How to Fix Any Dog Toy With a Broken Squeaker

by Printerforge in Living > Pets

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How to Fix Any Dog Toy With a Broken Squeaker

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Did your dog destroy the squeaker on it’s new or favorite toy? Don’t throw it away and fill up landfills! It’s an easy fix, with no complex supplies needed. Let me show you how to bring that toy back to life and make your dog happy!

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I saw this contest and thought of a million things I could fix. Although what I realized was the thing I was going to fix was very particular. That mean’t that barely anyone else would have this problem and I wouldn’t be teaching or helping others. That’s why I decide to fix all my dog toys. This is a very common issue that pet owners have and at least this could apply to them.

Main steps

  • first you are going to cut and get the broken squeaker out
  • second you are going to insert the new squeaker and sew it
  • finally your going to confuse your dog and make it want to kill that squeaker again

Supplies

Purchase supplies

Dog squeaker (I liked it because it had the 3 most popular sizes but there are many out there that may be cheaper)

Sewing kit (super cheap and good assortment sewing kit if you don’t have one)

Total ≈ $21 (+/- $10)

Household Supplies

Scissors

Ruler (optional)

Background

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My dog and I loved this toy but in a few months my dog broke the squeaker. Once my dog broke it she didn’t want to play with it anymore. I went searching for it online because of how much me and my dog loved it but I couldn’t find anything. I noticed that my dog would tend to break a lot of the toy’s squeakers which led me to having to throw them away. It was a lot of money having to buy my dog a toy and have to throw it away in a few months. I realized that I was wasting the entire toy just because the squeaker was broken and I decided that there must be a better solution. This project will prevent you from spending lots of money, and it will prevent lots of dog toys ending up in landfills.

Removing the Broken Squeaker

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When feeling your toy you should feel a hard plastic circle. Once you feel it cut an opening and try to cut into the same color fabric. (This will make the seem less noticeable when sewing). If you want to you can use a ruler to measure and buy the correct replacement squeaker.



Insert the Squeaker

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Sadly I figured out that you can’t fix the squeaker. It seems like the thing that make noise breaks or gets punctured. I tried glueing it and taping it but either it wouldn’t squeek at all or the squeaker would only last a few seconds before it would break again. In the end I realized the best way to fix it was to buy new ones. They are honestly pretty cheap for how many you get compared to getting a new toy and I think you can find cheaper ones if you search a little more. You can see the inside of the squeaker up here. As you see in mine the squeaker pieces is broken and even if I was able to glue it and it worked my dog would most likely kill it in a few seconds with is violent jaw.

Once you have the hole and removed the squeaker you can add one or more squeakers. The cool thing about this is that you can customize the toy however you want to.

String and Needle

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(Hint: there are many videos on youtube that are able to show what I’m doing. It is very hard to explain sewing through words and pictures but i tried my best to be as detailed as possible.)

Cut a long piece of string. If your hole is small you won't need much, but I like to cut a long piece (18-24 inches) so I have extra and don't run out. Thread the string through the hole in the needle. Hint: Try twisting or wetting the end if you are having trouble so that the end is nice and pointy. Take both ends of the string and line them up together so that the needle will fall in the middle. This is making the thread double thick which is important since the toy will need to hold up against a dog's chewing. Tie the ends together by making a knot. Hint: One way to tie a knot is by wrapping the thread around your finger 2-3 times, and then rolling it off your finger with your thumb so that it twists and forms a knot.

Sewing the Hole Closed

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I like to put the knotted end of the thread on the inside of the toy so the dog doesn't chew on it. To do that, I start at one end of the hole and push the the needle through the inside of the hole through just one layer. Next, I pinch the hole closed (with the knot on the inside) and bring the needle back and forth through both layers, moving just a little bit to the side each time to create a line of stitches. After sewing the entire hole closed, I create a knot at the end. Hint: To create the knot at the end, don't pull your last stitch tight. This creates a loop that you can pass your needle back through to create a knot. Use scissors to cut the thread after the knot.

Make a Dog Happy

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Give your dog the toy back, and see the joy in their eyes when they hear the squeak again! It will take them a second for them to realize you somehow revived their dead toy. Now they will be motivated to try to kill that squeak again. It may turn into a never ending cycle, but your dog will love it!