# Tennis ball alternatives?



## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Otto is a tennis ball addict. His mouth is getting so big I worry he's going to enhale one! So today I popped holes in all his tennis balls - he has like a dozen of them, that was NOT fun.

We've tried other rubber balls from the petstore but they're either too hard, too small or don't bounce like tennis ball.

Anyone have any ideas?

This is my boy with the first tennis ball he ever saw, 8 weeks old could barely pick it up but knew he loved it.


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## aubie (Dec 22, 2008)

Does he have a Cuz?


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## OllieGSD (Feb 21, 2007)

FYI - Be careful w/ tennis balls. The glue and git on them is very hard on a dogs teeth. I had to shell out $1,500 for a root canal on the front cannine.....


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## littledmc17 (Apr 9, 2008)

Jenn Brady is obsessed with balls too
Love the ball in the snow time pics 
indestructable ball LOVE them and the BOUNCE
B doesn't inhale them I was worried too


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## MelissaHoyer (Sep 8, 2006)

My girls love Chuck-It Ultra Balls. I have had the same ones for at least a year...no problems at all. They don't pop like tennis balls, but they are the same size...Grace can destroy a tennis ball in about 30 seconds.

http://www.amazon.com/Chuckit-Ultra-Ball-Balls-Pack/dp/B000F4AVPA

They have Cuz balls and Orbee's too, but the Ultra balls rule!


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Orbee! (I'm too lazy, to post a link.







But you can just google "Planet Dog" or "Orbee". I have heard great things about the balls.

Siren got an Orbee that is shaped like a Kong from Gracie and she LOVES it.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

i love the orbee balls:

http://www.planetdog.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=ORBEE%20BALL

-they bounce pretty good
-they float
-they are soft enough so the dog can really work his jaws
-you can put food in them
-can get different sizes (medium is a bit bigger than a tennis ball, but they are pretty easy to throw-the large is better for just playing around/chewing)

however, some dogs will chew off the raised countries if they are determined to do so.


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## Kayla's Dad (Jul 2, 2007)

> Originally Posted By: BlackGSDOrbee! (I'm too lazy, to post a link.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I second Tracy's Orbee. Lancer is obsessed with the Orbee on a rope. Kayla is equally obsessed with the tennis balls. Neither are available unless we're out and about.

MIght like to try the Kong ball as well, but my number one are the Orbee's.


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## BlackGSD (Jan 4, 2005)

Here is Siren trying to remove the continents from her Orbee Kong.


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Do the orbee balls have a hole so the dog can't suffocate on it? That's my biggest concern. Otto doesn't nosh on tennis balls, he just seems to like the way the bounce. I throw them away when the covers get crumbly gross from too much spit.

He has great eye mouth coordination and can catch it when I throw it hard. Every time he does it my heart stops like OMG, that could so go down his throat! But no other ball does trips his trigger like a tennisball.

*edit* oh and we do have cuzzes - both my dogs enjoy them but when it comes to fetch, he wants his tennis ball.


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

they do have a hole. w/ the large one i have, i cant even fit my pinkie and index finger in the hole together. i wish there was no hole, but they usually sell them w/ the rope through them. there is a second tiny hole opposite this hole so no vacuum can be created.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

I found a whiffle ball on the free table at work and Nikon loves carrying it around. He likes lighter balls that he can toss and scoot, and he loves the holes for carrying in his teeth.


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## phgsd (Jun 6, 2004)

Orbees are great! They are pretty durable - my dogs will bite a tennis ball in half in about ten seconds, although I don't use tennis balls much anymore because of the damage they can do to the dogs' teeth.

My dogs bit the Orbee kongs in half (separating the top and bottom sections) in about two bites but the regular balls are a HUGE hit and last a lot longer than most other toys.

I had an Everlasting Treat Ball - I don't know what ever happened to it, I think it just disappeared. I probably stuck it in a drawer somewhere to hide it and then forgot...but the dogs did like that one a lot too.


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## Rügen (Mar 19, 2008)

*Lucky loves Powzer balls*- They are much bigger than a tennis ball so~ I guess less chance of big Otti gulping them down.









I do the nearly point blank throw at lucky's face too and he always catches these and because of the size I've never really considered he could swallow them. Plus, Lucky and Rugen eat EVERY toy I get them and they have yet to destroy even one of these! They are very durable and priced around $3, I have found them at the grocery store.

Powzer Glow Ball 

He did this on his own...











In a mutant shepherd's mouth (who has a few extra golden legs)


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## roxy84 (Jun 23, 2007)

powzer balls, those are great and what i used before the orbee ball. i just always wondered about whatever is in them that makes them glow and that they were made in taiwan or china.


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## Chicagocanine (Aug 7, 2008)

I agree the Planet Dog ones are good. If he just loves the tennis ball type material you could get a "tennis bone" or an "Air Kong" fetch stick or sqeaker bone. Those are made out of similar material to a tennis ball but are shaped like a bone or stick. The "tennis bone" is two tennis balls with a rubber piece in between like a dumbbell. If you search google you should be able to find them.


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## gmcenroe (Oct 23, 2007)

I got a few of these balls from Leerburg.

http://leerburg.com/1167.htm

Juli likes them, they are a little heavier than tennis balls, have same diameter and bounce better, plus have two holes in them so you can make them into balls on a rope.

Glenn


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## BritneyP (Oct 26, 2006)

I don't let my dogs play with tennis balls. After working as a vet tech for several years, I've seen WAY too many get lodged in throats, stomachs, intestines, etc.

I use a squeaky kong tennis ball for training with Cruiser, but it gets put up when we're done and he isn't allowed to chew on it. 

For around the house, Cuz's are huge here, but I think orbees would be a great alternative to a tennis ball!


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## DianaM (Jan 5, 2006)

I love the Ultra Balls! They work great in our Chuck-It.









The Orbee is good here as well but Renji was able to tear off pieces of the continents if he was allowed to sit for a few minutes with the ball.


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

Grace is a tennis ball fanatic and I haven't ever been able to convince her to switch even though I totally agree about the tooth wear concerns. We have orbee balls although our pink one no longer has continents. They started peeling back so I just pulled them all off. All dogs from here on out will be encouraged to fall in love with them instead. 

The Orbee balls do have a nice bounce and also a nice squish - I see a lot of the dogs walking around kind of jawing them.


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## GunnerJones (Jul 30, 2005)

Cuz's are good, a little pricey


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## pupresq (Dec 2, 2005)

And LOUD!!!


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## adas (Nov 22, 2008)

Aloha, I got a Kong squeeky Football that lasted about 8 seconds with 
Rasa. I emailed the Kong company, asking to be sure if they were appropriate for a large dog. All I got back was a 2 paragraph lecture on how I should supervise the dogs use of their toys and "no, we do not warranty the squeeky part of the toy. But they offered to send me a new one if I sent the old one back and sent $ to cover the freight of the replacement. Or they will send me a gift certif for a future purchase. Not good cust service.....any ideas of more durable squeeky toys? 

frank


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