If your dog gets bored easily but fancy toys are not in the budget, this clever trick using just a toilet paper roll might be your new favorite fix.

One clever pet parent on TikTok shared a brilliant tip: Use a simple empty tissue roll to make a free and fun homemade dog toy your pets will love. It's also a genius way of giving those cardboard tubes a second life.

Enrichment helps prevent anxiety and destructive behavior in dogs. It also supports their natural instincts — sniffing, chewing, and problem-solving lead to a happier and healthier pet.

The scoop

Beki from the TikTok account Digit & Pip (@digitdax) shared how to reuse tissue rolls for pets. She cut one tube in half and then folded one end of each before filling them with treats.

@digitdax One of our favourite and FREE rainy day enrichment activities! ☺️🧠 #dogpov #dogenrichment #dachshunduk #sausagedoguk #sausagedogcentral #petenrichment ♬ Bongo Cha Cha Cha - Goodboys

Once the treats were inside, she folded the opposite ends to make a simple but secure seal. Her dachshunds, Digit and Pippa, quickly nibbled the cartons open after Beki placed one roll in front of each dog.

How it's helping

Recycling empty tissue rolls into DIY dog enrichment toys can save you money. By comparison, commercially sold treat-dispensing toys sell for $10 to $40 or more online.

Besides decluttering your home, you would also do the environment a big favor. Reducing waste helps cut down landfill crowding and keep paper and plastic out of our oceans.

Additionally, paper-based toys contain none of the chemicals found in plastic and are gentler on your dog's teeth. After your pets finish all the treats, dispose of all the chewed-up tubes in the recycling bin.

What everyone's saying

The video quickly caught on with fellow fur parents, thanks to its accessibility and how easy it was to put together. Comments such as "Going to try this!" and "My puppy loves that" praised the Digit & Pip account for the tip.

Many commenters shared how quick and fun it was for dogs and their humans. One person mentioned how quickly their dogs discovered how to get the treats from the makeshift toy, saying: "My sausage dog loved it, but it was like done in five minutes."

That's all the more reason to keep the empty rolls coming. Small changes such as repurposing everyday items or checking what's recyclable in your area can help keep waste out of landfills and oceans while making daily life a little easier.

What type of food do you feed your pets? Conventional kibble 🐕 Canned 🥫 Fresh 🍗 Insect-based 🦗 Click your choice to see results and speak your mind.

Join our free newsletter for easy tips to save more and waste less, and don't miss this cool list of easy ways to help yourself while helping the planet.