you’re about three inches from the end of the strips, stop braiding and tie a tight knot in the end. make sure it’s tight as again, loose strips are weak points. you can leave the loose ends or trim them to the knot; it’s your choice.
after finishing the handle, using all six pieces, two at a time, braid the length of the tug toy. stop before reaching the very end as you need enough to tie a sturdy knot.
for larger dogs, you have several different options. you can get half a yard of fleece and cut six 3-inch wide strips. this would give you six narrower strips in the handle 