Perhaps the most popular dog toy is the dog ball toys. They come in many shapes, materials, and sizes.
The very nature of the ball toys can provide enough exercise for the dog, and keep it active during the interaction with the ball.
Furthermore, dog ball toys are cheap and readily available in any pet store or supermarket. You can even use any kind of ball that you may encounter as a ball toy for your dog, such as a baseball.
However, not all balls are suitable as a toy for the dog. Even when you purchase a dog balls in the pet store, there's some DOs and DONTs that you may want to know to pick the right ball toys for your doggie:
Do Not Buy Dog Ball That is Too Small
A dog ball toy too small pose a potential risk for your dog.
A friend of mine loves to play golf, and his dog loves to fetch golf balls for him on court. It's an enjoyable game for both of them until the dog gets sick. When examined by the vet, it turns out that there are several golf balls sits in the stomach of the dog. The dog might accidentally 'eating' some balls when he trying to pick up more balls each time for his owner.
So the morale of the story is that do not get smaller balls that can be potentially swallow by your dog.
Do Know the Size and the Weight of the Dog Balls
On the contrary, a dog ball toy too big is also not a good choice. If the diameter of the ball is equal to or bigger than your dog's mouth, he will have a hard time to chew on the ball, let alone to have fun with it.
Also, if the dog ball toy is too heavy, the dog will give up after several attempts to play with it.
Do Pay Attention to the Materials of the Dog Balls
The dog ball toy made of smooth material is slippery for dog to bite or grab. So make sure to get the balls with uneven or dented surface. This will make the dog very easy to handle the ball.
Also, avoid any balls which material can be easily peeled off or bite off by the dog. For example, tennis ball or Ping-Pong ball are not suitable for dog's play. The fabric material on the tennis ball can be easily bite off and can be eaten by the dog. The Ping-Pong ball is simply not hard enough to withstand the dog's paw or teeth, and can be dangerous to dog when it cracks into pieces.
Written by Dora Men
