Balls That Make Sound

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Pet Qwerks Animal Sounds Babble Ball Review

I was a little hesitant to try the Pet Qwerks Animal Sounds Babble ball for our dog. Before she went blind, she was not very fond of inanimate objects that suddenly made sounds. I went ahead and purchased the toy anyway to see how our dog would react. I’m glad I did. She absolutely LOVES it. She was a little taken aback at first and didn’t know quite what to make of it, but after a few minutes she started picking it up and flinging it around, chasing it, and barking up a storm. She was able to track and find the ball great, as long as it was making sounds. Once the sound stopped, which only happens if the ball is at rest for several seconds, she did need a little help.

I completely expected this toy to be a total flop, but it is a complete hit with our dog. Two nights in a row she’s tuckered herself out playing with the animal sounds babble ball, which is good because she could use the extra exercise due to weight issues brought on by S.A.R.D.S.

As mentioned in previous reviews, our dog is an avid chewer and loves to tear her toys apart. The babble ball is made of hard plastic and the medium size is perfect for her. She can pick the ball up, but she can’t tear it apart.

A word of warning with this toy, it is noisy. That’s the whole point of it being a great toy for blind dogs, but after about 15 minutes of constant animal sounds, it can get on your nerves. For us, however, it’s worth dealing with because our dog loves it and seeing her play, despite her being blind, makes us happy. As I finish up this review, our dog has finished her short rest from her play session and is back to playing with her babble ball again… in the dark. :)

Note: Some of the reviews on Amazon mention that the battery cannot be changed once it runs out. However, this information seems to be wrong because there appears to be a compartment that holds the battery that you can open with a screwdriver.

Update: Nearly a week later, this is ALL she’ll play with. She loves it to death and will play with it until she’s exhausted. She’s even been sneaking downstairs, while we’re asleep, to play with it.

Here is a short video of our girl playing with the Pet Qwerks Animal Sounds Babble Ball.


Pet Qwerks Animal Sounds Babble Ball
$8.50
$9.99

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Air Kong Squeaker Tennis Ball

Our dog’s most favorite toy is her Air Kong Squeaker Tennis Ball. It’s strange that it’s her favorite, because she does have trouble following it when it’s not squeaking or bouncing. It’s not a toy I would normally think we be a good blind dog toy, but perhaps it’s her favorite because she loves having us play with her. You see, we have to squeak the ball so she can easily find it. It’s like hide and seek, but out in the open. She will play by herself sometimes and relies on her keen sense of smell to sniff the ball out when we’re not around to squeak it. But she very much prefers when everybody gets in on the fun.

Her favorite thing to do after she finds the squeaky ball is  squeaking it (that’s the point, right?) and flinging it around the room to chase.  It’s amusing to be sitting in the other room and hear “squeaky squeaky squeaky squeaky THUMP THUMP THUMP”. LOL.

She still loves her PetQwerks Jingle X-tire Ball, but her strong preference is the Air Kong Squeaker Tennis Ball and will choose it over the PetQwerks ball most of the time.

Pros:

  • Strong and durable for heavy chewers.
  • Tons of fun when mom and/or dad join in.
  • Can be easily tracked when squeaked.

Cons:

  • It’s more difficult to track when not squeaking or bouncing.
  • Not as much fun to play with alone.
  • Might be too big for smaller dogs, but there might be smaller versions available.

Available at: Dog.com

Air Kong Squeaker Tennis Ball
$1.30
$1.49
$1.50
$1.99
$2.25
$2.49

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PetQwerks Jingle X-tire Ball

PetQwerks Jingle X-tire Ball Dog ToyAs mentioned in my first post, the PetQwerks Jingle X-tire Ball was the first dog toy I purchased after our dog became blind. She had stopped playing and had become a bit lethargic and depressed for the months after her blindness began.

Eager to get her out of her slump and back to her happy tail-wagging self again, I bought this jingle ball dog toy when I found it by accident in a local drugstore. As soon as she heard that jingle bell, our dog perked up. When I tossed it across the floor, she followed its motion perfectly using her keen sense of hearing. She snatched it up as if she could see it. After some tail wags and a few test nibbles on the tough plastic, she flung it across the room, barked, and chased after it.

It was so great to see her playing again. She’d always been a very playful and fun loving dog, even playing by herself when we weren’t available to entertain her.

I was afraid this toy wouldn’t be durable enough for our dog, as she’s a strong chewer and regularly destroys “tough” toys. Aside from taking out 2 or 3 little nubs from the tire, the toy has held together well for months now and she hasn’t attempted to destroy it. Your mileage may vary.

Pros:

  • Durable enough for our strong chewer.
  • Dogs can track the toy by sound.
  • Jingle bell is large and easily heard.
  • Our dog took a strong liking to it and is one of her favorite toys now.

Cons:

  • Toy is made of plastic, not rubber, and may leave small pieces of plastic if dog does chew. Remember to supervise your dog during use.
  • Jingle ball is large and may not be suitable for smaller dogs. I think smaller sizes may be available, however.

Available at: Amazon.com

PetQwerks Jingle X-tire Ball
$5.09
$10.47

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