DIY Dog Toy

So, I've mentioned that I try to be frugal right? Well, in my quest for cheap and durable dog toys that require some level of time and attention (on the part of the dog, not me), I came up empty handed.

It's very frustrating to have dogs that destroy a toy within a matter of minutes.  So, they say that necessity is the mother of invention (or something like that anyway), I made these:

A Do-It-Yourself dog toy.  You simply drop some kibble in the holes, maybe smear some peanut butter in, and Voila! your pup is entertained for a little while.  And uses her brain in the process!!

Here's your instructions:

1.  Head to your local hardware store (my favorite is Lowe's of course--it's designed with us ladies in mind), and pick out various sizes (depending on the size of your dog) of PVC and different types of end pieces.  If you're not PVC savvy, no worries, it all makes sense when you get there.

2.  Cut the PVC to desired length.  These were made from one piece of pipe and are about 10 inches long.  I used a Sawzall (no idea if I spelled that right), but you can use a manual saw as well.

3.  Put the end pieces on.

4.  Drill some holes in various places through out the pipe and ends.  (Make sure your holes are big enough for your kibble.  I made that mistake at first.  Small dog bits are the best.)

The two pieces on the right have big openings on the ends so it doesn't matter how big the kibble is.  I usually put peanut butter in these two to keep the kibble from just falling right out.  Plus it takes longer for the pup to lick all the peanut butter out.

This project cost me about $15-20 total, so around $5-7 each.  I've had these for several months, which is longer than I've had ANY dog toy, labeled "virtually indestructible" or not.  In my mind, well worth the price!

Here's my pups enjoying their toys. 

Jersey figured out pretty quickly that she just had to push on it with her nose to roll it and the kibble just falls right out.  That is until she gets down to just a few pieces.  She'll work for an hour to get that final piece out.

Stains sticks in tongue in the opening and the kibble sticks to it.

Here is another of my PVC projects:

I use this for to give my boy rabbit some grass time and keep him away from the girls.  I also used it for the chickens when they outgrew their smaller cage but before they could go into the barn.  It's just one inch PVC pipe, three way connectors, chicken wire, and zip ties.  I've used this thing so much and it was way cheaper than buying one of those plastic wire pens. 

Stay tuned to see what else this "can do" girl will build with PVC.  It's my new favorite craft!