If you are like us and you like to spoil your dogs for Christmas, then this may be just the post for you!
Every year we buy a whole range of treats and toys for our dogs and, for the Christmas period and some time afterwards, we bring out what we call the ‘Santa sack’ (a personalised drawstring Christmas sack with each of the dog’s names written on it) – purchased from eBay: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Personalised-Dog-Bone-Christmas-Stocking-Gift-Bag-Presents-Santa-Sack/202183251586?ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT&_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649
The dogs love it! They actually ask for it occasionally throughout the Christmas season. In past years, we bought expensive Kong toys (as both of our dogs are fairly rough on them, so we opted for hard-wearing toys that would last). However, last year we decided to make some additional toys for the two dogs, as we have pretty much run out of Kong toys to buy for them – they already have most of the available types that are currently on the market.
Our thought was to make something ourselves but with the knowledge, going in, that it would probably end up destroyed after a while. We also resigned ourselves to the fact that the dogs would probably not be hugely interested in them after the initial play – boy, were we mistaken!
We gave our hand-crafted offerings to them and they went berserk over them! In fact, they visibly favoured these toys over the expensive Kong ones that we’d bought for them. Not only that, but they have even looked after them – being far gentler with them than the other bought toys – perhaps sensing that these toys are more delicate. In fact, the fish one (named Scrod) that my sister made, has been a favourite of her dog Baylea, and makes a regular appearance each night when he is tucking himself off to sleep – yes my sister names all of the toys. Her dog learns the names and fetching specific ones is a fun game that they play.
In light of this unexpected success, this year we decided to put more of an emphasis on making dog toys, rather than trying to find new ones to buy (although we still splurged on a few toys for both of the dogs because we couldn’t resist!)
It’s actually quite a fun and creative activity too, as you can upcycle any old material – clothes, pillows, etc – for making/stuffing the toys. You can even go nuts and pick up some inexpensive materials, such as dishcloths, dusters, cloth mops – whatever you feel would be an interesting/fun/colourful/sensory material for your dog to enjoy.
As you will see from the pictures above, these are this year’s attempts so far. They aren’t fantastic, but they are unique, new, and something that I am now sure that the dogs will love. The bonus is, dogs don’t judge the craftmanship, they just love the feel and excitement of a new toy. The feeling of joy that you get from watching them play with their new best friend, is the best reward for your efforts. Not to mention that you can have a good laugh at the fun and interesting toys that you create – even the mistakes!
If you fancy a go at creating your own unique dog toys, we would love to see your creations, so please post some pictures of these in the comments below.
Tips for making your dog toys:
- If hand stitching – do a double stitch on joining seams, as this will ensure the toys last a little longer (trus,t me it is worth the effort).
- For some interesting textures – try adding plastic bottles, crinkly plastic, or corks. You could even add a few lentils to the bottle to give it some rattling and weight.
- Remember to only use materials that will not be likely to harm your dog – in the case of mops and the like check the label to make sure they haven’t been treated with anything.
- If your dog is rougher on toys – try to use sturdier materials, and reinforce the seams with an extra layer of stitching or material.
- Don’t worry about the toy looking like Frankenstein’s monster – it’s far better for it to be sturdy than for it to look professional.
Enjoy, and I hope that your dogs love your new creations!
[If you enjoyed this and would like to see more, you can read more of the authors work at www.mikeflynnauthor.com]