DIY builds from household items
Everything on this page is built from what is already in your recycling, and most of it takes under five minutes to make. The cost matters less than the rebuilding: a puzzle you can make again tonight is one you will actually use, and one you can throw out without a second thought when it gets shredded. Read the safety line on every single one. The cardboard and fabric builds do not suit a dog who swallows what they tear up.
A cardboard tube with the ends folded shut and treats inside. Twenty seconds to make, and the one you can hand over on your way out of the door.
Arousal
Calming, with a short burst of shredding.
Shopping list
Food
- Small treats.
From the recycling
- An empty toilet paper or paper towel tube, with no plastic or glue residue on it.
How to do it
- Fold one end of the tube flat and tuck the corners in, like closing a takeout box.
- Drop treats inside.
- Fold and tuck the other end.
- Hand it over. Your dog will crush, paw and tear it open.
- For a longer version, stuff the tube with crumpled paper between layers of treats.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- One end left open.
- Lvl 2
- Both ends folded and tucked.
- Lvl 3
- Paper crumpled between layers of treats.
- Lvl 4
- A smaller tube nested inside a larger one.
Safety
Not for dogs who eat cardboard. Pick up every scrap when they're done. Never use a tube with plastic or glue residue on it.
A cardboard egg carton with treats in the wells and the lid closed. Twelve separate hiding places for the price of nothing, and it comes apart in a way most dogs find very satisfying.
Shopping list
Food
- Twelve small treats, one per well.
From the recycling
- A cardboard egg carton. Cardboard only, never styrofoam, which is dangerous if swallowed.
How to do it
- Put a treat in each of the twelve wells.
- Close the lid and tuck the tab in.
- Give it to your dog on a hard floor.
- To make it last, crumple a small piece of paper on top of each treat before closing.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- Lid open.
- Lvl 2
- Lid closed, tab tucked in.
- Lvl 3
- Paper over each treat before you close it.
- Lvl 4
- The closed carton nested inside a box.
Safety
Cardboard only: styrofoam is dangerous if swallowed. Not for cardboard eaters. Supervise and clean up thoroughly.
An empty plastic bottle inside a sock. Loud, crinkly and satisfying to crush, and for plenty of dogs the noise is more of the reward than the food is.
Arousal
Mildly amping. The noise is exciting.
Shopping list
Food
- A few treats to go inside the bottle.
From the recycling
- An empty plastic drinks bottle. The cap and the plastic ring around the neck come off and go straight in the trash, because those are the choking hazards.
Around the house
- A long sock you are willing to lose.
How to do it
- Remove the cap and the plastic ring around the neck. Throw both away: those are the choking hazards.
- Drop a few treats into the bottle.
- Slide the bottle into the sock and tie a knot in the open end.
- Give it to your dog. The crinkling is the reward as much as the food.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- Bottle only, no sock.
- Lvl 2
- In the sock, loosely knotted.
- Lvl 3
- Tightly knotted, and a larger bottle.
Safety
Caps and rings must go in the trash. Not for dogs who eat fabric or plastic. Replace the bottle when it splits: cracked plastic edges are sharp. Supervise every time. If your dog is noise-sensitive, skip this entirely.
A length of PVC pipe with holes drilled in it and end caps on, so kibble falls out as your dog rolls it. Nearly indestructible and costs about ten dollars.
Arousal
Mildly amping.
Shopping list
Tools
- A 12-inch length of 3-inch PVC pipe and two matching end caps.
- A drill and a spade bit set, with a bit slightly larger than your kibble.
Food
- Dry kibble.
Around the house
- Sandpaper, and soap and water. Sanding every hole edge and both cut ends is not optional.
How to do it
- Drill six to eight holes spaced evenly around the pipe. Make the holes slightly larger than a piece of kibble.
- Sand every hole edge and both cut ends until they're completely smooth. Run your bare hand over everything: if it catches on you, it will catch on your dog.
- Wash thoroughly with soap and water to remove plastic dust.
- Push one end cap on firmly, fill with kibble, and push the other cap on.
- Give it to your dog on a hard floor. It rolls and dispenses.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- More holes, and bigger ones.
- Lvl 2
- Fewer and smaller.
- Lvl 3
- On carpet, so it will not roll freely.
Safety
Sanding is not optional. Check that the end caps fit tightly enough that your dog can't pull one off: if they're loose, that's a choking hazard. Not for dogs who chew hard plastic. Supervise.
A towel tied into loose knots with treats hidden inside each one. Costs nothing, resets in ten seconds, and gets harder without you buying a thing.
Arousal
Calming, though some dogs get grabby.
Shopping list
Food
- Three or four treats.
Around the house
- An old hand towel or dish towel. Retire it once it starts to fray.
How to do it
- Lay the towel flat and place treats in three or four spots along it.
- Tie a loose knot over each treat.
- Hand it over and let your dog work the knots open with nose and paws.
- Retie and repeat.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- Very loose knots, treats showing.
- Lvl 2
- Proper knots, one over each treat.
- Lvl 3
- Tight knots, and a second towel knotted around the first.
Safety
Not for fabric eaters. Watch for shaking and shredding rather than problem-solving: if that's what you see, stop and switch to a snuffle mat. Retire the towel once it starts fraying.
A contained, legal place to dig. Enormously satisfying for terriers and any dog who's been destroying your yard.
Arousal
Mildly amping while digging, settling afterward.
Shopping list
Food
- Three or four treats, or a favorite toy, to bury.
From the recycling
- Or shredded paper instead of sand, for an indoor version. A foldable pool is fine for that one, because there is no weight in it.
Around the house
- A large rigid storage tub, or a simple wooden frame. Sand is heavy and wet sand is heavier, so this is the one job that wants something with solid walls.
