Which balls do your Bull Terriers like?
I've tried the search, but not a lot did pop up about toys other than some comments spread out through different discussions about other things. Maybe I used the wrong keywords. I'm German - so who knows 
I am curious about your experiences with toys - and balls in particular. I guess almost everyone here will agree that many BT's go crazy about balls - that is if they get the right ones.
At least, that's my experience. Djamila is pretty picky - I think, mainly because she owns a lot of toys to choose from and I am kind of active with trying new stuff in order to find the perfect toys. That is not an easy task - I think many people here will also agree to that.
A few months ago I learned that many dogs - not only BT's - are madly in love with spiky balls. I had always been hesitant with tose, thought they are way too delicate for a Bull Terrier. For some brands I have tried meanwhile that is indeed absolutely true.
But about a week ago I gave a new 4.5 inch "Gnawsome" ball a try with Djamila. And I have to say I am pretty impressed by the durability of that ball. Has anyone else tried those spiky balls and maybe especially the Gnawsome? If so, how long did it last with your Bull Terrier?
Which balls you have tested your dogs did love the most and which ones lasted the longest?
mila_w_gnawsome_ball.jpg
400 x 600 - 88K
Comments
I think my Bullies would LOVE to have a chance to play with that soft spiked ball like the one you have illustrated but once they took a break from normal "fetch" and laid down on the ground to really gnaw into it the balls would be in pieces within seconds.
My preference for playing fetch is using either a Kong Ball or Jelly Bean. They love them both and both are near impossible to destroy. I had to say "near" impossible because there is NO ball that Nitro won't destroy if he is left unattended with for a prolonged period of time.
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
"It's not just a Dog, it's a Bull Terrier!"
www.bulliesofnc.com
Somehow they got chooba on the commercial ( see video on link ), and he seemed to be enjoying himself so I had to purchase a few for home. But with the plastic tubes inside these are for supervised playing only.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=GDGUDlIYkRU
In his recent BarkBox, he got a Zogoflex Bumi tug toy. That's held up for tug playing when he's out in the front yard. We don't let him play with that alone because it would probably be shredded, but he likes shaking it for us to try to take it from him. The shape is pretty good for keeping our fingers safe. For supervised play with us, that has been a winner. I've seen pictures of dogs that have torn theirs, though, so it isn't one that I've let him chew on while he's hanging out, like the Kong or Nylabones.
This month's theme was garden party. It included a plush bee with a squeaker and crinkly plastic inside. I can't let him play with that unsupervised. It will be shredded in minutes. What did provide a big laugh was that he tore of the stinger first within a few minutes. It was funny how it was almost like a real bee that lost its stinger, hahaha!
It included a really nice plush that has held up. It's a caterpillar that had squeakers sewn into each segment. That has held up nicely because as soon as he bites it, it squeaks somewhere else and it distracts him from shredding it.
It included some really nice grain-free treats that I hadn't heard about. It's high quality salmon and vegetables, in a jerky form. Those are the stinkiest treats ever! He LOVES these. I ordered more because of the quality. I was pleasantly surprised that the treats were grain-free.
It had a single stick of some sort of turkey treat, like a jerky stick or something. He hasn't eaten it yet. The Zogoflex Bumi toy that was also in the box is awesome!
There's enough toys that when he starts to tear up the bee too intensely, I grab the caterpillar and squeak it. The treats are top quality. All in all, the BarkBox has been a success for him. It's not exactly what we would choose for bull terriers, though. It's hard to find bull terrier toys that are going to last. Most larger dogs, like a lab or golden retriever, etc, would probably be in doggy heaven with the BarkBox and it would last. Rodney has loved his BarkBox, but it's more like one-on-one playing with the toys.
I don't know if you can see the stuff clearly in this picture, but I took this before he tore into the cardboard box. He didn't even notice anything that was inside of the box until I made the toys squeak, hahaha! The green Zogoflex Bumi is at the bottom underneath the plush toys and treats.
I checked out the Tuffy Toy blog post of yours. I will check those out and pick one up. He loves soft toys, too. I've tried several brands, including the Kong toys similar to that and he goes straight for the black piping. Once he gets those teeth in that, it's like unzipping a zipper. Stuffing is EVERYWHERE! Thank goodness he doesn't eat the stuffing, he just spits it out and resumes total destruction. I'll have to check, but I bought a 3-pack of toys that looks like those toys that didn't hold up well. If it's a different brand, I'll order him the pig. If it is the brand, I'll probably just let him finish destroying whatever he hasn't finished off yet.
Whenever I see a sale on Kong toys, I order a bunch because we have several spots that he plays and I keep toys all over the place for him so that I don't have to carry toys from inside to outside. He has destroyed even the black Kong toys within a week of playing with it an hour or two a day. I contacted Kong the first time and was told they'd be happy to replace it or something to that effect if it was less than a month since I purchased it. That was the problem, I ordered about 20 at a time and am constantly replacing wearing toys. I don't buy one toy at a time, so some are going to be here more than a month. After that, I've been expanding our search for more toys and balls.
