vibrating screen

This toy will take you about 5 minutes to make. Take the paper towel roll when it’s empty (or toilet paper roll for small dogs) and fill it with a couple of small dog treats. Seal both ends with some masking tape. Wave it in front of your dog and watch him go crazy when you give it to him. They will be able to smell the treats with their keen sense of smell. You may want to do two or three of them at once if you have a destructive dog. They will have a lot of fun with it. You can use your imagination with what you want to put in the toy. Your dog will love it! Free

frisbee rope

I’m sure you’ve noticed how the hard plastic on a Frisbee is very hard on your dog’s mouth, so you should make a Frisbee out of a softer but still strong material. Pet stores will charge you upwards of $10 for a good cotton rope, but you can get one for less than $2. Take a trip to the hardware store and buy a foot (give or take) of thick twisted cotton rope. When you bring it home, sew the two ends together with a few thick stitches. You can do it by hand…yes you can. You now have a Frisbee Rope and your dog will love it. Cost: about $2

tug of war

Another way you can use the rope you bought at the hardware store is to tie both ends of the rope together and play “Tug of War.” What dog doesn’t love to do that? Again, the pet store charges way too much money for something so simple. Your dog certainly doesn’t care where he came from. This rope is very good for strengthening the jaw muscles not to mention the fun they will have playing with you. Cost: about $2

mr sock

There are a few variations of using this toy, but these two are the most popular:

Take a new sweat sock and put a tennis ball in it. You can draw a funny face on it if you want and then tie a knot in the sock to hold the ball in place. You can only imagine how much fun your dog can have with this. They’ll love tossing that sock around and chasing it when it bounces. This is also a good search game. Cost: about $2

Then, take another new sock, draw a funny face on it, and stick your hand inside. Use as a hand puppet by talking and gently nibbling on your dog’s ears and nose. They may be confused at first, but they will figure it out very quickly. Always wear a new sock because it will make them look different than the ones you wear. If they don’t have your scent and have a face drawn on them, they won’t look like the ones you wear around the house. Cost: about $2

The shell game

Use three plastic cups (make sure they are not transparent) and one dog treat for this game. Flip the cups over and place the treat under one of them. Keep changing glasses very fast so that it confuses your dog. Once you stop, have your dog pick which cup the treat is in. Trust me, your dog will always win and have a lot of fun doing it. Free

break the pinata

This game is very similar to the one played by humans. Take a brown paper bag, draw a traditional

pinata design and fill it with some dog treats. Then, tie it to a post with a rope at the end and turn it around in front of your dog. This is a great exercise because of all the jumping your dog will do. They will love it! Free

Rock the plastic bottle

Things You’ll Need: Empty plastic bottle (any size); a straw; knitting needle

Poke holes in each side of your plastic bottle.

Thread the straw through the holes, and then thread the knitting needle through the straw. You need to be able to swing, so you’ll need the knitting needle longer than the straw.

You should be able to get both hands on either side of the knitting needle that is holding the bottle. Make sure the holes are about a quarter of the way up the bottle, this will prevent the bottle from becoming too heavy. Place a treat inside the bottle, hold your hand on either side, and have your dog rock the bottle until the treat falls out of the open top. This will keep them entertained for a long time. Cost: about $3