@imagebeastmarkbeast May or may not have gone a little wild on the toy shopping for all the dogs in my life + the organization I foster through Home Goods just had so many good quality stuff!
My lab used to love tennis balls but I didn't because she would pop them and shred off the fuzz. She didn't eat it, just spit it out, but I hated the sound of it. I've also heard recently that the fuzz isn't good for their teeth, but that's just something I heard around the dog park, so don't quote me.
Lacrosse balls are smooth, solid rubber. Nothing to pop, nothing to shred. My girls go to town chewing on them and don't make a dent. They're a little pricey for a ball but the only reason they need to be replaced is if you lose them. The only potential downside is that they are pretty heavy and bounce like crazy. We still use them indoors but we have to be a lot more careful than we were with light tennis balls.
@khim02 I know tennis balls are bad for their teeth but are you scared that your dog will accidentally swallow the lacrosse ball? I feel like anytime my dog has played with one it gets slimy fast & I’m always nervous about him swallowing it or choking on accident.
@hnoumoua That is not something that has ever crossed my mind to worry about. I guess it depends on the dog. Maybe if her playstyle was different, I would see reason for concern.
Today is actually her 6th birthday. And I've yet to find any toy that doesn't come with some risk. Everything is either a choking hazard, an intestinal blockage hazard, or a tooth-breaking hazard and you just have to choose which adventure to risk today. I'm much more concerned about her choking on pieces of tennis ball or Chuck-It ball that she has chomped to pieces and is actively trying to swallow than a fluke fetch throw going straight down her gullet.
Also I get a lot of free tennis balls from players who are uninterested in them after they lose a certain amount of bounce. Wonder if we could find lacrosse players too
Home Goods just had so many good quality stuff!