Every dog owner can truly attest that dogs are man’s best friend. They guard us and keep us company. Some even perform cute stunts that gain us views on youtube (lol). My point is, dogs do so much for us. The least we could do is keep them happy, well fed and most importantly, healthy. A dog ball launcher offers all this. Better yet, it can be used for the busy dog owner who is not around.

Moreover, some dogs usually need more exercise than others due to their super active nature. For these types of dogs, simple things like occasional long walks or casual playtime don’t cut it. There are incredibly fun automatic balls throwers in the market that you can purchase which will help keep your dog on its paws.

These wonderful dog fetch machines have been recommended by many users as they have the best features for your dog. Some of them are customized and made specifically for small spaces should you not have a big compound or are looking to have your dog play inside the house most times. Since most dogs are constantly in the mood to play, despite the humans being tired, this automatic ball launcher will keep them happy, healthy and satisfied.

The balls are normally thrown across your house or the yard for your dog to play. The automatic dog ball thrower is pre-set for some seconds that could range between 5, 7 or 10 seconds depending on what you prefer. Once you have trained your dog to put the balls in the bucket every time, it becomes easier for the dog to keep playing for a relatively long time. The dog can either do an independent fetch when trained well or you can use a remote control to make your work easier. Some even come with the ability to offer your dog treats with every successful ball return. High-end launchers come with Wi-Fi capabilities such that monitoring your dog is handled to the last detail.

If I have managed to convince you to spoil your dog, you ought to go through our guide for a detailed rundown on dog ball launchers.

CONS

The BallReady Automatic Food Dispenser and Ball Launcher is very analog. It does not have any WiFi connectivity or application compatibility. Thus, you cannot monitor the device and your dog remotely.

It is quite expensive. Despite its ability to keep your dog busy and fed in your absence, the device is quite costly.

It does not have any voice capability. Dogs like to hear your voice congratulating them for fetching the ball. This enhances coordination and encourages the dog to carry on.

PROS

The BallReady Automatic Food Dispenser and Ball Launcher can work without your supervision. It can dispense food and throw balls for your dog to play fetch. This makes it an ideal companion for your pet when you are away.

In this machine, you can set the feeding interval for your dog. The device has a switch which helps you to choose between 12 and 24-hour intervals in between feeding sessions. In addition to that, there is another switch which you can use to determine the distance that the ball will be thrown for your dog to fetch. There is yet another switch which determines how many times your beloved dog has to fetch the ball and return it to the BallReady Automatic Food Dispenser and Ball Launcher before receiving a treat.

The dog ball launcher has a crater-shaped top which readily accepts the ball when your dog drops it in. The ball rolls into a special hole and stays ready for relaunch. The moment your dog fetches the ball and drops it into the hole, some food can be dispensed if the dispenser is on. This creates a chain of fetch and reward events automatically.

CONS

The balls are actually really small. At only 1.5 inches in diameter, they are only ideal for small dogs to play with. Large dogs can choke on them quite easily. This makes the Pyle Automatic Dog Tennis Ball Launcher only ideal for small dogs which is quite inconveniencing.

This pet toy tennis ball launcher is analog. It is not WiFi compatible. This means that you cannot monitor it remotely to check on your dog when you are at work or elsewhere. Moreover, it does not have any voice capability. Thus, it cannot congratulate your dog when the balls are fetched and successfully retrieved. These features would make it more pet and user-friendly.

PROS

This pet tennis ball launcher is easy and fun to use. To get it working, simply plug it in and turn it on. After that, adjust the distance that the balls will be launched, load the little tennis balls and set the toy to launch them. Your dog will promptly run after the balls and fetch them.

The Pyle Automatic Dog Tennis Ball Launcher has a pet-friendly design which is characterized by a large cavity on its upper surface where your dog can drop the fetched balls for a relaunch. To keep the fun going, the Pyle Automatic Dog Ball Launcher comes with 3 balls and 5 replacement ones. Since it is easy to use, your dog can learn how to operate it on its own quite quickly.

