It’s National Dog Day! Set aside time today to spoil, pamper and treat your furry friend—she certainly deserves it! Take a trip to the dog park or beach and prepare special snacks or a dog-friendly meal. And, if your pup loves to fetch, get crafting! You can create your own, one-of-a-kind dog toy with materials you’ve got around the house. Fun and recycled–what’s not to love? All you need is a tennis ball, fabric, string, scissors and 30 minutes to create a durable toy perfect for playtime.
Note: Chuckit Tennis Balls are great for the fetch-obsessed, but if you’ve got a chewer, Squeaker Tennis Balls will work well. When it comes to fabric, you want something tough and durable. I had great success with an old pair of yoga pants! The stretchy spandex made it indestructible during tug of war with my 100-pound Labrador/Great Dane mix. She was able to pull the ball out of the fabric once, but as it was still intact, I was able to rewrap the toy and continue playing!
You’ll need
Tennis ball
Fabric: old yoga pants, a shirt, small towel, etc.
Hair tie, ribbon or string
Scissors
Instructions
- Cut the fabric into two long, rectangular pieces. You can make them as big or small as you’d like. The width needs to be large enough to cover the tennis ball, and the length will determine how long the braids are.
![Ball Toy for Dogs]()
- Line up the strips and put the ball in the center. Wrap the fabric around the ball and secure it with string, ribbon or a hair tie.
![One-of-a-Kind Dog Toy]()
- Cut the tail into thin strips and braid them tightly. When you’re close to the end of the braid, tie the fabric into a knot to keep the braid in place.
