Amazingly entertaining way to feed an active dog!
My dog is a three year old Scottie-Cairn-something mix who weighs 17 pounds and is a healthy lively intelligent little person! She has been enjoying her large (5") orange treat ball practically every day for all of her life. Before her, my Pembroke Welsh Corgi (about 27 pounds) played with the same treat ball for several years, a few times a week. I have been looking for a replacement for a long time. I'm sooooo happy to find this on Amazon!! The one I bought today will be my second and I'm considering a third but may have to wait for an extra large... What I normally do with this treat ball is put a few highly scented, narrow, two-inch long treats inside that will remain for a long time because it's hard to get them oriented to fall back out. Those treats are the reason my dog will pick the ball up and roll it around, and will chase it down inside or out. Additionally, I like to put her dry dog food to the ball as needed. She eats small-sized kibble. Normal kibble fits, too, and takes longer to fall out. If she seems more agitated than usual, working on the ball will help my dog get that negativity out of her system. Some days she just wants to play more or have something challenging to do so the ball is a positive energy and mental outlet. Because she picks the ball up and drops it, rolls it all around the house, and chases it when it's tossed, she actually spends hours doing something she enjoys! I've learned that I need to keep the treat ball away from my other dog who is a 45 pound Lab-Border Collie-Whippet-something mix unless she's just chasing it. For some reason, she doesn't want to roll the ball around but just wants to get at the treats by digging them out with her teeth as if it were a Kong. She made serious teeth marks in it and nearly ruined the tube that makes up the funnel-like awesomeness of this dog toy. To me, this ball is like an exaggerated golf ball minus so many dimples. There is a tube in one of the dimples that goes into the inside of the ball and leaves about one inch of clearance for treats to fall in and get "stuck" in the rest of the ball. The tube is attached to the ball by some glue or some rubber-on-rubber melting, and begins at a dimple/hole in the middle of the ball. It's also a flexible, thinner material than the exterior of the ball. A treat on the inside has to line up with the tube before it will come back out. That's a hard thing to accomplish without a lot of rolling, tossing, and dropping!! Some dogs are problem solvers and will figure out the best way to get treats. Get this treat ball for those dogs. Other dogs are more direct and try to eat through the ball. Those other dogs should probably stick to Kongs KONG Classic Kong Dog Toy, Large, Red and Squirrels Premier Squirrel Dude Dog Toy, Large ... For dogs that have fun with this treat ball, the bigger the size in proportion to the dog, the better. I doubt the ball is really that large in comparison to the dog in the photo (an Airedale), but it should be. My dog is 17 pounds and finds the large 5" ball to be perhaps on the small size. She has no problem with picking it up to give it a good toss. She can even hop on the sofa or (oh no) the bed to drop it back to the floor. Hilarious to see! Perhaps I will post video... Because of temperament and proportion I only recommend the large 5" ball for a small dog of 10-25 pounds or so. If you have a creature smaller than 10 pounds, the cat-size orange treat ball will work great for you. I call it cat-size because I am thinking of giving a food-filled ball to my young cats for supper one day. As long as my dogs can't steal the ball, I think the cats might enjoy it. I imagine a dog that's smaller than a cat would enjoy the small treat ball as well! No offense meant to people who have itty bitty canines! :) The treat ball will need a good washing once in a while and this is a challenge. You'll have to get any treats out yourself if they'r stuck in there (as I believe is a good thing for some treats, like short strips of rawhide, to be). After scrubbing the outside with Dawn and filling the inside with lots of soapy water, it's a good idea to roll the ball around in a water + small amount of bleach. To dry the ball, set it out with the tube pointing up for several hours. Take a paper towel that is rolled so it's long and thin and do your best to dry the inside. The ball should be left alone for a long time so it will dry properly. I try to leave it a couple days to be safe. If reading this review inspired you to buy an orange treat ball and you feel like rushing out to get one immediately, then you can find it at Petsmart (expect to pay $17 + tax). Something else you'd find at Petsmart that is sadly missing here on Amazon is a soccer ball version of this awesome dog toy. I got mine today! I paid $12 for it and saw it was more expensive online. Some places charge ridiculous shipping rates. That's one reason I love Amazon Prime! My new treat ball will be filled with goodies and making my little dog happy in just two days! I'll give the older one to my bigger dog. I wonder if she'll eventually work the tube/funnel off? I don't mind posting an update if anyone wants it. So, to conclude for now... The reason I've given five stars is that of all dogs' toys in all pet stores and online, this ball (or any of the same design) is the one that continually and safely engages my active, intelligent, always-hungry little dog. I've been so happy with this ball I'd rate it with more than five stars if I could! Read more