The dog fetch machine is orange in color. This makes it easy to spot for you and your dog too. This way, you can’t trip over it. Moreover, your dog sees it properly for the purpose of ball delivery. The Pyle Automatic Dog Tennis Ball Launcher is also quite light. As such, moving it around your house is easy and so is storage.

CONS

The iFetch Too Interactive Ball Launcher weighs 15.4 pounds. This is much heavier than other dog fetch toys. This makes it more challenging to handle during use.

Its warranty period that lasts for only 6 months. This is short since most electronics and toys have warranties lasting 1 year and above.

PROS

The iFetch Too Interactive Ball Launcher for dogs is large and can launch standard size tennis balls. This means that you can load some tennis balls which you could have around your home. It also means that you can have as many replacement balls for the toy as possible by simply buying them from a sports store.

Its ability to launch regular size tennis balls prevents your dog from choking on them. As such, your pet is safe as it used this launcher. You can also determine the distance that the balls will go. This helps you to control your dog’s range of activity. Interestingly, you can set it to pick a random distance so as to keep your dog guessing where the ball will land.

This dog fetch machine comes with specially made “Tuff” balls that have a diameter of 2.5 inches each. They are designed like tennis balls and are non-abrasive to your dog’s teeth. The toy is also fully rechargeable and can go for hours on a single charge.

23-inch height is enough for most situations. Can help dogs reach up to climb into most vehicles, beds, and other pieces of furniture. Made to be useful in the most common scenarios.

CONS

This automatic dog ball thrower has a loose upper plate. As such, whenever it launches a tennis ball, the whole unit rattles and vibrates. This makes it noisy to use indoors.

Sometimes the power system of the PetSafe Automatic Ball launcher is erratic. Users have complained that it cuts out after 15 minutes of use on battery power. This can be frustrating for you and your dog too.

PROS

When you buy this dog fetch machine, you get all the accessories required for it to run and give you hours of service. These include the dog ball launcher itself, an AC adapter, a power cord and 2 tennis balls. As such, you do not have to go buying any extra parts to make it work.

The PetSafe Automatic Ball Launcher is built such that you can take a break from playing fetch with your dog as required. Your dog can keep on playing with the toy in your absence. Since this automatic ball thrower can achieve a variety of angles and distances, it mimics your throwing behavior to provide a fulfilling experience for your dog.

This dog fetch machine can be operated using mains electricity or battery power. It is fully water resistant too. As such, it can be used in the outdoors. The device makes use of a collection of motion sensors. These ensure safe operation for you and your dog. It is able to enter a sleeping mode automatically too.

CONS

It cannot be used with medium or large dogs. This dog ball launcher is designed only for use by small dogs. This is evident from the tiny balls that it comes with. As such, owners of large dogs cannot make use of its awesome characteristics.

The balls used in this dog fetch machine are really small and smooth in nature. Thus, they pose a choking hazard. You should always be present when your dog is playing with this toy because the balls are smooth and small enough to go down their throats.

PROS

This dog ball launcher has two options for power. It can run on mains electricity or battery power. When used indoors, the Playball Automatic Ball Launcher & Thrower can be plugged into a socket power source. It has a power adapter plug capable of handling 110 volts or 240 volts of electricity. If you are using it in the outdoors, you can be sure of hours of fun. This is because it makes use of 6 rechargeable size “C” batteries.

The ball launcher is able to provide you with various options for ball launch power. These are 3 in number. There is an indicator light on its body that helps you to see the level which you have chosen.

There are other dog ball launchers in the market which make use of standard-size tennis balls. These balls have a tendency to get stuck in the ball launcher. Therefore, this dog toy is delivered with a group of 3 smooth balls which have a diameter of 1.5 inches. These ones cannot get stuck in the launcher. Moreover, they are sized to fit in the jaws of small dogs. To help you use the Playball Automatic Ball Launcher & Thrower, a user manual is included in the package when you buy the toy.

