Dog Toy Snake: Shop Top-Rated Toys for Happy Dogs

Okay, let's talk about this dog toy snake thing. It wasn't some grand plan, you know? It just kinda happened.

My dog, Buster, he goes through toys like crazy. Seriously. You buy something that looks tough, costs a small fortune, and boom – five minutes later, stuffing everywhere. It's like his personal mission to destroy. Drives me up the wall sometimes, but hey, he's a dog.

So, the other weekend, I was digging through an old storage box. Found a bunch of old clothes I haven't worn in years. You know the stuff – faded t-shirts, maybe a pair of jeans that definitely don't fit anymore. Was about to just bag it all up for donation, but then I saw this pair of old, thick canvas work pants. Stained, a bit frayed, but the material itself? Still really solid.

And it hit me. Buster loves long, floppy things he can shake around violently. Like a snake. Why not try making one from these pants?

Getting Down to It

Didn't need much convincing. Grabbed the scissors – the heavy-duty ones, not the flimsy paper scissors.

• First, I cut off one of the pant legs. Straight up from ankle to thigh.
• Then, I cut that leg piece open along the seam, so I had a big flat rectangle of canvas.
• Decided how long I wanted this snake. Made it pretty long, maybe two, three feet? Cut the rectangle down to size, keeping it fairly wide.

Now, the sewing part. Look, I'm no tailor. My sewing is basic. Really basic. But it gets the job done, usually.

I folded the canvas rectangle in half, lengthwise, with the 'good' side facing inwards. Got out a needle and some thick thread – the kind you use for buttons, supposed to be stronger.

Started stitching up the long open side and one of the short ends. Used a simple running stitch, but doubled back over it a few times, especially at the corners. Took a while. My fingers definitely felt it. Patience isn't always my strong suit, but I wanted this thing to hold up for at least ten minutes against Buster.

Stuffing and Finishing

Once I had a tube sealed on one end, I turned it right-side out. Looked like a sad, empty snake skin. Time for stuffing.

I wasn't going to use that fluffy polyester stuff. No way. Buster just pulls it out and tries to eat it. So, I went back to that box of old clothes. Found a couple of really worn-out t-shirts. Cut them into strips and smaller chunks. Perfect stuffing material. It's just fabric, less likely to cause issues if he manages to get some out.

Started stuffing the canvas tube with the t-shirt bits. Packed it in there pretty good. Used the handle of a wooden spoon to shove it all the way down to the end. Didn't pack it rock solid, though. Wanted it to still be floppy and wiggly. More snakelike, you know?

Once it was stuffed, the last step was closing the open end. Just tucked the raw edges inside and stitched it shut. Went over that seam like three or four times. Really tried to make it secure. No fancy details like eyes or a tongue. Buster wouldn't appreciate the artistry anyway; he'd just try to chew them off first.

The Verdict

So, there it was. My homemade canvas snake toy. Looked a bit rough, a bit lumpy. But it felt sturdy.

Called Buster over. Showed it to him. He gave it a good sniff. Then he grabbed it, and the shaking began! Whipped it back and forth like he was trying to tame a real python. He seemed to love it. Thrashed it around the living room for a good long while.

And you know what? It actually lasted. Longer than a lot of the store-bought ones. Been a few days now, and while it's looking a bit slobbery, it's still in one piece. Guess those old work pants were tougher than I thought. Pretty satisfying, making something yourself that actually works out.