Care & how-to
DIY Dog Toys: Easy Homemade Toys and Puzzles
You can make good dog toys from things already in your home: old T-shirts braided into tug ropes, towels knotted around treats, cardboard boxes and tubes stuffed with kibble, and a muffin tin turned into a puzzle. The best homemade toys give your dog something to chew, tug or solve. Supervise every DIY toy, keep anything small enough to swallow out of the design, and throw a toy away once it starts falling apart.
By Matt GarnettUpdated November 14, 20264 min read3 sources
T-shirt tug rope
Step 1: Cut an old cotton T-shirt into three long strips about two inches wide. Step 2: Knot the strips together at one end. Step 3: Braid them tightly, then knot the other end. For a thicker rope, use more strips, or braid three braids together. The AKC suggests braiding or knotting T-shirt strips, and weaving in treats for extra interest. If you would rather buy than make, our dog puzzle toys cover the same search-and-solve idea.
Use the rope for tug games with you, not as a toy left alone with your dog. Teach a drop cue during play and swap for a treat. Check it after each game: once threads start pulling loose, throw it away, because swallowed strands of fabric can cause serious problems in the gut.
Towel snuffle and knot toys
For a quick snuffle puzzle, the AKC suggests laying a towel flat, putting treats in the center, folding it lengthwise over the treats and tying a loose knot. Your dog has to nose and paw the knot open to get the reward. For more challenge, tie several towels together, each with treats inside.
You can also roll kibble into a towel like a burrito and let your dog unroll it. These are puzzle toys, not chew toys, so pick the towel up when the treats are gone. Wash it often, because drool and food crumbs build up quickly. Ready-made snuffle mats work on the same sniff-and-forage idea.
Cardboard tubes and boxes
Spread a little dog-safe peanut butter, checked for xylitol, or soft food inside an empty toilet paper or paper towel tube, as the AKC describes. Fold the ends down so your dog has to tear the cardboard to reach it, and freeze it for a longer-lasting treat. For kibble, poke holes in a box slightly bigger than the pieces, add food and seal the top.
Shoebox hide-and-seek is another AKC idea: put out several empty boxes or yogurt tubs with holes in the lids, bait one or two with smelly treats, and let your dog search. Cardboard toys are destructible, so supervise and make sure your dog shreds the box without eating the pieces.
Muffin tin puzzle and ball pit
Put treats in the cups of a muffin tin and cover each cup with a ball, as the AKC suggests. Your dog has to lift or knock the balls away to find the food. To make it harder, bait only some of the cups. Use a mini muffin pan and small, dog-safe balls for a toy breed, and never use balls small enough to be swallowed.
A doggy ball pit is a bigger version: fill a plastic kiddie pool with balls and sprinkle kibble or treats on top for your dog to dig out. The AKC advises starting with only a few balls for a nervous or easily frustrated dog and adding more as they gain confidence.
Safety rules for homemade toys
Make toys bigger than your dog's mouth, avoid buttons, ribbons, string and small parts, and never use anything with elastic, wire or stuffing your dog could swallow. VCA advises choosing toys that cannot fit entirely in the mouth and avoiding removable parts. Skip old shoes and socks, which teach your dog that your belongings are toys.
Supervise all DIY toys, which the AKC stresses for homemade puzzles, and take a toy away if your dog chews off chunks. Throw toys out as soon as fabric frays or cardboard turns to mush. If you think your dog swallowed part of a toy, call your vet, especially if they vomit, stop eating or seem uncomfortable.
Matching DIY toys to your dog
Gentle players and puppies do well with towel puzzles and cardboard games. A hidden food toy or a slide puzzle treat dispenser is a ready-made version of the same idea, and our puzzle feeder guide shows how the types differ. Strong chewers need sturdy store-bought chew toys instead, because they will destroy most homemade toys in minutes. Herding and sporting breeds often love tug ropes and ball pits, while hounds tend to prefer snuffle and search games. Rotate toys so each feels new. Browse more dog puzzle toys when you want variety.
If your dog chews obsessively, swallows things often or guards toys, talk to your vet or a trainer before adding more toys.
This page is general information, not veterinary advice, and it cannot replace an examination by the vet who knows your pet.
Common questions
What can I use to make homemade dog toys?
Old cotton T-shirts, towels, cardboard tubes and boxes, a muffin tin, a kiddie pool and dog-safe balls all work. Avoid anything with buttons, string, elastic or small parts your dog could swallow.
Are DIY dog toys safe?
They can be, with supervision. Make toys larger than your dog's mouth, check them after each use, and throw them away once they fray or break up. Strong chewers need durable store-bought chew toys instead.
How do I make a dog tug toy from a T-shirt?
Cut an old T-shirt into three long strips, knot them at one end, braid tightly and knot the other end. Use it for supervised tug games and replace it when threads start pulling loose.
Sources we checked
This guide is general information, not veterinary advice. If your pet is unwell or injured, contact your veterinarian.