A question about the Tuffy Toys, though. Do you think it might have a similar effect on their teeth like the felt of the tennis balls? I worry about abrasion from certain tough fabrics and materials.
I'm such a softy when it comes to toys. I have even been adding cat toys to my orders when I see funny stuff and give those to my sons' friends that have cats, lol. How can I resist a miniature Star Wars Death Star or Millennium Falcon on a stick with ribbons?
What I do notice is he has to have something in his mouth. If he doesn't have access to his toys, he kind of wanders around and is tempted. He has specific toys for specific areas, and he is a good boy.
I've started sticking with things that he can carry in his mouth or tug toys since that's how he likes to play. If I had a plush that would withstand the jaws of a BT, then I'd like to give it a shot. I sort of just gave up on it. I'm going to give the plush piggy a chance. I'll report back after he gives it a spin.
The Tux sounds interesting because it has a bowl shape and gave the tip of putting water or broth in it and freezing it for summer days. I wouldn't have thought about that, but that sounds like kind of a nice idea as long as it wouldn't hurt their teeth. After he enjoyed the Zogoflex Bumi that came in his BarkBox so much, I decided to give the Tux that is supposedly for strong chewers a try. I'll let you know since you're writing about BT-approved toys.
And I am pretty sure that I know the reason behind those recent changes: Her daily excessive play of 1-2 hrs in and around the pool with her ball has started shortly before I started noticing the change. Seems to be consuming much more energy than we thought. We've continued to increase the amount of food and will keep doing so, if she continues to shed weight. But she seems to get a little calmer around feeding time already.
Do you leave kibble out during the day so she can eat according to her energy requirements? I never like to hear of weight loss... always gives me the shivers. (unless they are overweight to begin with and your rocketship never was)
Yeah that's a weak spot in almost every soft dog toy: sticking out pieces, such as tails, ears, labels etc.
I had ordered the HuggleHounds Humongous Holiday Bone Dog toy about a year ago.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0052766DQ?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_search_detailpage
A wonderful toy, but also prime example for weak spot experiences.
I guess I’ve mentioned it before, I like to order big to huge (if available) when it comes to soft toys, because it seems to lower the likelihood of Djamila taking it apart immediately.
You see how large the Humongous is in the photo with Djamila and the toy on her dog bed.
I actually love this toy - Djamila, too - because it is big, made of several inner layers (seemingly more durable than I first thought), no outer seams to tear on, big but moderate squeaker inside (which is still alive after a year!).
Yet it is pretty soft, which is why I am always cautious with recommending this particular toy to other BT owners.
And of course also this toy had typical weak spots in the form of an embroidered label - it's that heart you see in the pictures, that's a hard, embroidered piece. This hard label stood out to much from the otherwise soft rest of the toy/cushion that, as I already suspected when giving it to her, Djamila went for that immediately and started “working” on it.
The layers are holding up pretty well. And I eventually managed to show her how to use this toy without destroying it too fast. I sewed the label back into the cushion - removing it was no option, because it’s embroidered through all layers of the cushion. She still likes to gnaw on the four ends every now and then as you can see. But I think there are still some months of use left in this toy. She even uses it to sleep on it.
Rodney with the piggy is far quicker than Djamila was on those ears. She had torn one after a few months.
I frequently examine all of her toys. If I find loose seams or other signs of destruction, I immediately take the toy away. Today (day 13) I found the first bite marks on her new Gnawsome. NOW it’s getting interesting!
Many soft toys I repair by sewing. But there are some things to consider with that.
I usually close seams that start opening pretty soon and before they really open completely. In case I am unsure that repairing of outstanding parts will really help, I simply remove/ cut off parts, such as ears or tails.
I have repaired piggy’s ear though. Tried to take a picture of it, but it just looks like piggy ear mess
I often feel the newer the toy, the stronger the incentive to take it apart. In my experience, once the critical “new toy phase” has passed, the incentive to take it apart decreases. Sadly that’s never a guarantee that doggie will go for it again in one bored and unattended moment.
I have to admit that there was a time when I thought that dog toys are made for the dogs to entertain themselves while their owners are busy. But that thinking has changed a lot.
We may be a little lucky that a lot of toys - other than tennis balls and several other balls - seem to last longer with Djamila. But if I have realized one thing clearly then that toys are no way for us to keep our dog busy on her own.
For this there is far too much observation and interaction involved.
So today I look at it as a great way of getting engaged with her, divert her attention from our stuff and every now and then being lucky that she is using her things to entertain herself a little without taking them apart immediately.
