DIY Hide a Treat Dog Toys: Easy and Fun Ideas

Alright, so here's the lowdown on my weekend project: "hide a treat" dog toys. I've been seeing these things online and thought, "Hey, I can totally make those myself." Spoiler alert: I did, and it was way easier (and cheaper!) than buying them.

First thing's first, I gathered my supplies. I raided my old t-shirt stash (the ones with holes are perfect!), grabbed some scissors, a needle and thread (yep, old-school sewing), and, of course, a bag of dog treats. Didn't need anything fancy.

Then, I cut up the t-shirts into strips. I'm talking like, 2-3 inches wide, and as long as I could get them. Didn't bother measuring, just eyeballed it. The more strips, the better, 'cause you want a nice, dense toy.

Next up was the braiding. I took three strips and just braided them together, like you would someone's hair. Once I got to the end, I tied a knot. I did a bunch of these braids, different lengths and thicknesses, didn't matter too much.

Now, the assembly! This is where the magic happens. I took one of the thicker braids and curled it into a tight spiral. Then, I stitched it together to hold the spiral shape. This became the "core" of the toy. I just sewed with big stitches, didn't need to be pretty, just needed to hold.

After that, I started wrapping the other braids around the core, stitching them in place as I went. I overlapped them and tucked the ends in so there weren't any loose pieces for my dog to chew off. This is where you can get creative, make it as big or small as you want. And be sure to leave some gaps and pockets!

The most important part: treat placement! As I was wrapping the braids, I stuffed little dog treats into the gaps and pockets. Not too many, just enough to make it interesting.

Finally, I stitched everything together really well. I went over the whole thing a couple of times to make sure it was super secure. Gotta make sure those treats stay hidden!

And that's it! A homemade "hide a treat" dog toy. It took maybe an hour, tops. My dog absolutely loves it! He spends ages sniffing around, trying to get the treats out. Keeps him entertained for a good long while.

Things I learned:

• Don't use t-shirts with too many small buttons or zippers, those can be dangerous.
• The tighter you wrap the braids, the more challenging it is for your dog to get the treats out.
• Supervise your dog when they're playing with the toy, especially the first few times, just to make sure they're not ripping it apart and swallowing pieces.

Overall, a super fun and easy project. Definitely worth a try if you're looking for a way to keep your furry friend entertained!