​educational games is simple – a treat is hidden somewhere and the dog must use his brains to figure out how to get to it. At the same time, it is not at all necessary to buy expensive toys in the store, you can easily make educational toys for the dog with your own hands.

Choose items based on the size, strength and personality of your pet. If you have a large and strong dog, you may need something that is larger and more durable than what is described in the exercises.

Leaky bottle

The essence of this game is that you make several holes in a plastic bottle, fill it with a treat and throw it on the floor. The dog must roll the bottle with his nose or paws, thus shaking out the food.

Please note that some dogs will scratch the toy very hard and will eventually scratch the floor. In this case, it is better to play not at home, but on the street.

Step by step

Step 1. Get a plastic bottle, scissors and tape. Step 2. Cut a few holes in the bottle large enough for the treat to fall out freely. Step 3. Cover the edges of the holes with tape so that the dog does not get hurt during the game. Step 4. Pour some treats into the bottle. Step 5. Throw the resulting toy on the floor and watch the dog’s actions.

Use treats to play with that won’t stick to the bottle or box, but will spill out easily.

Spin bottle

Spin bottle is a game where you give your dog a plastic bottle with a treat placed on a stick. The dog must push the bottle with his nose so that it rotates and food spills out of its neck.

You can use one bottle or several at once by putting them in a row. You can also complicate the task if you play outside – then the dog will have to additionally look for the fallen treat in the grass.

Consider step by step

Step 1. Take a plastic bottle, scissors, stick (or string). Step 2. On two opposite sides of the bottle, make holes large enough for the stick to pass through freely. Step 3. Fill the bottle with a treat. Step 4. Insert the stick through the holes and make sure the bottle can rotate easily. Step 5. Attach the stick between two chairs or simply hold it in your hands at the level of the dog’s muzzle.

Tasty garland

This game consists in showing the dog a rope with a toilet paper base put on it, under which a large piece of treat is hidden. The task of the dog is to take the base in his teeth and move it to the side to open access to the hanging food.

Another variant of the game is not to string a delicacy on a rope, but to put it inside the bases. In this case, the dog must shake and tilt the bases so that food falls out of them.

Consider step by step

Step 1. Take 1-2 toilet paper bases, string (or stick). Step 2. Poke a hole in the middle of the treat just big enough for a string to pass through (or buy a ring-shaped treat right away). Step 3. Thread the string through the treat and toilet paper base. Step 4. Cover the treat with the base. Step 5. Pull the rope between the chairs or just hold it in your hands at the level of the dog’s muzzle. Over time, increase the number of bases.

Box with a search

The essence of this game is very simple – you throw a treat into the box, put balls from a folded newspaper on top and watch the dog look for treats.

Other “fillers” can be used instead of newspaper, such as plastic balls for a dry pool. But whatever you use, make sure that the items are large enough so that the dog cannot accidentally swallow them.

Let’s go step by step

Step 1. Take a short box and a newspaper (or paper). Step 2. Roll some newspaper into balls. Step 3. Place the balls in the box and put some treats on the bottom. Step 4. Have the dog find a treat in the newspaper. Instead of newspaper, you can also use toilet paper bases, plastic balls, or rolled up socks.

Bell ringer dog

This game consists in tying a bottle filled with treats to a strong branch of a tree or simply holding it on an upraised hand, and the dog must grab the belt hanging below with its teeth and actively pull it in order to bottles of food poured down.

Let’s go step by step

Step 1. Take a bottle with a handle (usually this is the shape of milk, water or juice bottles), scissors, rope and a belt (or a long cord). Step 2. Punch a few holes around the bottle about 1 cm from the bottom. The holes should be of such a size that the delicacy can freely fall out of them. Step 3. Tie a string and strap to the handle. Place a treat inside the bottle. Step 4. Tie the toy to a tree or simply hold the rope in your hand so that the dog can easily grab onto the belt.

Maintain a positive atmosphere while playing. If the dog does not succeed, there is no need to be nervous – help him or move on to the next game.

Cloths with a surprise

You can even build an educational dog toy from an old hat or towel. Take a few fabric items that you don’t mind, put a treat inside them and invite the dog to get it.

