Most dogs like playing with a ball and then some dogs are just ball mad. Why do dogs love dog balls so much?
A dog’s instinct to chase dog balls is a modern version of their original predatory instinct. Your dog loves to chase and kill their ball!
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Dogs love to play fetch and it makes us happy to play fetch with them.
Benefits of You and Your Dog Playing With Dog Balls
The first reason you should play fetch with your dog is because it is fun. It is fun for you and your dog.
With some of the different types of dog balls you can really see the hunter – prey in action. when Poppy catches the ball she generally shakes it to within an inch of its ‘life’!
Playing fetch also allows your dog to follow a basic instinct and behaviour which is beneficial for your dog.
Characteristics of Perfect Dog Balls
Your dog will play with their dog balls very vigorously. It is therefore essential that you buy them a suitable dog ball.
Make sure they are the right size for your dog. You don’t want one too small as there is a danger that it could be swallowed. You also don’t want one too big as your dog won’t be able to play with it properly and may become frustrated.
Once you find that ‘goldilocks’ ball, make a note of the size and stick with it. Your dog will be forever greatful!
Which Dog Balls Would Your Dog Buy?
Poppy is a terrier and absolutely ball mad. She truly wants to play with a ball 24/7. She’ll sit outside the utility room (where the balls live) just waiting for someone to go in there to get her a ball.
We did quite a lot of research, and this is Poppy’s list of her Top 10 Dog Balls. Does your dog agree? Poppy would definitely buy these if she had her own money.
10 – Five Senses Ball
Just squeaking into the top 10 (see what we did there!) is the 5 Senses Ball. This dog ball is designed to appeal to sight, sound, taste, smell and feel so it offers additional stimulation for your pet.
I think this ball would be absolutely great if your dog is blind or has impaired vision.
However, for us it is too big to go in the ball thrower and not quite indestructible for Poppy. It has quite a strong smell too which I find unpleasant and Poppy doesn’t seem to notice! Poppy does like the squeak though.
9 – Squeakair Dog Toy Tennis Ball
The KONG Squeakair Dog Toy Tennis Ball comes in at number 9. Generally, tennis balls are Poppy’s number 1 favourite toy. I think because it must have been the first toy she was ever given.
However, tennis balls last around 3 nanoseconds with Poppy. She tears their fur off and then eats them. I’m pretty sure they are not the healthiest thing she could be eating!
However, these tennis balls are good. Especially in Poppy’s eyes because they squeak. Until she squeaks the squeak out of them.
The medium KONG Squeakair Dog Toy Tennis Ball is about the size of a normal tennis ball. And they fit in a ball chucker which is great for those bad throwers amongst us.
These are a really good ball; they squeak and they are very visible.
8 – Teeth Cleaning Rubber Ball
The Expawlorer Soft Rubber Dog Ball is a fun ball and you can fill it with treats. It has rubber teeth and you can rotate the top and add some small snacks.
The ball is pretty tough but Poppy has managed to chew some of the teeth away. We have the orange one and it is a bright colour, very bouncy and floats which makes it a good ball in Poppy’s eyes. I have not filled it with treats as Poppy prefers to just play ball.
7 – Hol-ee Roller Dog Ball
This Hol-ee Roller dog ball is slightly different to the other balls on Poppy’s list.
This is a rubber, mesh style ball which is great for tossing and tugging. It is fairly easy to throw but doesn’t go too far. But it is more a toy for tossing than chasing I think.
They are a good toy that you can just fit in your pocket or bag when going on a walk. Again, I haven’t put treats in it.
6 – Dog Ball on a Rope
I can’t throw and sometimes I don’t like carrying the ball chucker with me. So balls on ropes are great for both me and Poppy. This Dog Ball on a Rope is a good option to just keep in a bag or your pocket.
The ball is pretty touch and chew resistant but be aware that they don’t float. Yes, we found that out the hard way. I find it best to keep checking the knot because Poppy likes to chew the know undone. She takes this as a personal challenge.
