Product Review: Spunky Pup Fetch & Glow Ball

Spunky Pup's Fetch and Glow ball is a big, somewhat soft fetch toy that glows in the dark for nighttime play. It bounces and floats, and glows when charged under a light. There are assorted colors available, and these are made in the USA.

Photo by Erin Koski

This is the softer, safer version of our Flash & Glow ball from the same company. It arrived in our October BarkBox, just in time for some evening games at the tennis court. The flashing light-up version was very hard, and I kept hitting the dogs with it in the dark. It was also super bright and destroyed the night vision of anyone that looked directly at it. BarkBox had sent us the Flash and Glow Junior version, which was on the small size for my heelers.

Photo by Erin Koski

This glow-in-the-dark version is awesome. It's big enough that nobody is ever going to swallow it. Well, maybe a mastiff or a saint bernard, but they'd have to try really hard.

This is the standard glow in the dark sort of toy, it needs to be held right up to a lamp for a few minutes to make it glow, and it gradually fades back to regular color. This means it glows bright enough to spot but not bright enough to fry your retinas. It also means it glows continuously for a while, so it's easier to find after a wild throw.

Science Time!

Photo by Erin Koski

Why does this ball glow in the dark? Is it radioactive? Nope! It just contains some sort of phosphors. These are chemicals that absorb light energy and then emit it back as a soft glow. Zinc sulphide and strontium aluminate are the most common choices for making glowing toys. 

Pros: Floats! Glows! Big enough that a Great Dane won't choke on it! Made in the USA! Glows in the dark, but not too brightly. Much softer than the battery-powered light-up ball. Does not make the dogs yelp when I accidentally hit them with it.

Photo by Erin Koski

Cons: Doesn't glow incredibly brightly. Will eventually lose its glow-in-the-dark ability. Not a chew toy! Easy to destroy if your dog is a destructive type.

Bottom Line: Sisci and Brisbane don't like it as much as a genuine tennis ball, but it's the best thing for nighttime fetch.

Brisbane's Guide to Politely Borrowing a Tennis Court For Your Dog

I've been dogsitting this week for a couple of beloved cattledogs. It's a lot of fun having Ranger and Annie here, but meeting everyone's need for exercise requires some creativity. I've taken them to a tennis court at a local park a couple of times because it's the perfect place for the dogs to get some off-leash running and ball-chasing time in a safely-fenced area where we are safe from the world and the world is safe from us.

I've seen people suggest using tennis courts for doggy playtime in the past, but I live in an area plagued by grumpy judgemental people and I need to be very careful to avoid bothering someone enough to result in some sort of ban on dogs in the courts. To this end, I have compiled a guide to using nice public tennis courts in a way that is least likely to offend someone or result in disaster. I try to keep in mind that, although it is a public park, the tennis court is intended for people who want to play tennis, and it is rude for me to monopolize it.

The Golden Rule of tennis court playtime: "It's a tennis court, not a dog park."

This will take an unsuspecting person a moment to figure out.

Do pick times and places when the courts are unlikely to be used for tennis. Dusk is a favorite for me, I've also gone at midnight.
Do be aware of the area and your impact on it. Observe normal quiet hours if there are houses nearby and you have a dog that confuses barking with playing.
Do keep your visit short, especially if you have the above-mentioned barky dog.
Do secure the court before unleashing your dogs. Clip leashes through gate locks, tie the gates shut, you can even bring your own locks. The aim is to keep your dogs contained and slow down anyone trying to get in so you have time to round everybody up.
Do walk the perimeter of the court and check for hazards like holes in the fence, homeless people sleeping under benches, etc. before unleashing your dog.
Do plan on leaving at any moment if someone arrives with a tennis racket. Keep an eye out if it's daylight and don't wait for them to ask for the court.
Do plan on leaving at any moment if your dog starts barking at people or dogs outside the court, or making noise during quiet hours.
Do avoid making noise yourself. Call your dogs softly and avoid drawing attention to yourself.
Do walk your dogs ahead of time and give them a chance to relieve themselves before entering the court.
Do bring poo bags, and maybe some wipes or a spray bottle of cleaner if your dogs are prone to making disgusting messes.

