May 17, 2011
Is an automatic ball launcher that uses tennis balls worth the risk? Do you know of any other launchers?
Full Question:
Good afternoon!I found an automatic ball launcher for my crazy-ball-drive 14 month old male GSD, but am hesitant to purchase it before I receive expert feedback regarding the safety of using regular size tennis balls. I order the Orbee balls from you guys, preferring the ones on a string because it's easier to throw, and I can use the smaller ball without worrying about him swallowing when he catches them.
I have read enough horror stories about tennis balls to be wary of using them (and heed your warning about the glue and their enamel issue), but thought this ball launcher would be HEAVEN for my young male. He already naturally returns balls to a container, i.e., a bucket, water bowl, on top an end table, into a basket, or anything he can find to deposit it into. I emailed a vendor asking if larger or alternate balls can be used, but the feedback I got was "only regular sized tennis balls."
Is it worth it? I don't want to take any chances to endanger him. If not, do you know of any other launchers??
Karey
Cindy's Answer:
I don’t have any advice for you on this product and the safety of using the regular size tennis balls with your particular dog. I don’t use regular tennis balls for my own dogs and haven’t for many years, mostly because they are too easy to tear up and because of the abrasion to the teeth.
I would never use one of these ball launching devices for my dog for the simple reason that I want my dog to play with me and MY toys. I don’t want him getting reinforcement from playing with a machine. It goes against the way I raise, train and live with my dogs. If my dogs are playing a game with a toy, it involves me or they don’t play.
It may be fun for your dog, but it’s not conducive to our philosophy. Why does he need you if he has his bucket of balls and a machine to throw them? This is also a great way to create an obsessive dog that becomes neurotic over retrieving. Highly prey and retrieve driven dogs live on the edge of being OCD anyway, and this kind of play actually encourages it.
I use a ChuckIt! to play fetch with my dogs.
Just my opinion.
Cindy
I would never use one of these ball launching devices for my dog for the simple reason that I want my dog to play with me and MY toys. I don’t want him getting reinforcement from playing with a machine. It goes against the way I raise, train and live with my dogs. If my dogs are playing a game with a toy, it involves me or they don’t play.
It may be fun for your dog, but it’s not conducive to our philosophy. Why does he need you if he has his bucket of balls and a machine to throw them? This is also a great way to create an obsessive dog that becomes neurotic over retrieving. Highly prey and retrieve driven dogs live on the edge of being OCD anyway, and this kind of play actually encourages it.
I use a ChuckIt! to play fetch with my dogs.
Just my opinion.
Cindy
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