I know this is a popular toy because so many companies are selling it and imprinting their company names on it. This one is made by Playay which calls its ball Tooth Cleaning - Play & IQ Ball - not exactly the sexiest name, but it's descriptive. If you have a small to medium-size dog, you will know just by looking at the ball that it does what it says it does.
The Playay is a tough rubber ball, about the size of a tennis ball, made of non-toxic, non-abrasive rubber. It has 8 rows of relatively resistant jaws with Halloween pumpkin-like teeth. Without treats, it is a modestly tough little guy that flies far and bounces just like a real ball. Without treats, this ball will perform the same repetitive exercise for your dog as a real ball, but it will also provide some chewing pleasure and teeth cleaning action for healthy gums and teeth, whether your pup's a pup or a senior. Many Amazon customers don't use treats at all because their dogs enjoy chewing on the ball without the extra encouragement.
But treats will encourage your pet to play with this ball by himself, especially treats that he likes. Kibble is not a treat to a dog; it's food. Get some small treats - kibble size - to place between the teeth, something like the Wellness Crunchy or Wellness Chewy Puppy Bites.
As you can see though, this ball enables you to provide a bit of a challenge by placing treats between the 'teeth', or a much bigger challenge by placing them behind the teeth. Initially, I would place most of the treats between the teeth just to get your pet familiar with the to get the treats out. Gradually, you can make the Tooth Cleaning - Play & IQ Ball more challenging by moving more and more treats inside of the teeth.
If you want to keep your dog busy for a good while, stuff cheese or peanut butter on the inside of the ball's teeth and small tempters like the Wellness Bites between the teeth. You can even freeze a peanut butter-stuffed Playay to extend the pleasure even longer. But don't let your pet get too carried away; you don't want her to eat the toy! You should not leave your pet alone with this or any toy that has the potential of causing injury.
As for the Playay testing your pet's IQ, I'm not totally convinced of that. Dogs are bred for different purposes and their traits tend to reflect that; that's all. Either your dog is attracted to the toy or not; most customers report that their dogs love the toy, but if a big dog or a dog with a big jaw gets a hold of this ball, she will tear it apart and possibly swallow pieces, so you do need to watch for hard chewing and look for wear and tear on the ball. Throw the ball away if parts are worn or tearing.
Cats: If the ball is for a cat, don't place treats behind the the ball's teeth. Cat teeth are not like dog teeth and it will be very difficult, and possibly harmful, for them to remove treats. The manufacturer markets the Playay for cats and other small animals, but most cat-owner Amazon customers of the Playay say that "this toy is not for cats," and I agree.
That's the buzz for today!