Don't go during peak tennis hours, whatever those are for your particular park.
Don't bring your barky dog for a huge barkfest after dusk or early in the morning.
Don't monopolize the court for hours, you may be unaware of the people waiting for you to leave.
Don't rely on the existing gate latches, an unsuspecting person could accidentally let your dog out or invade your private fetch party.
Don't annoy the neighbors or other park users by monopolizing the entire court for long, making them listen to you and your dog yelling, leaving messes for someone else to clean up, etc.
Don't leave poo in the tennis court. Seriously.
Don't draw attention to yourself, make it obvious you are using the tennis court for a personal dog park, or do anything that might make someone wish dogs weren't allowed in there.

My dogs are mostly quiet players, but Ru doesn't get to go along for late-night fetch time because he likes to bark at the cattledogs. The rest of them seem to understand Stealth Mode and will play silently and come when I make soft kissy noises so I don't have to call them out loud. With our Flash & Glow Jr ball from the October BarkBox, it makes for a perfect game of fetch. We still run into clueless dog owners though, last time there was someone walking their little dogs off-leash through the park. "It's ok, they're friendly," he assured me as the ran barking along the outside of the fence. "Mine aren't," I answered. "That's why we're in the tennis court at midnight."

Product Review: Ruffwear Turnup

The Ruffwear Turnup is a bouncy fetch toy made from natural rubber. It is durable, floats, and has a hole for stuffing treats inside.

Photo by Erin Koski

When the Turnup first arrived, I was skeptical. The rubber felt flimsy, and the packaging came with a warning that it was not intended to be chewed. With two big holes in it, surely it must sink!

I'm pleased to report that the Turnup massively exceeded my expectations. I holds up just fine to Brisbane's OCD chomping. It does float, though not very high in the water. It also can be filled with kibble, and it's plenty tough.

Pros: Fits in a Chuckit ball launcher! Bounces erratically! Holds up way better than a tennis ball and doesn't get all slimy and gross.

Cons: Only comes in standard tennis ball size, so may present a choking hazard for larger dogs. Cost 4x the price of an Ultraball.

Bottom Line: It probably won't replace our marvelous orange Chuckit ball, but this is definitely a worthwhile investment for dogs who destroy tennis balls.

What is your dog's favorite fetch toy?

Product Review: Kong Aqua

The Kong Aqua is a floating water toy with a rope attached for throwing. The Kong Aqua is not a stuffable chew toy, but it is a highly-visible and floats high in the water. The Kong website states that the toy comes in medium and large sizes, but I've only ever seen the large.

Photo by Erin Koski

Brisbane is pretty hard on water toys. After he retrieves them, he wold really like to shred them. He ripped the cover off the Water Wubba, and will tear chunks out of our Chuckit disc and bumper given the opportunity. I get the feeling that the people who designed the Kong Aqua have the same problem.

The rope on this toy is really long, at least 2' if not 3'. This makes it super easy to lob the thing way out into the ocean without getting my feet wet. It's a braided plastic rope, so it doesn't absorb water and Brisbane can't shred it once he comes ashore. He tries, it just doesn't come apart.

This is the same size as a large Kong Classic, and no significantly bigger than a tennis ball. Brisbane has a lot of trouble locating a tennis ball or Ultra Ball in the surf. The Aqua Kong is far more visible, even when he is swimming with his nose right at water level.

Pros: Nearly indestructible, holds up even when he stands on the toy and tries to rip the rope off. High visibility. Easy to throw long distances.

Cons: Extra-long rope makes it kind of awkward to carry. Plastic rope doesn't feel great on my hands when playing tug. This Kong is not stuffable because it is filled with floating foam.

Bottom Line: This might be our new favorite swimming toy.

I got a camera for Christmas!

It's a really nice one, too.

At some point I should figure out how to use some of the settings.

And learn how to retouch photos for optimum results.

Maybe actually develop some photography skills.

But for now I'm just having fun.

Best. Present. Ever.

Product Review: Chuckit! Bumper

The Canine Hardware Chuckit! Bumper is a fetch toy equipped with a short rope that allows it to be thrown long distances. It is soft and comfortable for the dog to bite, and floats.

Photo by Erin Koski, photobomb by Ru.

The Chuckit! Bumper is perfect for beach play. The rope allows me to fling it far out into the waves, and the color makes it easy for Brisbane to spot in the surf. As an added bonus, the shape makes it look like a stick of dynamite.

The bumper is soft enough for Brisbane to catch without hurting his mouth. It doesn't soak up water, and it's solid foam so a hole doesn't mean it will fill up with water and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker. After the beach I just have to thwack the bumper on the ground a couple of times to remove the sand from it.

