Floating Dog Toys: Make Pool Time More Exciting

Okay, let's talk about floating dog toys. My dog, Buster, absolutely loves the water, like, really loves it. Anytime we're near the lake or even just the backyard pool, he's itching to jump in. The problem was, his favorite fetch toys kept sinking. Lost a few good ones that way.

Finding the Right Stuff

So, I decided I needed to find some toys specifically made for water. I went down to the big pet store, you know the one. Walked up and down the aisles looking at all the options. So many choices, honestly. Some looked like they'd float, but felt kinda cheap, like they wouldn't last one good chew session with Buster.

I was looking for a few things:

• Obvious Buoyancy: It needed to look like it would actually float, maybe made of foam or that light rubber stuff.
• Durability: Buster's got strong jaws. No point if it falls apart after one trip.
• Visibility: Bright colors seemed like a good idea, easier to spot in the water for both me and him.

I ended up grabbing three different types to try out:

• A bright orange rubber bone that claimed to float.
• A sort of foamy frisbee-like disc.
• A classic tennis ball type, but specifically packaged as a 'water toy'.

Putting Them to the Test

Next sunny day, we headed down to the lake. Buster was already excited, splashing at the edge. First up, I tossed the orange rubber bone. It hit the water with a plop and... it floated! Pretty well, too. Stayed right on the surface. Buster paddled out, grabbed it easy, and brought it back. Success number one.

Next, the foam disc. I gave it a good fling. It skipped across the water a bit and floated high. Really easy to see. Buster went after it like a rocket. He seemed to like grabbing the disc shape. Another win.

Finally, the 'water toy' tennis ball. I had my doubts, felt just like a normal tennis ball. Threw it in. It bobbed for maybe, like, two seconds? Then it just slowly started sinking. Total failure. Buster watched it go down, looked back at me like, "Well, what now?" Luckily I tossed the orange bone back in quickly to distract him.

What Worked for Us

So, after our little experiment, the rubber bone and the foam disc were the clear winners. They floated reliably, were easy for Buster to grab, and seemed sturdy enough for now. The special 'water' tennis ball was a complete waste of money for floating purposes, might as well have used a regular one.

It's just what we found, you know? Every dog's different, but for Buster and his love for lake fetching, the bright, obviously buoyant stuff worked best. The fancy 'water ball' that looked normal? Nope. Stick to the ones that look like they'll float.