20 Ways To Get Creative And Banish Your Dog’s Toys From The Floor

Dog toys have a way of ending up on the floor, or several floors, don’t they? I always swore that my house would never become a dog toy dumping ground if I were ever to get a dog. I couldn’t stand being at other peoples’ houses and stepping over half-chewed, previously-enjoyed dog toys on my way to the bathroom.

Well guess what? Our house is now that house. Some things are easier said than done. Your standards change when you become that pet parent you once never understood.

Juno has a way of finding and carrying toys around with her and playing with them until she gets bored, distracted, or moves on to her next activity. The dog toys stay where they were dumped, and that can be anywhere; we’ve found toys in the bathroom, under the laundry room sink, behind curtains, and in closets and on stairs.

So, in an effort to stay more organized, I came up with a few creative alternatives to the floor storage method. To be fair, we do have a basket where we try to keep Juno’s toys corralled (which makes it sound like she has a ton of toys – she doesn’t, but even a few toys in many rooms can make for a big mess).

20 Alternatives To Storing Your Dog’s Toys On The Floor

1. Over the door shoe organizers

These are cheap, take up little space, and keep toys visible through the plastic pockets.

2. Vintage crates

These can easily contain all your dog’s toys if they’re big enough, they’re low enough for dogs to pick a toy from on their own, and casters can easily be added to make them roll-able for under the couch or coffee table storage. If they’re small enough, they can also be hung on the wall or stacked.

3. Wine racks

Perfect little cubbies for all those little plush toys.

4. Storage footstools

Smaller than a storage ottoman, storage footstools can pull double duty as toy storage and extra seating/footrests for company in the family room or living room.

5. Storage benches

These can live nicely in a hallway or foyer or back mudroom. Dog toys can be stored along with kids toys or sports equipment and some are sturdy enough to use as seating when you’re tying up shoes.

6. Wooden or plastic caddies 

Sturdy with dividers or compartments and a good handle means you can easily carry these around when you’re picking toys up from the floor.

7. Rain or wine barrels

These need to be modified with a cut so they’re the right size, but some come with flat backs so they can easily be pushed up against a wall to take up less space.

8. Shoe cubbies

More cute little cubbies for those cute little toys.

9. A shoe storage cabinet

It stands in as a piece of furniture, but open it up and voila, dog toy storage extraordinaire.

10. A toy hammock

Like what kids use. Suspended and expandable.

11. Hanging metal fruit baskets

These can be hung on a rod or from a hook installed in the ceiling. As an added bonus, wet toys can dry on them – maybe just hang them over a sink or shower or outside.

12. Old suitcases

Cute, stackable, and closeable. They come in fun colours too.

13. Vintage picnic baskets.

Also cute, stackable, and closeable. They’re often quite cheap too – at flea markets and garage sales.

14. Ladder shelves 

Just add an inexpensive container or basket to a level (or two) and doggy can find his favourite toys in a flash.

15. Plastic bag dispensers

These can be secured inside cabinets or closet doors for grabbing one toy at a time, which is great if you’re using a toy rotation method. Several dispensers can also be hung together – side by side or top to bottom.

16. Hanging shower caddies

Waterproof and hangable, these are great for drying out water-logged toys.

17. Wire garden baskets or window boxes 

Attached to the wall, these are super cute when grouped together and can also be used outside or mounted in a garage.

18. Peanut butter jars

By drilling a hole in the lid and feeding a rope or ribbon through, these turn into great travelling toy storage – they’re portable and compact making them great for car trips, overnights, or days at the beach.

19. Cookie jars

Perfect for storing tennis balls! Of course, there’s also the mailbox method.

20. Stacked tires

This one is so cool. A couple of old tires (or one if your dog is on the tiny side), a bit of paint, casters, and a piece of wood and a handle for the lid. Kids might want to get in on this one too.

(image sources: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20)

So, tell us, how do you store your dog’s toys? Do toys decorate your floors in all kinds of places like ours do? Would you try any of the 20 options above or do you have solutions of your own that work? We’d love to hear how you cope! Let us know in the comments.