Many store-bought pet toys contain unsavory chemicals. That’s because the pet accessory industry is largely unregulated, just like pet food and treats. This means, your precious little pup could unknowingly be chomping on BPA or phthalate containing plastics, or plush toys that have been treated with carcinogenic flame-retardants. Some imported toys have even been found to contain lead. Yikes!
But we’ve got some good news: There are some totally safe and legit options out there if you know where to look, and—even better—you can actually make your own dog toys for free by putting your tattered old bath, dish, and beach towels to use. One major perk of using old towels is that they’re usually made of all natural materials like cotton, and even if they contain dyes, they’ve been washed so many times that the potential for them to leach out into your dog’s mouth is pretty unlikely.
Watch the video above and read the instructions below to learn how to make a simple braided towel toy for your dog. Its large size and soft texture make it perfect for games of tug of war. Of course, this towel tug toy isn’t quite as sturdy as rope tug toys, so if you’re dog is prone to destruction and subsequent consumption of non-food items, then be sure to always supervise Fido while he plays.
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DIY Towel Dog Toy
Materials:
Old towels
Scissors
1. Cut three strips of towel, about 4 inches wide and at least 12 inches long. Cut two more thin strips of towel, about 1 inch wide and 6 inches long.
2. Hold the three large towel strips together and tie them off at one end with a smaller towel strip. Then braid the three towel strips and tie off the other end with the second small strip.
3. Play with your pup! This makes the perfect tug-of-war toy. You can even shove little bits of kibble inside to keep your dog entertained.