5 – Chuckit Ultra Ball
The Chuckit Ultra Ball is a pretty durable ball. It is a visible colour so quite easy to find. Best of all, it is very very bouncy.
I am not sure if they are indestructible as I generally lose them. But they are pretty tough. One of the best things is that they float but don’t go soggy when wet. And it fits in the ball chucker.
4 – Chuckit The Whistler Ball
Chuckit The Whistler Ball comes in a pack of 2 – 1 blue and 1 orange. They are both quite visible and easy to find.
The balls whistle as they fly through the air. This makes it easier for your dog to know which direction you threw it. Especially if you have a dog with the habit of running off in the wrong direction.
They are durable and very bouncy. Again they fit in the ball thrower. They don’t float so I just have to remember not to take them on a swimming walk!
3 – Push-to-Mute Dog Ball Toy
There is a range of push-to-mute toys but we have only tried the Push-to-Mute Dog Ball Toy. We have the purple and red one as I love that colour! I initially bought it because of the strap which lets you throw the ball further without a ball chucker.
It is a high quality ball with ridges that make for great chewing. Apparently. And it squeaks. Perfect in Poppy’s eyes. You can push the strap in to mute the squeak but I don’t bother. I just have it in squeak mode.
I bought 2 and lost one on the first throw. But that says more about me than the ball! Great ball.
2 – Chuckit Ultra Squeaker Ball
Being a terrier, Poppy loves a squeaky ball. The Chuckit Ultra Squeaker Ball fulfills this criteria!
Being a Chuckit ball it fits in the ball launcher, is highly visible and super bouncy. This one also floats too.
These dog balls have a squeak that dogs love. The only problem is that the squeak often doesn’t last long. I have bought many of these balls, again because we lose them. The duration of the squeak really varies. However, even after the squeak has expired these are good balls. They are still very durable.
And … at number 1?
1 – Chuckit Glow Ball
The winner is definitely the Chuckit Max Glow Ball. This is in my opinion and Poppy’s.
We all buy balls that light up for night time play. Most of them have batteries or little internal lights. This glow ball is different.
This ball does not light up but it glows in the dark. Just shining a light on it for a few seconds will light it up. Shining a light for a couple of minutes gives you a longer glow. It is surprisingly bright and there are no working parts to break.
It also makes a whistling sound too so is easier for your dog to track the ball.
Poppy loves these balls so much that she wants to play with them during the day too. But they are confiscated so she can’t lose them and have nothing to play with at night.
Which Balls Does Your Dog Love?
This is Poppy’s list of her Top 10 balls. Which balls does your dog love? Which ball would your dog buy if they had their own pocket money?
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As a particularly caring cat and bird owner I appreciate the effort you put into being particular not only with your own pet but in helping others to care for theirs. My 16 year old cat, Ricochet and two parakeets, Widget and Whimsy do so well and are so intelligent because I get to know them and their likes and how best to treat them even in situations involving giving medicine to my cat or making sure my parakeets don’t get bored. Keep up the good work so other pet owners especially during this pandemic know instinctively what we know.
Thank you and thanks for visiting. Yes I think people who don’t have pets doing realise how different they are. And there is nothing worse than a bored pet. I think that their lives are so short in comparison to ours, and it is our responsibility to make sure they are as long and as happy as they can possibly be. I do worry that so many people have got a pet during this lock down, then once it is back to normal the pet will become lonely when everyone has gone back to work. It is so important that pets can fit into our normal lifestyle and they can be loved and cherished every day.
Yes you are right. Ricochet, I’m sorry to say, died a few months ago. I was still grieving for him a month later when I knew I was going to have surgery on my leg before too long. I knew that it would he a long recovery with just my grief if I didnt go ahead and get another cat. I ended up being one of those people who got a kitten during the pandemic and had until her third set of shots before I had my surgery a week ago Thursday.