Is your dog toy frisbee safe? Learn about non toxic materials for pets.
Okay, so about this dog toy frisbee thing.
I remember picking one up a while back. My dog, Max – he's a bundle of energy, always needs something to chase. I thought, hey, a frisbee, classic dog fun, right? Seemed like a good idea to burn off some of that endless zoomie power he's got.
So, I got this bright orange rubbery one. Supposedly softer on their mouths, less likely to break like the hard plastic ones I remember from when I was a kid. Looked sturdy enough.
First Tries Out Back
Took it out to the yard. Max was excited, tail going like crazy, knew we were gonna play something. I gave it a toss. Not a great toss, mind you, kind of wobbled in the air like a dying duck. Max just watched it land. Then he looked at me. Like, "Okay... and?"
So I went and got it. Tried again. A bit better this time, more spin. It sailed maybe twenty feet. Max? He ran towards it, sniffed it where it landed, then picked up a stick nearby instead and brought that back to me. Okay, maybe not an instant success.
- Throw attempt 1: Wobble, land, stare.
- Throw attempt 2: Better flight, sniff, ignored for a stick.
- Throw attempt 3: He chased it! But then tried to 'bury' it under some leaves. Progress?
Getting the Hang of It (Sort Of)
We kept at it over the next few days. My throws got slightly less pathetic. Max started actually chasing the frisbee, which was cool. Catching it in the air? Not so much. He'd wait for it to land, then pounce on it. Sometimes he'd grab it and just run around the yard with it, like he'd won the lottery, not wanting to bring it back.
There was this one time I threw it, a really good one, flat and straight. He sprinted, jumped... and it bounced right off his nose. He looked so confused. I felt bad, but honestly, it was pretty funny. He shook his head and then grabbed it off the ground like that was the plan all along.
The chewing phase also happened. Found him gnawing on the edge one afternoon. The 'tough' rubber started showing some serious teeth marks. Had to trade him a treat to get it back before he tore a chunk off.
Where We Are Now
So, is Max a frisbee champion? Nope. Not even close. But, we still use it. It's more like "chase the wobbly thing and run back with it... eventually". He enjoys the chase, I get a little throwing practice. It works for us. It's not like those videos you see of dogs doing amazing aerial catches. It's just our messy, imperfect version of fetch.
It’s still in the toy basket, teeth marks and all. We grab it maybe a couple of times a week. It’s just another part of the routine, another way to get that dog moving. Didn't turn out exactly like I pictured, but hey, Max seems happy enough chasing it, even if he brings back a pinecone half the time instead. That's dogs for you, right?
