There are three things dogs enjoy doing the most: eating, sleeping and playing. This is not a surprise for dog owners. It is surprising though that our canines can easily get bored by their usual belongings. So, you need to provide your flurry pals with new toys on a regular basis, in order to keep them busy and interested in their games. Otherwise all dogs are prone to chew on and play with their human’s personal items, which could be a reason for conflicting situations. You can simply spend a fortune for trendy doggy supplies, that are flooding the market, or you can spend some time to create funny DIY dog projects. If you like the latter, you may need to know that your dog will probably find it interesting not only to play with his new DIY toys, but also to observe you creating them. So, let him be a part of your “art work”!

Let’s start with the greatest dog passion: EATING!

#1 DIY Doggy Treats. Pumpkin Dog Biscuits Recipe:

Ingredients:

2 eggs
1/2 cup canned pumpkin
2 tablespoons dry milk
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
2 1/2 cups brown rice flour
1 teaspoon dried parsley (optional)

*Preheat oven to 250

Stir eggs and pumpkin together to а homogeneous mixture. Add the dry milk, sea salt, dried parsley and brown rice flour slowly and continue stirring until you get a stiff, dry dough. Use the brown rice flour to lightly flour the table’s surface and turn out the dough onto it. Roll the dough and use shape cutter (preferable a bone shaped cutter) to form the biscuits.

Use baking paper instead of greasing and place the raw biscuits on a cookie sheet. Bake 20 minutes on a side - turn biscuits over and bake for another 20 minutes. Let the cookies cool and they are ready for your dog.

This is a healthy everyday treat for dogs with sensitive stomachs. Pumpkin stimulates а certain enzyme production which relieves gastric disorders. And the brown rice flour gives the cookies crunchy flavour that every dog loves.

#2 DIY Doggy Toy

Dogs love to play, especially after having a good meal. And a huge part of their games is chewing... almost anything they can find. The purpose here is to make the dog chew on a particular doggy toy. And the cooler the toy is, the more excited the dog will be about it.

Let’s try something simple: Old T-Shirt Dog Toy

The only things you need are two old T-shirts and a pair of scissors, of course. Who doesn’t have old t-shirts at home? For a more stylish result, use T-shirts of different, even contrasting colours.

Steps:

In order to have perfect strips you need to cut only 2-3” wide slits at the base of the T-shirt;
Rip along the slips to get long, even strips;
Get the t-shirt strips together and tie them off the one end;
Braid them together (you can use classic plait or so called French plait or the stronger and more effective fishtail plait);
Tie up the bottom and cut if any straggling strip ends left.

This is a really simple toy, but keeping in mind how popular these toys are in the pet supplies stores, I guarantee your dog will love it!

After such a busy day of eating and playing each dog need to get some rest. What if he can do it in a cosy home-made doggy bed...

#2 DIY Doggy Bed

Materials:

Hard-shell suitcase;
Foam or a pillow;
Fabric;
Tools (hammer, screwdriver, extreme muscle strength);

Directions:

The most important part of this project is to find a suitcase that fits your dog’s size, in order he to feel comfortable in it. Otherwise your canine may prefer your bed.
You can unscrew the top half of the suitcase from the bottom half, if your dog love spacy places to take a rest. But you can left the bottom suitcase half where the dog’s toys could be placed. It’s up to you and your canine’s preferences.
Measure the foam and cut out a piece of it which should fit inside the suitcase;
Choose a colourful fabric (I prefer a fabric with dog related patterns);
Cut the fabric and create a pillowcase which can cover the foam.
Place the whole thing in the suitcase;
Arrange your dog’s toys in the bottom suitcase half’s pockets. This will be a signal for your canine that this special place belongs to him.
Present the new bed to your pal and invite him to test it!

After a long day of having fun with his new belongings your dog can even invite you to join his brand new bed for the sweetest rest.

Daniel's note:

This is a guest post by a friend of mine Zara Alston. Thank you, Zara!

On the Author:

Zara S. Alston

Zara S. Alston is a freelance writer and blogger with multiple passions. But the greatest of them is the love for all kinds of animals. She has two lovely dogs and a Persian cat. You can always find her in a corner as she types stories about them, about their time together, about other people’s pets and how to take care of them. When the keyboard has left her hands, you can find Zara with a camera, book or on the yoga matt. Nature calls to her as do long walks, meeting new people and walking her dogs on the beach. Her definition of happiness is the opportunity to spend more time with friends - two or four-legged.

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@ZaraSAlston

Dog Walker London at Fantastic Pet Care
One more DIY Pet project: DIY cat nail scratcher.