Over time, dogs have become more valuable to us and their lives have changed considerably thanks to technology that keeps coming up with new techniques to keep them healthy and entertained. A perfect dog ball launcher will definitely have great features and will be easy to use. You will need to do adequate research so that you end up buying a ball launcher that meets all your needs. There are different types of launchers  meaning that you need to get the right one for your dog. You want something quality that is safe for your dog, will keep your dog interested,  something that is really comfortable for you and something that is worth your hard earned money at the end of the day.

The general assumption is always that, the cheaper anything is, the lower its quality. While this may not be true sometimes, statistics have proven that it is mostly the case except for the few exceptions. Price is very important in determining a quality dog ball.

Expensive and costly dog ball launchers are amazingly effective since a lot of time has been put into researching the product; designing and real testing has been done. There are so many different ball shooters in the market some of which are of poor quality thus come at a very affordable price. Naturally, people are attracted to low pricing of goods. They will be enticed by the price and buy them to save up some coins only to be very disappointed since the products will either not last or will not live up to the expectations.

The best way to know for sure that you will get value for your money is always buying the reliable ball launcher brands because the quality is guaranteed. They are relatively costly but you would rather save up your money and get them since they will last longer rather than buying cheap brands that break down within a few months of use. The five brands reviewed at the beginning of this guide are a good place to start.

Cheap products are normally from some random unknown companies whose main target is getting higher profit margins and do not take any time to build a brand or invest in customer satisfaction and establishing long-lasting relationships with their customers.

You can easily know low-quality products because most of them always get a bad rap on social media so keep your eyes peeled and do some research before buying.

Some have observed that the cheap products do not ever have proper products description because the companies are too busy trying to make profits that they forget the basics such as hiring qualified writers to do descriptions for them.

Also, a good dog ball launcher should come with instructions. Most cheap and fake products usually come without any instructions on how to operate them. Some high-end dog ball launchers even come with a free PDF or book on how to train your dog. however, sometimes lack of user manuals is usually a packaging issue. So, be careful not to dismiss a good product just because it lacks instructions.

You will also spot a fake product by just looking at it. If the assembly looks all flimsy and the cage rattles every time you touch it, then it’s probably a fake.

The bottom line is, with dog ball launchers, you get value for your money 8 out of ten times. So, if you don’t want your launcher to stop working mid-session (while nobody is around) I suggest you dig deep into your pockets and spoil your dog. It will be worth it.

Budget

I know I just told you to go big when buying dog ball launchers.this doesn’t mean that there are no quality launchers that are affordable. Compare your budget to the cost of the launcher then decide from there. You should buy a dog launcher that is durable to avoid unnecessary repair costs or even replacement. You will get reviews online on the performance and the total cost and you can decide from there. There are also incredible options if you do not want to dig deep into your pockets. You will still get launchers that will keep your dog active and satisfied for a long period of time with a tight budget. All you have to do is do extra research to find out which launchers are of high quality but cheaper and can definitely last as long as the other brands. You can get the iFetch which is highly recommended and if you are not looking to spending so much money you can get the Bazook 9 since it will serve you well for a long period of time. The cost for a reliable launcher typically ranges between $100 and $200. Anything, especially the automatic ball throwers that are below that price range are in most occasions less reliable.

The size of your pet

Before purchasing a launcher it is important to know what size your pet is especially if you want to buy an automatic ball thrower. This is because of the size of the tennis ball that is used with the devices. The launchers come in different sizes and there is no one size fits all. Large, normal and small dogs all need different toys that will be suitable for them. If you own a small dog then the Gotcha Talking Fetch Toy will be the best choice for your dog. If you have a normal sized dog the most suitable launcher will be iFetch. If you own a large dog then you may definitely want to consider getting the iFetch Too.

