You don't have to spend a fortune on toys to keep your dogs stimulated and happy. Here are three of our favorite games, and toys, that don't cost a dime!
Make Your Own Tug Toy
You can make your own low cost or no cost tug toy with items you may already have around the house. Use rope to make a DIY tug toy, or take old t-shirts, cut into strips and twist the cloth together to make a fun tug! Just knot the ends and you've got a fun t-shirt toy you can toss or tug!
Box Games
When all else fails, we love pulling out a box and shaping a new behavior -- get on the box, get in the box, put two paws on the box, and so on! You can also hide treats in boxes and have your dog find them. Now, I'm using a box to teach Rocco to put his toys away! He picks up a toy and then the idea is he'll drop it in the box. We're getting close on this one, but it still needs work!
Teach your dog a trick
As you may already know, we LOVE dog tricks! It doesn't cost a dime to play around with tricks training, and it's a great way to stimulate your dog's mind and give him a workout.
One of our favorites is Hide Your Eyes. It's a real crowd pleaser and it seems that people of all ages love to see this trick over and over again! I tell kids that Rocco will play hide and seek with them and then ask him to hide his eyes! They laugh every time!Rocco loves performing all his tricks and it's also a great way to keep him focused and his mind off other things. During his recent annual vet visit, Rocco performed his repertoire of tricks for the staff and he completely forgot he was at the scary vet!
Here's a look at how to teach Hide Your Eyes.
Since we recorded this video, we've been able to increase the duration for which Rocco holds the hide your eyes position!
Join us at #EBChat for great prizes today!
Along with our Event Barkers partners and Sniffery.com, we're hosting another fun giveaway event today at 4 - 5 p.m. ET on Twitter. You might just win something for your active dog! Here's the entire prize list and details. Hope to see you there!
What are your favorite low cost toys or games?
Let us know in the comments below!
What are your favorite low cost toys or games?
The fun and games continue every Friday with FitDog Friday, the weekly Blog Hop brought to you by To Dog With Love, SlimDoggy and My GBGV Life to promote a healthy active lifestyle for pets (and their people, too!). Join in every Friday by linking up your FitDog story or visiting the blogs in the Hop.
we always love the "find it" games. Mom gets lots of different size boxes -at least 10 and hides some treats under a few - then she sends us to find them - we love that game.
ReplyDeleteThat IS a fun game!! Great for a rainy day, too!
DeleteThose sound like fun activities. Our dogs love a good game of fetch!
ReplyDeleteYes! Fetch is always a favorite!
DeleteThose looks like some fun games, we love learning new tricks!! Have fun!
ReplyDeleteWe never get tired of tricks!
DeleteThat is pretty cute...won't be long before Hollywood comes calling for him.
ReplyDeleteHa! Rocco would love the bright lights!
DeleteRocco you are just two darn clever! Mom's favorite toys for her dog growing up were old socks and empty dish soap bottles (not recommended)! Love Dolly
ReplyDeleteWe thought about adding socks with water bottles inside, but so many folks are hesitant about the idea of "socks" as toys. I think with proper supervision (just like with anything) they are fine! My very first pup as a child LOVED socks. In fact, I remember I embroidered his name a special sock that was just for him!
DeleteGreat post and awwwww-inspired "Hide Your Eyes!"
ReplyDeleteThank you! We love that trick!
DeleteThat's a very cute, unique trick! I can definitely see it being a crowd-pleaser ;-) Our pups both love to play "find Mommy" around the house...best part about it is that the mommy-toy is 100% free...well, Daddy may have a different opinion on that one, but I'm free as far as the pups are concerned..
ReplyDeleteThey all sound super fun too!
ReplyDeleteSometimes I'll have Mr. N help me "clean the house." He'll pick up clothes and random objects off the floor and hand them to so I can clean up. Free and useful! It does take slightly longer than if I were to just do it but this way, I'm entertained.
ReplyDeleteAll great ideas ! We started using doggie daddy's older tee-shirts as dog toys a while ago,,,and it's working out very well. Just tie in several knots,,,,,and let the frenzy begin !
ReplyDeleteGreat ideas! Haley loves all kinds of games and they're a great way to keep her busy in the winter. I think I'll try to teach Haley the Hide Your Eyes trick!
ReplyDeleteWe find boxes quite comforting
ReplyDeleteLily & Edward
Love the easy way you explain Hide Your Eyes. Shared with my page followers. Love the box one too. My dogs love seeking out treats. I will often hide them all over the house or yard and have them search for them. They get so excited with this game. :)
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ReplyDeleteThanks
ReplyDeleteI love your post and Rocco is so cute! My own Golden Retriever is a jolly fella and so full of fun! She loves boxes, socks and squeaky toys! Since last year, I’ve stopped buying expensive toys and learned some DIY dog toys to make. I also read a lot about what games to play with my furry companion and so far, we are both enjoying all the fun! There’s also a site that features more exciting games to play with your dog, you’ve got to see it for yourself http://dogsaholic.com/lifestyle/play-with-your-dog.html
ReplyDelete