The rope toy I sewed with actual marine rope lasted 12 minutes with my German Shepherd

I keep seeing folks use cotton clothesline for braided tug toys and wondering why they fall apart in 5 minutes, but after burning through three different patterns last month, I grabbed some 3/8 inch nylon dock line from the hardware store and my pup hasn't even frayed the ends yet, has anyone else tried using boat rope for their chewer?

2 comments

2 Comments

grant.richard1mo ago

My 90 pound lab mix went through a braided cotton tug in about 8 minutes last summer, so I feel your pain. I switched to a 1/2 inch double braid polyester yacht halyard I found at a marine surplus place and that thing has lasted almost three years with daily use... the ends finally started to fray a bit last month but it's still totally usable. The nylon dock line is a great choice too, I tried some of that first and it held up really well until I wanted something stiffer. The key is that marine rope is designed to handle salt water and constant stress, so a dog's mouth is nothing compared to that. Plus the price per foot is way better than anything sold as a pet toy, especially if you buy it by the spool.

evanr791mo ago

And going off what you said about marine rope being built for actual stress, that's exactly why I think the nylon is the way to go for most people. The salt water and UV resistance means you can leave it outside or wash it without worrying about it rotting or getting gross. Plus the stiffness of dock line actually makes it easier on my hands when we play tug, since there's no give or stretch to wear out.