The story of two Floridians and their foster Great Danes
Does your dog get his jollies when he rips apart stuff animals? Roxie definitely does. But stuffed animals are annoying to restuff and, depending how often you do it, expensive to replace.
I came across this idea on a BuzzFeed article and immediately pinned it. Here is the link to the original post.
Here it is: get a Hol-ee Roller and stuff it with strips of fabric! It’s freakin’ brilliant!
The Hol-ee Roller we got is medium-sized. For Roxie, this size ball is fine and is also durable enough for her chewing. For giant dogs, I would think the Hol-ee Roller Extreme is what you want to get. This one on Amazon says it’s good for medium-extra large dogs and is “made to endure even the most exuberant chomping”. If anyone tries this out with a giant dog, please comment below and let us know whether this Roller worked for you or if you found an alternative.
I found an old, slightly thicker, long-sleeved shirt that I didn’t want anymore and went to town on it. I cut out 50 strips of fabric (ended up needing about 40) that ranged from 1″x7″ to 2″x12″. My goal wasn’t to be perfect. This toy was going to be ripped apart by a creature who is ridiculously happy all the time, regardless of how imperfect the world is.
Tip: fabric scissors will make your life a lot easier. I already knew this, but for some reason didn’t think about it until halfway through. What a difference it made once I switched scissors.
Originally, I wasn’t going to stuff the treats in there, but I’m glad I did, because that helped Roxie understand what the toy is meant for.
While I was working on this, Mia and Roxie were sharing the sunlight in the living room.
I stuffed it so that it looked filled, but when I squeezed the ball, it flexed pretty easily and I was able to get my fingers to meet in the middle. I stuffed it some more to the point where it was still squishy, but not so much that opposite ends would touch if squeezed very hard.
And now for pictures of our adventures that day!
First stop: PetSmart. Roxie fell in love with that long, squeaky dog thing so we had to indulge her. We don’t usually get her new toys, but she got two that day. We also got her and Mia new beds: 50% off each!! They were ridiculously good prices. Roxie laid in her bed as soon as she got in the car. It does look small for her, but she loves small cushions and loves curling up like that.
Next stop: Dog park! She had a good time. She’s a loner, so she just sniffed around and chased squirrels. Couldn’t take a solid picture of her until she collapsed from exhaustion.