- Play sand, not construction sand, which can carry silica dust. Clean topsoil works too.
How to do it
- Set the container somewhere shaded. Fill it four to six inches deep.
- Bury three or four treats or a favorite toy just under the surface, in full view of your dog.
- Let them dig it out. Praise the digging.
- Over the next sessions, bury things deeper and don't let them watch.
- If your dog digs elsewhere in the yard, calmly walk them to the box and bury something there.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- Barely covered, buried while they watch.
- Lvl 2
- Deeper, still in view.
- Lvl 3
- Deep, several items, set while they are out of the room.
Safety
Use play sand, not construction sand: construction sand can contain silica dust. Keep it covered when not in use so neighborhood cats don't use it as a litter box. Don't use it in direct Houston sun; hot sand burns paws. Rinse paws afterward.
A kiddie pool or tub filled with plastic balls, with food scattered down among them. An indoor digging and foraging box with no mess.
Arousal
Mildly amping, then calming as they settle into snuffling.
Shopping list
Toys
- A pool or a large tub. This is the job a foldable one is ideal for, since balls weigh nothing.
- 100 to 200 plastic play balls, too large for your dog to swallow. Check them for cracks, because cracked plastic has sharp edges.
Food
- Treats, or a whole meal's worth of kibble.
How to do it
- Fill the container with balls, four to six inches deep.
- Scatter treats or kibble on top so your dog gets easy early wins.
- Once they're confident, drop food down between the balls so they have to push their nose in.
- Build up until you're pouring a whole meal in and letting them work.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- A shallow layer, food on top.
- Lvl 2
- Food down between the balls.
- Lvl 3
- Four to six inches deep, a whole meal poured in.
- Lvl 4
- A few pieces only, right at the bottom.
Safety
Buy balls too large for your dog to swallow, and check them for cracks: cracked plastic has sharp edges. Not for dogs who destroy and eat plastic. Supervise every session. Wash the balls periodically.
A homemade frozen enrichmentActivity that meets a dog's behavioral needs, usually through sniffing, chewing, licking, foraging or problem-solving.Read more → block. Costs pennies and lasts longer than most bought toys.
Shopping list
Food
- Low-sodium bone broth with no onion or garlic, or just plain water. Check the label: plenty of supermarket broths contain both, and both are toxic to dogs.
- Bits of their own food. Kibble, chopped carrot, a few treats.
Around the house
- A yogurt cup, a silicone muffin tray, or any small plastic container.
How to do it
- Drop a few treats, kibble pieces, or chopped carrot into the container.
- Fill with low-sodium chicken or beef broth, or plain water, until the pieces are covered.
- Freeze overnight.
- Run the outside under warm water for a few seconds and pop the block out.
- Serve outside, in a crate on a towel, or in a shallow tray. It will melt.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- A muffin tray, so it comes out as small pucks.
- Lvl 2
- A full cup, frozen solid.
- Lvl 3
- A large deep block.
- Lvl 4
- Frozen in layers over two days, so there are strata.
Safety
Use low-sodium broth with no onion or garlic: check the ingredients, because many store broths contain both and both are toxic to dogs. Don't give a huge frozen block to a dog with dental disease or a history of tooth fractures. Supervise so they lick rather than try to crunch it.
A box packed with crumpled paper and treats, given to your dog to destroy. For a lot of dogs this is the most satisfying thing on this list.
Arousal
Amping while shredding, then noticeably calmer afterward.
Shopping list
Food
- Treats, some of them tucked inside the paper balls.
From the recycling
- A cardboard box, with the tape, staples and labels taken off first.
- Clean paper to crumple. Newspaper, plain brown paper or packing paper. Avoid glossy printed paper and anything heavily colored.
How to do it
- Remove all tape, staples and labels from the box.
- Crumple paper into loose balls. Tuck treats inside some of the balls.
- Fill the box with the paper balls, layering a few loose treats between them.
- Close the flaps loosely, or leave open for a first attempt.
- Put it down and let your dog destroy it. Do not correct the mess. The mess is the activity.
- Clean up completely afterward.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- Open box, treats visible on top.
- Lvl 2
- Flaps closed, treats inside some of the balls.
- Lvl 3
- Treats deep inside, nothing showing.
- Lvl 4
- A smaller box nested inside a larger one.
Safety
This is the entry with the clearest exclusion. If your dog swallows cardboard or paper rather than spitting it out, do not do this. Bits of cardboard can cause choking or an intestinal blockage. Avoid glossy printed paper and anything with ink-heavy coloring. Supervise the entire time and clean up every scrap.
Floating treats in a shallow tub of water for your dog to fish out. Excellent in a Houston summer.
Arousal
Mildly amping.
Shopping list
Food
- Floating treats. Carrot slices, apple with the seeds taken out, or freeze-dried.
Around the house
- A shallow tub or a roasting pan, or a pool if you want more room.
- Somewhere you do not mind getting wet.
How to do it
- Fill the container two to four inches deep with cool water. Shallow is the point.
- Drop in a few floating treats where your dog can see them.
- Let them investigate. Most dogs paw first, then commit to putting their face in.
- If your dog is unsure, start with treats on a plate sitting in the empty tub, then add half an inch of water, then more.
- Do this outside or somewhere you don't mind getting wet.
Change it up
- Lvl 1
- A plate in the empty tub, then half an inch of water under it.
- Lvl 2
- Two inches, big obvious treats.
- Lvl 3
- Three to four inches, smaller treats, more of them.
Safety
Keep the water shallow. Never leave a dog unattended around any standing water. Watch for dogs who bite at and gulp water repeatedly: excessive water intake during play can be dangerous, so end the game if that starts. Empty the container afterward. Flat-faced dogs can inhale water easily; keep it very shallow for them or skip it.
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