A little Dog Day Getaway secret… have you ever seen those orange hockey balls? You know the orange balls used for street hockey, that seem to never get lost and never break? Realizing this is hockey country, we’ve all seen these orange balls zipping across the streets and smacking into driveway nets.
You’ve probably realized that expensive dog toys don’t actually last as long as promised. As well, the dog toy manufacture who exclaims that their “INDESTRUCTIBLE” dog toy has probably never put their toy to the test with a real good chewer.
Given how much some dogs love to fetch and of course, chew, these street hockey balls fit the bill in terms of cost and length of use. Because essentially that’s what it comes down to – how long this toy will last. And if you have a couple of dogs at home who love to play tug of war with their toys, you’ll understand that these dog toys will last for months. At least they do in our home.
Orange Hockey Balls Dog Toys
But, in our opinion, these orange hockey balls make the best dog toy and here’s why:
- They are bright orange and can be seen hundreds of feet away like a small glowing orb in the snow. For summer fun, try finding a green tennis ball in long grass.
- They are somewhat chew-proof depending on your dog. Medium sized dogs have large enough mouths to pick up the ball and not be able to chew directly down on it.
- There’s no seams to crack like a tennis ball.
- If you don’t like squeaky toys, you’ll love this toy. Not a sound. If your dog happens to get a canine into the ball, the most you’ll hear is a low swoosh.
- The low bounce hockey balls have a bit of give to them making them perfect to play catch with
- The cost: about $1.50 each. You can even get a 6 or 12 pack of hockey balls from Amazon and have it shipped within an hour!
Orange Hockey Balls as Dog Toys: Which ones?
We’ve only had to try two types of hockey balls to know which to buy. We go with the low-bounce hockey ball as its more softer to catch with. As well, they aren’t hard as a rock. You don’t want your dog to try and catch a ball that hard.
Orange Hockey Balls – Buying Tips:
- Always wash dog toys before giving to your dog. These hockey balls are no exception. One of the things we’ve done with hockey balls (and Frisbees) is to boil them in hot water for a minute or two to break down any manufacturing residue.
- One other suggestion is to buy a name brand ball like A&R, Franklin or Viceroy. Try not to buy an off brand or something you’ve never heard of. Don’t know about hockey, ask our dog trainer or your neighborhood hockey mom.
- Don’t buy the shiny style of hockey ball. We’ve found these to be too hard to play with.
- Only buy the orange hockey balls. Orange colored hockey balls aren’t as hard as the yellow or pink balls; which are mainly used for colder, outdoor street-hockey play.
- Along with hockey balls, you can also try orange hockey pucks which are about the same cost and you can use them for smaller dogs.