For example, you can give your dog a rolled-up towel with a treat, which he has to unwrap his nose to get to the pieces. Or put food inside your hat and gloves so your dog has to give things a good shake. You can also use a sock rolled into a ball, which the pet must unfold. Start with one thing and gradually add more.

Step by step

Step 1. Get an old towel, sock, glove and hat. Step 2. Place a few treats on the towel. Step 3. Roll up the towel. Step 4. Pour a small, heavy treat into the glove so that it falls out easily and does not get stuck in your fingers. Step 5 . Put food on the hat and roll it in two or four times. Step 6. Put a treat on the sock and roll it into a ball. Step 7. Lay things out on the floor and send the dog out to find food.

Treat boxes

Another easy way to play is to play boxes of different shapes and sizes (for toothpaste, candy or toys). Arrange food in boxes, drop them on the floor and watch as the dog tries to get the pieces.

It’s best to start with one box and gradually add more. At first, do not close the box tightly so that the pet can definitely get food and does not lose interest in the game.

Part of the boxes can be held by hand or glued to the floor with double-sided tape. Small boxes (for example, from toothpaste) should not be glued – the dog should tear them with his teeth or paws and then shake out the contents.

Let’s go step by step

Step 1. Take several boxes of different sizes. Step 2. Arrange treats in boxes. Step 3 . At first, help the dog by holding the boxes.

Treat Tower

The essence of the game is that you build a “tower” with tongues and throw a treat into it in front of the dog. The dog must guess to pull the tabs to push the treat, or drop it and pick up the food already from the floor.

It is better to start with one tongue, and when the dog understands the essence of the task, add all the others.

Step by step

Step 1. Get some thick cardboard, scissors and tape. Step 2. Cut a large piece of cardboard, fold it 4 times to make a “tower”, and secure with tape. Step 3. Punch 1-2 holes on each side of the tower. The holes should be the full width of the tower and about 1 cm high. Step 4. From the leftover cardboard, make tabs wide enough to go in and out of the holes relatively freely, and long enough to fit into the tower and out the other part of the dog could grab his teeth. Step 5. Throw a treat from the top of the tower so that it falls on the tongues. Step 6. Hold tower by hand or fix to furniture.

The game of thimbles

The game of thimbles is familiar to everyone – the host shows the ball, puts it under one of the three cups, stirs them and offers to choose the right one. The game with a dog looks similar, only there will be a treat instead of a ball. The dog can choose the right cup with his teeth or paw – it doesn’t matter.

It is better to start the game with one cup so that the dog learns to turn it over. Then you can increase their number to 3 or more.

You can read more about this exercise in a separate article – Playing thimbles with a dog.

Consider step by step

Step 1. Take 3 identical non-translucent cups. Step 2. In front of the dog’s eyes, put a treat under one of them. Step 3. Stir cups. Pitch. 4. Have the dog guess where the food is.

Spinner for dogs

If you have a lot of free time and desire, you can build a very serious structure – a spinner. The essence of the game will be that the dog rotates the spinner with its nose and food flies out of it.

Depending on the size and activity level of your dog, you may need to further reinforce the original structure by increasing the thickness of the “rod” and adding additional attachments.

Let’s take it step by step

Step 1. Get a flat carton, 5 identical dairy bags (or similar, such as mini-tubes of chips), scissors, glue, 1-2 plastic lids, a pen (or wand). Step 2. Set aside one bag, and make holes in the rest on 2-3 sides of the bag 5-10 mm from the bottom. The length of the hole should be approximately the entire width of the wall, and the height should be 1-2 cm. Step 3. Put the bag without holes in the center and glue the “leaky” bags to it. Also take a pen and stick it firmly into the lid (if the lid is made of thick plastic, make a small hole in it with scissors or an awl beforehand). Step 4. Make a small hole in the center bag and insert the handle firmly into it. Step 5. Make a small hole in the box, insert the handle and fix the finished structure. Step 6. Put a heavy treat inside the bags so that it can fly out easily when you spin it.