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GET "FLEECED"- LIVE – Sept. 22, 3pm EST – DIY Fleece Tug Making & Chat
For September’s HoundTable event, we’re putting our hands to work for our dogs & shelter dogs! ????These hardy fleece rope toys are the BEST for tug games – just like the one I’m using with Joy in this video.
Join us LIVE on Sept 22nd at 3pm EST and I’ll walk you through the easy 3-step process for making these fantastic, inexpensive toys. ????
Of course, we’ll have a lovely time weaving connections and chatting about all things “dog” while we braid these great tugs.
▶Materials:
- polar fleece type fabric (check your local thrift stores and upcycle a blanket!) – you’ll want long strips – at least 45″ for an (approx.) 2 ft tug. You’ll need 4 strips 3-5 inches wide, depending upon how thick you want your final tug to be
- fabric scissors
That’s it! I’ll be posting some tips & prep instructions in a week or two, as we get ready together.
For now, mark your calendars and, if you have ever made these before, share some photos of your “handiwork!”
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18 Replies
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I LOVE these toys and in my mind, they fall into the Toy/Tool category because they are so helpful in teaching Tug by the Rules which is such an engaging way for people and dogs to have fun together and dogs to learn the basic Drop It cue to strengthen their self-control!
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Exactly right, @jenwalker ! And they are so much fun to make, especially in a chatty group -I’m looking forward to this event.
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I would love to attend the chat but probably won’t make a tug toy if ok. I only tug with a certain monkey rope toy but will observe! Thx!
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Yes of course; all are welcome! You can play with your dog while I explain the tug-making DIY steps! lol
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@catherine – What a great idea , looking forward to making these !
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Me too! One tip for getting supplies – if you haven’t made these before, it’s really helpful to have 4 different colored fleece strips to start, til you get the pattern down. If they are all the same, it can get confusing to keep track of which strip went where. I like to make 2 color tugs because of the cool pattern it makes (see photo) but to start off, 4 colors were sure easier!
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As you think about your fleece tug project, here are a few tips to consider.
- ✂BEFORE YOU CUT: Stretch the fabric. You’ll notice that fleece fabric has one direction that “gives” a lot more than stretching it the other direction. If you want your finished tug to be super sturdy, with not a lot of stretch, then cut your fabric so that the length follows the less-stretchy grain of the fabric. If you want your finished tug to be as long as possible and have more “give” when tugging, then cut your fleece so that the stretchiest direction is your long edge. If you aren’t sure, don’t worry about it – this is your first one and you likely will be making many more! ????
- Thick fleece should be cut to thinner widths unless you have a gigantic dog who opens really wide! The thicker fleece makes chonky tugs!
- If you are making a tug for a Toy Breed, use thinner fleece and cut it 1-2” wide. (I’ve even made little tiny key chains for service dogs using thin strips.)
????Warning: This skill is ADDICTIVE! Once you get the pattern, you’ll be braiding all kinds of things! (Don’t say I didn’t warn you!) ????
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I put this live event on my calendar-if it turns out that I can’t make it will you be posting the instructions or a video at some point.
With fingers crossed that I can be there “live”!
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I hope you can, too, Pam! Would love to meet you “in person”!
Yes, I’ve got a plan to clip out all the chatter and just grab the step-by-step instructions. It’s really pretty simple to learn, but does take some practice (and troubleshooting) when first learning!
Hope to see you there!
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Where are all my DIY’ers and Tuggy-chat folks? I’m getting really excited about our upcoming event (in just a few weeks!) I’ll be getting a few more colors of fleece so I can demo 4-colors and make it clear for you, which strip goes where. Also – I have a handy trick (pun intended) you’ll love, that I haven’t seen in any other video tutorial out there on making these. So you’ll have to tune in!
Here’s another photo to showcase what we are making – and during our event, I’ll demo a simply “twist” (no pun, an actual twist!) to change from the rounded product to the “box weave” where the sides finish up rather square. Both are fun and it’s simple either way.
Remember, if handicrafts are not your “thing” – you are welcome to join our convo anyway. We’re going to be talking about how to get dogs playing, how to get them to STOP playing and how to set fair and clear boundaries with no force, pain or intimidation.
Tug should be fun for people and pets. Join us Sept 22 at 3pm EST
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Hi!
I hope to be able to attend! Putting it on my calendar now!! How fun. I need to make something creative.
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So exciting! I can’t wait to see how you do it! ????
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Cool! It will be good to meet you, @keala – and great to see you again, @bernerlabreclectus
I picked up some more fleece (I LOVE THRIFT STORES!) so I have 4 colors to demonstrate.
I’ve now spent about $30 and have enough fleece to make approximately 15 tugs. At $2 each, I can afford to let the girls play with them and chew them to bits.
They really do last awhile, if you braid them tightly. And they are easy to repair for a second (or third) life if the dogs chew the knots off.
Gotta love it.
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As if to prove my point…. she’s shredding it now….????
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Lol ????. I am sure Wai will be doing that too.
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Just be sure they don’t swallow any! We found out (the hard way) that Bliss had ingested a few strips. Yeah, that “came up” later….
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???? Oh yikes!
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????Our DIY Tug making HoundTable event starts in 15 minutes! I’ll start letting people into the room about 5 minutes prior to the meeting’s start.
Here’s the link to join ⬇
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/89823709375?pwd=UGxhZ0NxOU9mcFlLaisyMHcxcWwwdz09
Meeting ID: 898 2370 9375
Passcode: 915758
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