If your dog is anything like my dog, they’re obsessed with tennis balls. My dog will carry it with him everywhere he goes, he will make me throw it for him 1000 times in a row and then he will destroy it into as many pieces.
I will then find myself at the store once again to replace his collection, even though I know these too will fall victim to Teddy’s love for ripping his toys to shreds. Have you ever made it to the dog toy section and wonder why does a pack of 3-4 tennis balls in the pet aisle cost more than a bag of them in the tennis aisle?
Instead of just grabbing some and heading to the register, I pulled out my phone and decided to investigate. There has to be a reason that the same giant bag of tennis balls isn’t hanging out in the dog toy department with the other balls. There has to be some sort of reason why I’m paying more for the tennis balls at the pet store.
It’s Not The Same Thing
Tennis balls for dogs don’t just come in different colors, squeak, or have a bacon flavor to them. They are made different. Even though the balls have a lot of similar features, they are designed with different users in mind.
If you think about it, regular tennis balls have to be hard, they have to be made to get that perfect bounce across the hard ground of a tennis court. They aren’t made for our dogs to chase around the yard or gnaw on when they are bored.
The felt on a regular tennis ball has a specific purpose in the game, making it more abrasive. If your dog is a chewer, that can wear down his teeth over time. Especially when dirt and rocks get stuck in the felt. The ball itself is just 2 pieces of rubber glued together and can easily be split in half. Which poses a threat if it were to get swallowed accidentally.
Tennis balls for dogs are made with a non-abrasive felt, and typically have an extra thick rubber core that’s supposed to be harder to split.
Safety Tips
-Regardless of the type of tennis ball, you should discard a ball after it starts showing wear and if dirt is embedded into the fuzz (which would make the ball even more abrasive).
-Don’t let your dog play with tennis balls unsupervised, especially if they are known to chew excessively. Prolonged chewing on any type of tennis ball isn’t good for your dog’s teeth.
-Switch to a safer ball for your dog to play with. The Jive Eco-Friendly Ball is an office favorite. It’s extremely durable and gentle on dog’s teeth!
I decided to get Teddy a new pack of dog tennis balls to destroy and a rubber one that would last a little longer.
What kind of ball does your dog like to play with?