"Indestructible" Dog Toy

My mom's dog, Molly, loves to play - an activity that for her usually involves rounding up all her toys and ripping them to shreds. In an effort to make some kind of indestructible toy or at least something that she could play with that might last longer than a half hour, I rounded up a few things and gave it a shot.

While she was able to dismantle this awesome rope and dried sweet potato contraption, it at least took her a little longer, and she seemed to really love it. Molly was probably able to obliterate this because she is so tough (doesn't she just look so tough?), but it would be awesome (and probably last a little longer) for dogs who don't shred toys up in record time, as well as for puppies.

Note: Homemade treats or an awesome princess bed are other great options for your fabulous furry friends

Step 1: You'll Need. . .

• Hemp or jute rope (I used 9 pieces of a thin-ish diameter braided together to make a larger rope. Approximately 2 1/2 feet works well for medium dogs, less is needed for a toy for a smaller dog and more for a larger dog)¹
• Sweet potatoes or yams (2 for a medium-sized dog toy, one for a smaller one and 3 or 4 for a larger-sized toy)²
• Sheet pan and parchment or foil
• Sharp knife
• Round cookie cutter a bit larger than the diameter of your rope
• Vegetable peeler (optional)

¹Hemp and jute rope are used here because they're super strong and durable, and also because if Molly managed to eat some of it, it was much less likely to cause any of the issues that ingesting a synthetic rope would
²Sweet potatoes and yams are awesome for dogs as well as people. Dogs seem to love to chew them, and when they eat them they're also getting a big dose of nutrients

Step 2: Potato Prep!

1. Preheat your oven to 250 degrees Fahrenheit
2. Wash your sweet potatoes really well (you can peel them if you want, but I just leave the peel on)
3. Slice the sweet potato into rounds approximately 1/2" thick
4. Using the cookie cutter, remove the center of each round¹

¹Give your pup some extra love by boiling these little cutout portions up and mashing them - this is a great and easy way to get your dog to take medicines they might otherwise refuse (or you can add a little maple syrup and a dash of cinnamon and gobble them up yourself!). You can also dry these bits alongside the rings and give them to your canine friend as treats

Step 3: Bake 'Em Up

1. Place on cookie sheet and bake for 2 1/2 hours
2. Flip and bake for another 2 1/2 hours
3. When they're done they should be totally dried out and hard - if there are any squishy bits, bake longer and keep checking every 30 minutes or so
4. Once they're totally dry, allow to cool fully

Step 4: Lots of Knots

1. Make a knot in the end of your hemp rope
2. If using multiple thinner pieces, braid them together to make stringing the pieces on easier
3. String on two sweet potato rings and make a knot above them
4. Add two more rings and knot
5. Repeat until you reach the end of your rope
6. Give this awesome new toy to your canine companion!

Comments

[Tatiana litnipskaia]

Is there another type of item to use to hold them together? I would like to make these for my shelter nchs dogs and the county shelter dogs

[Tatiana litnipskaia]

I chose natural cotton they are in dehydrator now will let you know

[shesparticular]

You could likely use other rope (natural fiber only), but might be good to check with a vet to be sure it’s safe first

[Tamiesa]

If your dog is a tenacious chewer like my boy Bentley who is a doberman, I spent lots of time picking up the pieces of every toy he every had...,...... Until I came across "KONG-extreme I have him the black king extreme bone thinking it would be like most other toys in pieces within minutes, but to my amazement he couldn't chew it up, one year on we still have it it's fab, so we invested in more kong-extreme toys. Normal kongs aren't strong enough but the kong extreme is what u need to look for!

[Karen Hobbs]

I also have DestructiveDobie. This is good to know.

[rmilman]

Wait...I just got a black Kong extreme bone for my dogs and they've managed to destroy it and eat it. =( They're Dachshunds.

[lipstic]

I'm sorry to say there is no "indestructible" toy or chew for dogs. I have seen dogs tear apart car bumpers, chew on rocks etc.

My Giant Schnauzer tends to be an extremely strong power chewer. She can no longer have beef knuckle bones the size of her head because in 20 min there is next to nothing left (that means she actually shredded and ate the bone. I mention that to give you an understanding on the dog who I use to test chew toys on. I have not found a home-made toy yet that stands up to her, however, Jolly Pets and Jump seem to be 2 brands that are not expensive and last for her.

The toy you have made here is actually a wonderful and consumable puzzle treat Just watch if your dog likes to eat rope.

[Karen Hobbs]

I agree.

[lesbian84]

I bought a horse ball that my boxer/pit mix loves! It can not be destroyed by my pit mix that is going on 3. She typically destroys everything!

Jolly Pets 14: push-n-play is the type of toy

[FarmerJohn62]

wow, thats a GREAT idea, i have two Pit girls that are voraciuous! THANKS!

[NeightR]

I agree. With 2 mutts that chewed through a wire fence, Kong, Tuff Toys, a fire hose, elk antlers... The list goes on. I look for indestructible and call them durable.

[CherieE2]

My dogs shredded Kong Extremes and many others. I did find one that they didn't shred. In fact didn't put more than tooth marks in it. They guarantee it to be indestructible. I have had it almost a year. They are called Indestructibone. You can find them here:

bulletproofpetproducts.com

Best $20.00 investment ever.

[AnneT44]

What temperature did you cook/dry the sweet potatoes please

[TanishaF]

I'm planning to make this for my dog!
Did you have any safety concerns before giving this to your dog?
How did you introduce the item to your pup?

[Klo3s]

Thanks a bunch! My babies love them! Also, I have one that can rip anything apart. And I happened across a deer shed (antler) and she hasn't been able to destroy it an
d loves it:)

[LisaM301]

how long can you keep these in a zip bag do the go bad?

[Tamiesa]

Kong extreme site for more info
http://www.kongcompany.com/en-uk/products/for-dogs/rubber-toys/extreme-rubber-toys/kong-extreme/

[tpigula]

Nope. Definitely not "Indestructible" by any means. I made 2 of these. Sliced the sweet potatoes and a regular potato, baked them for 5.5 hours, turned out just like they were supposed to. Used strips of an old t-shirt to make a braided 'rope'. Gave them to my dogs and my Lab was completely DONE crunching hers in less than 5 minutes. My little Lab mix worked on it for longer, but she isn't really treat-driven. But she still managed to crunch them off and eat them. These would have made good treats, but I can't say it was worth the oven being on for almost 6 hours, or making the treats into a toy on the rope. Maybe worth it to make several if you have dogs that aren't very good chewers.

[shesparticular]

I'm sorry to hear your pups got through them so quickly. If you want to try again, you might try cutting thin strips of sweet potato and drying those. They make nice treats and tend to dry in less time.

[holly.blue.393]

Will baking them leave a smell in the house?