I bought the bumper at Dioji because I wanted a pool toy for Briz and I had forgotten about the Chuckit! disc we already had. Unlike the Zipflight disc, Brisbane does not feel the need to rip chunks out of the bumper.

Photo by Erin Koski

Pros: The bumper is brightly colored and floats high in the water, so it's easier to spot than a ball. It's also big enough that even giant dogs can enjoy retrieving it without the risk of choking. The rope makes it easy to throw the bumper pretty darned far.

Cons: The bumper doesn't fly quite as far as a ball thrown with the Chuckit! launcher, which is why it is not our default fetch toy. There's really the most negative thing I can say about it.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bottom Line: The Chuckit! bumper is my first choice for aquatic adventures because it flies far and is easy for Brisbane to find in the pool, lake, or ocean. The rope makes it easy to toss, and fun for dogs to shake and kill. This toy still looks brand new after quite a lot of throwing, catching, biting, shaking, and killing.

Product Review: Chuckit! Zipflight Flying Disc

The Chuckit! Zipflight is a flying disc dog toy. It floats and is brightly colored and highly visible in the water. The Zipflight is also soft and easy on grab.

Photo by Erin Koski

I bought the Zipflight for a trip to visit relatives who have a swimming pool, and it works extremely well for that purpose. Brisbane has no trouble locating the flourescent orange disc in the water. It's much easier to spot in the surf than a ball. The Zipflight does not soak up water, and dries quickly so I don't have to worry about putting a soggy disc in my car.

Photo by Erin Koski

I'm not a particularly skilled Frisbee thrower, but I can't get the Zipflight to fly particularly far. I think it's because the disc is so soft and squishy, it can't cut through the air like a hard plastic disc. It's disctinctly possible that I'm just really bad at this and the Zipflight is actually on par with the best regulartion Frisbees, tough to tell. At any rate the Zipflight is soft enough to be thrown with great force and caught by an enthusiastic dog without anyone getting hurt.

Most epic Briz photo ever by Erin Koski

Pros: Highly visible, soft and and gentle on doggy mouths. Does not pick up sand or dirt, dries quickly and does not absorb water. Unlike a regulation plastic Frisbee, the ring shape is easy for dogs to pick up. Brisbane likes to run around with it on his nose. The Zipflight is a short-range toy for us, good for smaller spaces and times when I don't want Brisbane sprinting down the beach at top speed.

Cons: The soft and squishy qualities of the Zipflight make it less durable than it could be. Left to his own devices, Brisbane will pull chunks of foam off the disc. This is not a long-range fetch toy for us, and I can't get it to fly high or straight. Exhausting Brisbane with the Zipflight requires a lot of effort on my part.

Photo by Erin Koski

Bottom Line: I love the Zipflight for swimming pool and lake adventures when I can toss it into the water for Briz, but for beach and land-based fetch I much prefer the Chuckit! launcher and Ultra Ball. The Zipflight is highly visible but doesn't have nearly as much range.

Product Review: Chuckit!

The Chuckit!, by Canine Hardware, is a three-foot-long plastic ball launcher for playing fetch with your dog. It allows you to fling the ball significantly farther than you would be able to with your wimpy arm, and also lets you pick up the slobbery ball without having to touch it with your hands. It is one of the greatest dog things ever invented, and now that we have it I've no idea how anyone played fetch before that.

The current Chuckit! lineup includes eight different launchers, fifteen different balls, four flying discs, and nearly a dozen related products for playing fetch in every way imaginable. My Chuckit! launcher isn't on the website though. As you can see, it lacks an ergonomic comfort-grip handle and possibly some other updated features. It is a single incredibly durable piece of molded plastic that could probably withstand a nuclear bomb.

This is because my Chuckit! launcher is one of the originals. There might be an earlier version or two floating around, but mine dates back to 2000, and the company has only been around since 1998. There was a time when this was the only Chuckit! product, and I didn't have to specifically refer to it as a launcher. I can't speak for any of the new ones, because mine has lasted 14 years with not-quite-daily use. I'm not actually sure it's possible to wear this thing out. It is significantly older than Brisbane and showing no signs of wear aside from a few chew marks where he likes to grab it and play tug if he doesn't think I'm throwing the ball often enough.

It was origially purchased to play fetch with a friend's four Labrador retrievers, who actually retrieve. Brisbane is all about chasing the ball, but he has zero natural instinct or desire to bring it back. He game is to chase it down very quickly, stop the instant he has caught it, bite it for a while, and then drop it and wait for me to throw it again. He is not ball crazy, but he is definitely wild about the Chuckit! I have to bring mine to the off-leash dog beach because otherwise he will fixate on anyone else who is carrying one.

