Toys! :)

[Daydreamer]

Op shops and second hand shops are great for toys for our minis. And they are cheap! We don't care if they only last for a few weeks. When Scarlett was younger we let her have plastic rattle toys for babies but we always supervised her. She loved those! I was just at the op shop last week and got her an octopus soft toy. She has already ripped all its little legs off! Cheap and fun

The other idea would be garage sales for childrens soft toys

We got an octopus too, same thing happened our older dog would take off the legs and feed them to the puppy, fluff & all So the octopus is now a ball I was inspired after reading the thread again yesterday so got out the denim legs I'd cut off to make shorts and made a parcel each with bubble wrap in and also plaited some strips which the pup likes!

Keep the ideas coming

[Dutchess]

I'm not sure if anyone has suggested this yet, but I have a small puppy and she is OBSESSED with empty pump water bottles, as soon as she even SEES one she goes nuts, and so far it's been the only toy to successfully capture her interest for more than a fleeting moment... I don't know if a water bottle would be good for bigger dogs though...

[CareyJ]

Stubby holders...although not so good when you're trying to enjoy your beer and keep it cold with a stubby holder with a dog desperate to have it!

[16Paws]

Another way to do iceblocks - we fill glad sandwich bags with water and dry food, seal the bag and freeze. Then you just peel the bag away and give pup the iceblock.

Another fave of our pup's was a treat ball, I think it was just from coles or woolworths. Fill with a portion of pup's meal and it's a good 15-20 mins of stimulation. It might not sound like a lot of time but for a little pup that's a fair bit of effort.

Papertowel rolls are a little more durable then toilet rolls but supervision is advised with this 'toy'.

[Gspsplease]

A variation on a treat ball is to throw your dog's dry kibble over the lawn instead of feeding in a bowl -- the dog will take 20 minutes or so to search for every piece of kibble, which is good for developing a sensitive nose, and at the end of the 20 minutes the dog will be exhausted and sleep for an hour or so. My 7 year old dog still finds this a very exciting way to be fed her breakfast!

Also try tying a ball into the foot of a pantyhose and tying the other end to a solid piece of furniture like a table leg -- the pantyhose will stretch and bounce back, making the toy more exciting. CAUTION-- you will need to supervise this and remove once the pantyhose starts shredding as pup's teeth and paws can get caught, but it is one way of gaining 10 minutes rest while you read the paper.

[sandgrubber]

soft drink bottles(plastic)..with dry food in. Toilet rolls.Cardboard boxes. LARGE bones. A soccer ball..cannot be picked up, but can be rolled around/wrestled with. A towel, tied in a big knot. Get a margarine container or ice cream container.Fill about 3/4 with chicken stock or water .Drop in a few liver treats/slices of apple/slivers of bacon rind/small pieces of chicken.

freeze!

tip out into a large bowl, or just leave in its original container.....

They are great ideas, going to try some over this week. The chicken stock water block sounds fantastic!

All the above, plus, cheap paint rollers. Dogs like the long shape and the fluff, but, unlike stuffed animals, there's no stuffing to pull out.

[luvsdogs]

As well as freezing kibble in ice cream containers try a few sardines. I too scatter the kibble around the yard when I'm going out. Takes there mind off you leaving.

With the bottles, I'd not give them the lids & also take off the ring around the top to prevent choking. Also be careful with anything with stuffing.

You can also get toys from garage sales/op shops like spinning tops & toy pianos & teach the dog touch.

Edited January 2, 2010 by luvsdogs