★★★★★ 5
My Dogs Favorite for throwing
Color: D) 2-Pack Lattice (3.25" Balls), Color: D) 2-Pack Lattice (3.25" Balls)
We brought our new adoptee home end of July, and I quickly had to find him replacements for his tennis balls because those balls are inherently abrasive and our yard has sand which gets in the fuzz and makes them extra abrasive and they were already causing tooth wear (our previous shepherd chewed tennis balls like gum for a week after his adoption, wore his teeth tips enough I noticed and I took them from him too but this guy didn't like the hand me down replacement, it was too big for his preference so I had to hunt down different ones for the current dog).
I tried the glow in the dark Chuk It ones, but he doesn't like to carry them, or the smaller regular chukits... My current dog prefers these web style ones. I like glow in the dark stuff and it makes them easier to find in the evening or over night (if you have night adjusted eyes and not a lot of lights in the yard these are VERY glowy at night). Now I know he likes them I am thinking winter is coming and I may lose the glow color in the Michigan snow, so I'm here to order some in some in non snow camouflage because I want to be able to play in the winter without as much groping for hiding balls (literally he will chase and then snub any other balls in the yard I throw except the huge jolly ball but that isn't a fetch type ball, its a thrash toy. these are the only ones he will actually return for me to swap and throw indefinitely).
I included video and a picture of them at the local beach. They float with enough above the water for maybe a few ants to use them as a flotation device, but take a bit of time to come to the surface when they splash down. I think brighter colors will help make them easier to find in the water as well as the snow.
I think my dog likes them because the webbing design makes it easier to grip, even when slobbery his teeth can get a hold in the gaps (so can fingers haha) without slipping too badly. They also compress almost flat and boing back into shape and seem to be durable over at least 6 weeks of summer living in the yard, so far so good. They don't have a huge amount of mass so they don't whip super far but if you get a technique down you can get very reasonable distance on throws. He doesn't gnaw on them, so I can't speak to resistance to actual shearing attempts with teeth, just grab and chomp for fun, then holding in his mouth.
My dog weighs about 68 lbs (we are trying to gain a bit), he is a German Shepherd, and this size fits him well (can't remember which size I got but usually Amazon shows what size the reviewer got near the title of the review. They're big enough I'm not worried he will accidentally swallow or choke on them, small enough his mouth fits them comfortably, his grip is secure because of the gaps, and he loves them. I suggest get two at least unless your pooch is super good about dropping it and letting you pick it up. With two, I can whip a ball, find the one he just dropped, and by the time he is back, I have the other one in hand. He knows I won't throw it unless he drops the one he just returned (I will wait for him to remember this), and this makes it way easier to play thow and bring it almost back (he often drops it at speed when he is nearly back to me so it rolls past me) without playing chase me for the toy... and makes reinforcing Drop It as an safe thing to do, like he isn't going to lose out if he drops the fun ball in his mouth, I have the second ball to mark (say YES!!! when he drops it) and immediately reward by throwing the ball I already had... he loves them enough that he thinks other balls are stupid so I don't want to throw a less cool ball to exchange for the cool ones haha
Anyway hope this was helpful, Im off to order some of these balls in brighter colors for lake and snow visibility.
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Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2024
