Dogs are worth every penny—until you realize you’re spending more on their snacks and toys than you do on your own. One destroyed $15 rope toy and a bag of organic, grain-free, small-batch treats later, and you’re wondering if Fido really needs all this fancy stuff.

Spoiler alert: he doesn’t. Your dog will love homemade treats and toys just as much (maybe more) than the store-bought versions, and your wallet will definitely love the savings.

Why DIY dog stuff makes sense

Store-bought reality check:

  • Bag of premium treats: $12-20
  • ‘Indestructible’ toy: $15-30 (destroyed in 3 days)
  • Monthly total: Easily $50-100

DIY reality:

  • Homemade treats: $2-5 per batch
  • DIY toys: Often free from stuff you already have
  • Monthly savings: $30-80

Plus, you actually know what’s in your dog’s treats (no weird ingredients you can’t pronounce), and you can customize toys for your dog’s specific destruction style.

Easy DIY dog treats: your dog will lose their mind

Peanut Butter Banana Bites

What you need:

  • 1 ripe banana
  • 1 cup oat flour (or blend regular oats into flour)
  • 1/3 cup peanut butter (make sure it doesn’t have xylitol—that’s toxic to dogs)
  • 1 egg

What you do: Mix everything, roll into small balls, flatten with a fork, bake at 350°F for 15 minutes. Done.

Cost per batch: About $2 for 40+ treats vs. $15 for store-bought

Sweet Potato Chews (the healthy option)

What you need:

  • Sweet potatoes
  • That’s literally it

What you do: Slice sweet potatoes into 1/4-inch rounds or strips, bake at 250°F for 3 hours (flipping halfway). They’ll come out chewy and leathery—dogs go nuts for them.

Cost: $3 for enough chews to last weeks vs. $12 for a small bag

Chicken Jerky

What you need:

  • Chicken breast
  • Nothing else (seriously, that’s it)

What you do: Slice chicken breast into thin strips, lay on a baking sheet, bake at 200°F for 2-3 hours until dry and jerky-like.

Pro tip: Your house will smell like a dog treat factory. Not necessarily a bad thing, but fair warning.

Cost: $5 for a huge batch vs. $15-20 for store-bought jerky

Frozen Yogurt Treats (for summer or… anytime!)

What you need:

  • Plain yogurt (no sugar or artificial sweeteners)
  • Blueberries, bananas, or peanut butter

What you do: Mix yogurt with fruit or peanut butter, pour into ice cube trays, freeze. Perfect for hot days.

Cost: Under $3 vs. $8-12 for fancy frozen dog treats

DIY dog toys: from trash to treasure

The Sock Ball (easiest thing ever)

What you need:

  • Old socks you were going to throw away anyway

What you do: Stuff one sock with 2-3 other socks, tie it in a knot. Boom—instant fetch toy.

Cost: Free (you already own socks)

Lifespan: Surprisingly long for heavy chewers, and you won’t care when it dies because it was free.

The T-Shirt Rope Toy (braided brilliance)

What you need:

  • Old t-shirts

What you do: Cut shirts into long strips, braid 3-4 strips together, tie knots at the ends. Perfect for tug-of-war.

Cost: Free Bonus: Great way to get rid of old clothes

The Muffin Tin Puzzle Game (genius level)

What you need:

  • Muffin tin
  • Tennis balls
  • Treats

What you do: Put treats in muffin tin cups, cover with tennis balls. Your dog has to figure out how to remove balls to get treats.

Cost: Free if you already have these things Mental stimulation: Priceless (and it’ll keep your dog busy for 20+ minutes)

The Water Bottle Crinkle Toy (like popping bubble wrap, for dogs)

What you need:

  • Empty plastic water bottle (label removed)
  • Old sock

What you do: Put the water bottle in the sock, tie the end. Dogs love the crinkling sound.

Warning: Only for dogs who won’t eat plastic. Remove if they start destroying the sock.

Cost: Free

The Frozen Kong Alternative

Real Kongs are great but expensive ($10-20). You probably already have alternatives.

What to use: Any hollow, sturdy toy or even an empty (clean) yogurt container

What to do: Fill with peanut butter, plain yogurt, or wet dog food, freeze. Instant enrichment toy that lasts 30+ minutes.

The tennis ball treat dispenser

What you need:

  • Old tennis ball
  • Sharp knife (adult supervision required)

What you do: Cut a small slit in the tennis ball, stuff with treats. Your dog has to squeeze it to get treats out.

Cost: Free if you have old tennis balls lying around

What not to DIY (safety first)

Skip these:

  • Rawhide alternatives (choking hazard if homemade)
  • Anything with small parts that can be swallowed
  • Toys with sharp edges
  • Cooked bones (they splinter—super dangerous)

The savings breakdown

Monthly store-bought costs:

  • Treats: $20
  • Toys: $30
  • Total: $50

Monthly DIY costs:

  • Treat ingredients: $10
  • Toy materials: $0 (using stuff you have)
  • Total: $10

Annual savings: $480

That’s almost $500 a year you could spend on vet bills, fancy dog beds, or literally anything else.

The bottom line

Your dog doesn’t care if their treats come from a boutique bakery or your kitchen. They don’t know the difference between a $25 designer toy and a knotted t-shirt. They just want to eat, play, and hang out with you.

By making your own treats and toys, you’re saving serious money, controlling exactly what goes into your dog’s body, and honestly? It’s kind of fun. Plus, there’s something satisfying about watching your dog lose their mind over something you made for $2.

Your dog will be just as happy (probably happier, because homemade treats taste better), and your wallet will finally recover from that last emergency vet visit. Win-win.