Stuffed Animals : Homemade Dog Toys
Stuffed animals often serve more as a "security blanket" than a true dog toy that you and your canine friend can play around together with. But in any case, they shouldn't be overlooked as inexpensive dog toys.
The stuffed animals that you want to use are ones that are as sturdily constructed as possible. It does not good if your dog takes one chew and the toy falls apart! In addition, you should probably avoid any stuffed animals that have many limbs that may come off, plastic or metal pieces attached, or lots of wispy fur all over the place. Plastic and metal can be dangerous if your dog is able to chew them off the toy, and the really furry stuffed animals will soon become an enormous mess as your dog gets to know his toy better.
You want a stuffed animal that is pliable and yet securely stuffed with not so many seams that may burst. You can try play "catch" or "fetch" with your dog with the stuffed animal. Or you can try a tug of war game like you would with a rope dog toy. In most cases, your dog may just like to sit in his bed and chew on the stuffed animal. Be careful, though... I have known dogs that refuse to go to bed or will misbehave if they are not allowed to take their favorite stuffed animal to bed. Sounds just like little kids! Indeed, dogs can become very possessive over stuffed animals so don't hand over anything that you would want back eventually.
Warning: Keep an eye on the stuffed animal to make sure it is intact. Once the stuffing starts to come out it's time to "retire it". As always, please supervise your dog to make sure nothing goes wrong.