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Footballs are a great favourite
Dogs, especially border collies, love chasing things and
dogs, especially golden retrievers, love bringing things back - for
you to throw again.! Balls are excellent toys but they should be safe
and fit for purpose. A A ball should be large enough to prevent a dog
from swallowing it, a small ball (such as a golf ball) that can be swallowed
may form a blockage in the stomach with potentially lethal consequences,
similarly a hollow rubber or plastic ball (such as a tennis ball) that
can be chewed in pieces and swallowed poses the same danger. A tennis,
or similar ball can be a useful toy with which you and your dog can
play together but your dog should never be left alone to entertain himself
with such a potentially dangerous object. If you are intending to leave
your dog for a few hours make sure that the toys with which he is left
are robust, non-toxic, well designed and will not harm him is damaged.
Small solid rubber balls should
be too large to
be swallowed - never throw them towards a dog
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Smaller solid rubber balls of a size too large
to be swallowed are ideal for throwing and retrieving but they are
usually quite hard and quite heavy for their size so be very careful
always to throw them for your dog to chase and never throw them
at or towards your dog.
A rubber ball on a rope can be thrown a
long
way and provide plenty of interactive exercise
- Solid rubber balls on a rope are the delight of the Golden Retriever,
the rope allows the ball to be thrown over a much greater distance
and the longer the run the better for you (less throwing) and the
better for your dog (more exercise). Sometimes these balls are used
as tug'o'war toys between human and dog but this type of play is not
the sort that we recommend as it leads to a relationship based rivalry
rather than partnership, tends to over -excite some dogs and encourages
aggression.
Large hard plastic balls designed for dogs
will provide
excellent entertainment especially on softer surfaces
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Large balls manufactured from hard plastic specifically
for dogs and of a size too great to be picked up in a dog's jaws
make super playthings and are great for dogs to roll and chase along
the ground (and toss in the air) especially if the land is uneven.
The challenge of working them out of holes, corners and around obstacles
is excellent exercise, some even have a "hot water bottle type"
screw in stopper and opening so that small quantities of pea shingle
or water can be put inside making the ball roll erratically and
increasing the fun. Be careful if the balls are played with on hard
surfaces as they are very hard and if rolled over a paw at speed
can cause injury. Also check your dog's muzzle after play as the
surface of these balls can become very rough after a lot of rolling
along stone or concrete surfaces and this can cause chaffing and
sores on the dog's muzzle and nose after play. Also - be careful
of windows!
Cluanie's football has a web harness with
a ragger toy attached at each end
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Standard foot balls may not last too long but
they are great whilst they do and are cheap to replace. Once they
are damaged, dispose of them immediately so that pieces cannot be
swallowed. Special dog toys are available that combine a football
with a tuggy toy and these provide premium (if sometimes short lived
and rather expensive) entertainment.
The frame ball is tough and bounces erratically
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Irregular shaped balls are usually designed specially
for dogs and so are generally safe and stimulating the "frameball"
is hardly a ball at all but a rounded triangular frame formed from
thick non-toxic plastic, like most irregular balls it is designed
to bounce in an unpredictable manner forcing the dog to pit the
speed of his reflexes against the ball's erratic behaviour.
A Kong bounces unpredictably and can be
stuffed
with food for added pleasure
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Another irregular shaped ball - the "Kong"
is a cone with a curved segmented body, they are hollow inside and
made from a thick, non-toxic material. In addition to their play
value as erratically bouncing balls they can be stuffed with mixtures
of hard and soft food, cheese paste or peanut butter to offer extra
rewards for extra effort.
"Jolly balls" are soft, non-toxic,
light weight and
safe even for young puppies
- Large and small ,soft plastic equestrian balls or "Jolly Balls"
are made of a non-toxic material, they have a moulded handle and were
originally designed for horses to alleviate "stable boredom".
Dogs love to pick them up and toss them by the handle and to carry
them around, they are soft and safe enough for even very young dogs
and puppies but unfortunately tend to be prone to early destruction.
Choose one too large for your dog to hold in their jaws so that they
have to work to maneuver them around.
Soft balls are suitable for young pups
and gentle adults
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Soft fabric balls are made of either fluffy fabric,
velour or tough cotton, they are not suitable for all dogs and will
quickly be shredded by a destructive dog, they are a more a comfort
than a exercise toy. Some have a giggle box, squeak, rattle or other
noise making device inside so that when thrown or tossed they giggling
or make some other noise. Whilst suitable for a gentle dog that
will paw, throw or mouth them, we strongly recommend that such toys
should not be given to dogs who will attack and destroy them, firstly
because damaged toys always pose a danger to dogs but also because
we do not believe that aggressive or destructive behaviour should
be allowed or encouraged.
Tennis balls are great but can be dangerous if damaged
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Tennis balls are great for throwing or for "serving"
with a racquet to give your dog a long run out to retrieve, the
balls are light enough to be fairly harmless and just the right
size for a Border Collie or Golden Retriever's mouth. However, tennis
balls are dangerous if torn up and swallowed and your dog should
never be left alone to play with them, if you and your dog play
together with tennis balls you should make a habit of inspecting
them regularly and discarding any that are damaged or torn.
Food cubes are good for greedy dogs that
eat too fast
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Feeding balls, sometimes shaped as cubes, dice
or spheres are specially designed to hold quantities of dried food
and to release the food kibbles in small quantities as the toy is
rolled around the floor, some have different levels of difficulty
so that they can be adjusted to release more or less kibble depending
upon the dexterity of your dog and the challenge you wish to set
him. These are very useful for greedy dog who will otherwise eat
too fast but be careful not to use such a toy in a situation where
there is more than one dog or you may encourage jealousy or even
aggression between dogs and the dog whose food is in the toy may
have it stolen by his fellow canines.
Balls are fun in the snow too!
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