Rocket loves to lie down in front of the toy box, front legs tucked, and just stick his head in and nose around, picking up one toy and then another until he finds just the right one for that moment. His current favorite is a bouncy jelly ball that has been surprisingly durable, given the size of the dogs that chew on it!

We really go through the toys here. They get chewed up, shredded and ripped apart so I have to spend an unseemly amount of time picking stuffing off the rug. I don't mind really, I love my dogs to have great toys, but the expense can be a little overwhelming.

There are great, durable toys out there, well worth the price tag because they last a long time. Kongs are a classic example, especially the blue kongs available only through veterinarians.

Goughnuts are another fantastic toy, guaranteed to last forever. We've had one here for more than a year, and it's still in perfect shape; mostly, I think, because the dogs just aren't that crazy about it. They come as rings and sticks, and if you have a dog who just loves to chew or retrieve, they are completely worth their price. You can get a replacement if your buddy chews it down to the core, which is an easily visible different color. Our very favorite, the Cuz toys, were redesigned and they are now far less durable than they used to be. We still love the Bad Cuz best, of course, since he fits in so well around here, but we don't buy as many as we used to.

The good news though, is that you can make some fantastic dog toys that might last a while, and even if they don't, who cares? They didn't cost much so you can make another one. While they may not be as eye appealing as that $10 toy, they're just as much fun for your dog.

If you want a food-dispensing toy, one is easily made using an oatmeal box. If you've got a small dog, a cornmeal box works great. Once the contents are used up, cut holes in the box of appropriate size, toss in some food, and put the lid back on. I use duct tape to secure it, since if your dogs are anything like mine, they just take the lid off and have their snack all at once. Not much fun in that! The nice thing is that unlike some of the food dispensing toys out there, this one doesn't ding the furniture up if your dog is really into the game.

Another fun treat dispenser can be made from a muffin tin, treats and some tennis balls. Start by putting treats in some of the cups, topping each with a tennis ball. Add more treats to other cups, but leave them uncovered. If your dog isn't the adventurous sort, you can show him the treat under the ball and try to get him engaged, but most dogs learn this pretty quickly. Then you can up the ante by putting treats in some of the cups, leaving others empty under the ball. If Bowser loves it and learns he can use his paw or nose to flip the whole tin over, giving you a sneaky grin that says “Ha! Showed you!”, you can screw or glue the tin to a piece of plywood.

Whimsy loves anything crinkly, and you can make a great toy to satisfy this kind of dog with a paper towel tube, some cellophane, and our good friend, duct tape. Fill the tube with cellophane, wrap it with duct tape and toss it to your dog. Woo-hoo! Loads of fun. You can do the same thing with a hunk of bubble wrap - just fold it up and wrap it with tape.

If your dog likes softer toys that squeak, I've got a toy for them, too. A sweat sock (three pairs for a buck at the dollar store!), a tennis ball and some squeakers from the pet store are all you need. Put the ball in the sock, add a squeaker and make a knot. The dollar store socks I bought were apparently made for a very tall stick figure, since what they lacked in diameter they made up in length. I could get several balls and squeakers, with knots between them, into the socks I bought. Whimsy, Tug, and Rocket all love these. Stick an empty, capless water or pop bottle inside instead of the tennis ball and you have a whole new toy. What it is with dogs and empty bottles I don't know, but they sure do love them!

I must say that until recently I never bought my dogs fluffy toys that squeak. I'm not sure it's good for them to learn to “kill” squeaky things, and I've always used these toys solely to teach a dog to not make them squeak. They love them, though, and so I've decided they can have them. If I lived in a house with small animals or kids, I probably wouldn't, just for paranoid safety's sake. Additionally, if you have kids with stuffed toys, giving your dog plush toys can be confusing to them. How are they supposed to know the difference between the kid toys and the dog toys if they're both stuffed and covered with fake fur? Actually, there are methods, but they can be time consuming. It's usually best to just forgo the issue.

Braids and knots come in handy here, too. Simply buy some fleece at the fabric store. Cut it into strips. I make mine about a foot wide and a yard long. Tie a knot in one end, braid the length and add another knot. Sometimes I just make knot after knot until I get to the end. If your dog is small, try cutting the strips six inches wide. As an added bonus, this makes some pretty good-looking toys, and you can color coordinate them to your home, if, you know, you care about things like that.

If you put your mind to it, there are lots and lots of dog toys you can make. Just like most toys, they should be picked up if you're not around to supervise. My dogs don't have access to their toy box when I'm not around, but they do usually get a stuffed kong. If you have made toys that your dog loves, let us know. We can always use good ideas to keep our dogs entertained!

Amy Samida was a professional groomer prior to her career in veterinary nursing. She began training dogs as a child and has continued training and working with problem dogs through it all. Amy is now the owner of Naughty Dog Cafe in Ann Arbor. She can be reached at amys@naughtydogcafe.com or 734-276-3522.