WANTED: Durable dog toy
for very energetic Boxer

by Emily Hortin
(Indianapolis)

My three year old Boxer, Tyson is very picky about his toys. Not only is he picky, but he can tear most toys up in literally seconds, and he's not interested in toys he knows he can't destroy. I am looking for something that can withstand his jaws.

I found a toy that was intended for small children at WalMart but he loved/ destroyed it. I started my quest to have someone modify the design so that my dog can throw it up and down and back and forth all day long without it falling apart in 5 minutes.

There is a ball about the size of a tennis ball with a motor on the inside that makes funny, chicken like noises and it vibrates and shakes. The ball is covered with a putty like cover with tentacles all over it. The ball is activated by dropping ball or in Tyson's case, shaking it back and forth and across the room then running after it.

There is one final step. There is a four bar cage around the ball. The original design was composed of four plastic pillars loosely attached to two plastic platforms on the top and bottom. Before he tore it up, the cage protected the ball, and he would grab one of the bars in his mouth and shake it back and forth to activate the chicken ball. The cage only stood about four inches tall when placed flat on one of the platforms.

I think instead of plastic, a cage composed of durable rubber (Kong-like material) around the ball would work. A durable toy like this would be so wonderful. Let me know if there is anyone that could manufacture it.

It has to be REALLY strong!!!! I don't know if I could make something like this myself but please let me know if you have any ideas!! Thanks!


Editor's note: Anyone have any ideas? We think it sounds like a wonderful toy but would probably need to be made by a manufacturer like the Kong Company - Emily, if you want to contact them, here is their website address:
http://www.kongcompany.com/worlds_best.html