Dog hippo toy: what to look for when choosing a dog toy? know this before buying!

Okay, here is my blog sharing about making a dog hippo toy:

So I saw this cute hippo toy at the store the other day, and I thought, “My dog would love that!” But then I looked at the price tag and was like, “Nah, I can make something similar myself.” Plus, I always worry about the toys having some funky chemicals or lead or something in them, and making my own, at least I’d know what’s going into it.

First, I gathered all my materials. I dug out some old fabric scraps – a sturdy canvas for the body and some soft fleece for the ears and belly. I also grabbed some stuffing from an old pillow I didn’t use anymore, some strong thread, and my trusty sewing machine. My dog is the playful, energetic type, so I knew this toy had to be tough.

Body

• I sketched out a simple hippo shape on the canvas – basically a big oval with a smaller oval for the head. I’m no artist, but it looked hippo-ish enough.
• Then I cut out two of these shapes, making sure to leave some extra fabric around the edges for the seams.
• I pinned the two pieces together, right sides facing each other, and sewed all the way around, leaving a small opening to turn it inside out later.

Ears and Belly

• For the ears, I just cut out four small triangles from the fleece, two for each ear. I sewed them together in pairs, then flipped them right side out.
• The belly was just a long, thin rectangle of fleece. Easy peasy.

Next, I turned the hippo body right side out and stuffed it full. I made sure to pack it in tightly, especially in the head and legs, so it would hold its shape. Then I sewed the ears and belly onto the body. I did this part by hand, using a strong backstitch to make sure they were really secure. My dog loves to chew, so I didn’t want any parts coming loose.

The last step was the face. I didn’t have any safety eyes on hand, and I didn’t want to use buttons that could be chewed off, so I just embroidered some simple eyes and nostrils with black thread. It wasn’t perfect, but it gave the hippo some personality.

And that’s it! It took me a couple of hours, but I ended up with a pretty decent homemade hippo toy. And you know what? My dog absolutely loves it! He carries it around everywhere and chews on it constantly. It’s not the prettiest toy, but it’s safe, durable, and made with love. Plus, it was way cheaper than buying one from the store, especially considering I used stuff I already had lying around the house. A win-win, for sure!