The original Chuckit! was made for tennis balls, but the company now makes launchers that throw smaller and larger balls as well. This ensures that everyone gets to play with a ball that will not be a choking hazard. Canine Hardware also produces a number of different balls that glow in the dark, bounce in random directions, make sounds, and roll or bounce in new and interesting ways.

Pros: Made from indestructible plastic that shows no signs of aging even after 14 years of being stored in a hot car. I can pop it over the ball on the ground, which means I don't have to touch a slobbery/sandy/nasty ball. It also allows me to retrieve our special Chuckit! Ultra Ball from strange dogs at the beach without having to get in biting-range of a potential resource guarder. Makes a handy weapon to brandish and makes me slightly more intimidating to sketchy-looking people and dogs on the beach.

Cons: I gesture a lot when I talk and occasionally hit people with it. Aiming is a tad hard and I sometimes land a ball (and therefore Brisbane) very close to unsuspecting beachgoers. Flinging a ball soaked in beach water covers me and anyone I'm with in a fine spray of sand and salt. Playing with it too often makes my arm and shoulder hurt in a manner I refer to as "Chuckit! Arm". Sometimes I wonder if the ergonomic grip on the new ones fixes this, but I can't come up with an excuse to buy a new one.

Bottom Line: This product lasts forever. If your current dog doesn't love it, it will still be around for your next dog. I have never seen one in a thrift store so I'm pretty sure nobody ever gets rid of them.

Product Review: Chuckit! Ultra Ball

Product: Chuckit! Ultra Ball, by Canine Hardware. This is a bright orange ball made from natural rubber, it floats, and comes in three sizes to match the Chuckit! ball launcher.

Brisbane is only mildly obsessed with tennis balls, unlike many herding breeds and retrievers.

They're not the first thing he grabs when he's ready to play, and are really only captivated when they are thrown. He would prefer they be launched via the Chuckit! ball launcher, and I always bring mine when we visit the off-leash dog beach because otherwise he will find someone else who has one and become their dog until physically removed from the area. For years I have eschewed specialized balls, preferring free and cheap used tennis balls. Penn was our brand, because at some point they were only made in America and were less likely to be contaminated with lead.

Brisbane loves to bite tennis balls, especially after chasing them down. He doesn't gnaw with his back teeth, just chomps down with his canines over and over. This will puncture the ball pretty quickly, usually within a couple of beach trips. Once breached, the ball will fill with water and cease to fly as far. It will also crack and lose its shape, and then it doesn't work nearly as well with the launcher. After capturing the tennis ball, Brisbane prefers to run out into the surf and stand belly-deep while biting the ball. Most of our balls are lost at sea when he drops them and they fill with water, sink, and then roll down into deeper water. Yes, this is littering, and no, I don't ever leave balls on the beach if I can help it. I have explained the nature of gravity and sinking tennis balls to Brisbane, but his behavior has not improved.

Enter the Chuckit! Ultra Ball! I got a two-pack of these to see if they would last a bit longer than the tennis balls. There are a ton of Chuckit!-compatible balls by Canine Hardware, but most of them don't actually float and are therefore at risk of being lost to Davy Jones' Locker. The Ultra Ball floats, bounces, and doesn't collect wet sand quite as fast as a fuzzy ball so it's easier to spot. So far it has lasted through several dozen beach trips and still looks brand new so I haven't even had to break out the second one yet. Brisbane reports that they are just as much fun to squoosh as a regular tennis ball, but not as much fun as those Kong squeaky tennis balls.

<---I have approximately one million pictures of Brisbane grinning on the beach with a ball.

Another perk about this ball is that it comes in three different sizes so you can get one big enough for your dog in case you were traumatised as a child by that James Herriot story about the choking collie.

Pros: Floats, doesn't grab dirt/sand/crud, doesn't take on water, probably isn't contaminated with lead, comes in multiple sizes, is significantly sturdier than a good-quality tennis ball.

Cons: Not fuzzy, doesn't bother Brisbane but other dogs might find it unappealing. Honestly, the biggest downside is chasing down random dogs who have beat Briz to the ball and then refuse to return it. I haven't actually shouted "Give that back! That's a $5 ball!!!" at anyone yet, but I wouldn't rule out the possibility. I wouldn't throw it anywhere with a high likelihood of ball loss.

Bottom Line: This ball has completely replaced regular tennis balls for us.