We have a piece of "Bullie art" at home, too - a small kitchen cabinet on wheels with a beautiful tooth pattern on all three of the wooden knobs. She did that piece when she was a puppy
(you know they make a yellow RedBull know... yum, yum, I can't get enough of them)
I know their energy can sometimes be "dangerous"... My wife always stands behind me when the kids romp, run and play, because she is afraid they will knock her on her arse. (Meanwhile if the knock me over I'll probably crush my wife anyway)... They are always just trying to have the best fun but sometimes it means they are totally unaware of their surroundings... and the consequences.
Quinn has had rubber balls...doesn't like them. Quinn has briefly shown interest in soccer balls and basketballs...too big. She doesn't like things she can't put in her mouth. I bought her a giant tennis ball to test the theory - she didn't want it until it was deflated. Now she loves it. Occasionally she will steal another dog's toy at the park, usually some kind of soft rubber squeaky type ball and she loves those a lot...but I have never been able to identify a brand or find one similar in stores.
Usually I just walk Quinn through the aisles at the dog stores and she will end up picking a toy. No kidding - she will stick her head into bins and pull out a toy and that's the one I get. She will be sooooooo excited, and play with it for hours getting home. And then it's usually not interesting OR it is completely destroyed the next day. Ah well, at least it was fun while it lasted.
I may have to investigate this Gnawsome ball. How soft it it you think? Easy to squish with humans hands? More resistant like a tennis ball? Quinn doesn't like Jolly Balls...way too hard. But I'd love to find toys to entertain her. That's my life now...figuring out ways to entertain my dog just for a few hours. 8-}
Soft, bouncy, rubbery, squeezable and not too big to hold it in her mouth is right up her alley. Hard and heavy not so much.
I love that story of Quinn picking her toys on her own in the pet store!
We have the Gnawsome (I intentionally chose the larger size of 4.5 in) for roughly three weeks now. Played with on a daily basis for several hours every time.
It’s still intact with some lost spikes and surprisingly few bite marks. No rips or tears. The squeaker died after a week, but Djamila still loves the ball even without it. It’s still safely attached inside the ball, no worries about it to “escape” and get swallowed or leave a hole for Djamila to tear and rip on.
The ball felt pretty hard at first or at least harder than I expected it to be. However, I was able to squeeze it a little using both hands. I was a little worried at first, because that aspect combined with the fact that I had NOT chosen the “bite-sized” version …. hum
But the ball seems to have just enough “give” for Djamila to be able and easily grab/ hold and even squeeze it quite a lot - and therefore love it.
I feel like the ball has softened a little over the weeks now, but not dramatically. It is still floating well and still very bouncy. The only disadvantage is that it sucks in water when Djamila squeezes it in the pool. Can be a little messy when you store the ball inside. But even when filled 3/4 with water it still floats!
In the beginning Djamila would rather want to play alone with her ball. I was watching her closely and corrected her several times when she became too rough during that time. She tends to fall into a state where she just sinks those huge teeth in the back of her mouth into things and just gnaw and enjoy. That’s the critical point, I try to interfere with.
Once we’re over that critical phase - provided the toy is strong enough to survive it - usually the very ambitious gnawing subsides a lot. When the “new toy” phase is over, she also wants us to get involved far more often or she will get bored by the toy after a while. When this state is reached, it’s usually an indicator that the toy will live longer, until eventually what I classify as “natural wear from use over time, different from plain destruction" requires replacement. With some toys that period can easily be one year or even longer.
I wonder how long the Gnawsome will last. Even one or two months would be great! It would mean that for now I’ve found the perfect ball for Djamila. We’ll see about that.
I’ve also done some testing with the tennis balls - the real ones and the ones especially designed for dogs. My experience is almost identical to yours. When it comes to tennis balls for dogs, I actually think that there is some special danger involved: Most of them come with a squeaker, which oftentimes is basically just stuck into the ball and then covered by the felt. Easy to locate for the do. They even come out on their own and that way pose an even higher risk of being ingested or inhaled.
As long as I was testing tennis balls made for dogs, I always removed the squeaker before I gave them to Djamila first. Also all of those tennis balls for dogs I have encountered so far were much less durable than the real tennis balls.
The longest lasting squeaker tennis ball has probably been only for a day, and that was in one of the oversized tennis balls. I am lucky to have a dog that does not like to eat squeakers, I usually just find them on the ground. I'm careful to look for them though because I know if I find them then she has not accidentally ingested them. Always keep an eye on the squeakers.
I'll have to look into the Gnawsome ball. I think Quinn would like it. Her Gotcha Day is coming up, or worst case scenario I guess she'd just have to wait till Christmas.
The level of boredom is very important to my mind, either, meaning that many dogs don't necessarily start out as aggressive chewers, when they get a new toy. But when left alone with it, of course they try to figure out what they can do with it. And chewing is a very natural way of exploring the toys (even babys explore everything with their mouth
He plays with his Gnawsome ball all of the time, and will fall asleep with it. Did you get the 4.5 inch or a different size? I wonder if a smaller one allows them to get their mouth to close enough to shred it.