Training required

Generally, you want your dog to have fun regardless of the location. Most of the ball throwers are designed to be suitable for outdoor use and indoor use. For each of them, it is important to consider distance since it is a very important feature. If you want something to use indoors, then you are better placed to get a ball thrower with lower distance settings since it is important. However, if you are planning to get your dog to use the ball thrower outdoors then you should look for a launcher that has the furthest distance setting so that you can have your dog engage more and run for a long distance. For most of these launchers though, they can be adjusted and the standard adjustments for most of them are 20ft and30 ft. and some may go up to 50 ft. depending on the brand.  Most of the ball launchers normally come with an AC power and choice of battery operation to help with the same.

Automatic vs manual ball thrower

If you are on a tight budget and you don’t mind being there to play catch with your dog, the manual ball thrower is ideal for you. When you get a manual ball thrower it will give you the chance to connect more and bond with your dog and training will be faster. For many people, they started with the manual ball thrower before upgrading to the automatic one.

However, as a dog owner, if you feel like you do not have time to play with your dog the automatic ball thrower will be something you should consider when you want to buy a launcher. The automatic ball thrower saves a lot of time and you can leave your dog to play alone outside as you do something else you enjoy. Your dog will learn to play independently and can play for however long it likes. This will require you to go deeper into your pockets since they are relatively costly.

Various tennis ball sizes

You should check out the size of the tennis balls. Most of the dog ball launchers use the standard tennis balls which are ideal for medium and large sized dogs. This greatly depends on the model most of the times though. For the small sized dog, however, many manufacturers went above and beyond to create ball launchers that are designed for small dogs which also toss out smaller tennis balls. You should get an iFetch too for the small dogs because it also uses slightly smaller tennis balls.

Since dogs are natural fetchers and like to play and fetch anything thrown away from them, it is crucial to choose the best ball launcher for your dog. If you are a pet owner you know that there are numerous dog ball launchers that will keep your dog busy for hours. With so many launchers out there, pet owners are always in a dilemma because they can’t seem to decide which one to buy. Some automated ball throwers are good for all types of dogs while others are suitable for small dogs and constantly need to be used manually. If you have a small dog and one that does now like fetching or can’t fetch for long hours, a manual small ball launcher will be the ideal toy. If your dog, on the other hand, is an avid ball fetcher and is constantly active throughout the day, get an automated ball thrower.

When choosing the best ball launcher some of the factors you need to consider include;

• Its ease of use– you don’t want to take too much time trying to figure out what to do with the machine. Something easy to use and setup is convenient. Most of the launchers have gone a step further to create videos to show their clients how they work to simply the work for them
• The distance the balls can go and the distance settings – this is very important because it will determine whether it can be used outdoor and indoors. Ball launchers that go a longer distance are better off since they keep the dog on its toes and stimulates its mind. You need a machine that can throw the ball up to 30ft
• You need a launcher that is quiet– since dogs get scared when there is unfamiliar and disturbing noise, it is important to look for a ball launcher that is relatively quiet. You do not want to make your dog uncomfortable or make it learning slower.
• The size and quality of the balls– the best balls to use are the ones that are chew resistant because most of the dogs have a tendency of chewing up the balls. Some of the balls are also smooth especially the high-quality ones and this makes them not to get stuck in the machine. Small mini-sized balls are also preferred because it is easier to train the dog and the dog can easily return the balls to the launcher.
• Safety– it is recommended that you get a ball launcher that has a safety arc. The safety arc shoots the ball up as opposed to directly to the dog which is incredible because any sort of harm is avoided. Launchers that have special features ideal for both people and pets is a plus
• Rest feature– this may be dismissed by some pet owners to be insignificant but it is very helpful and good for your dog. You need a machine that has a rest feature so that after a certain time, it takes a mandatory break from fetching.

 TIPS, TRICKS AND ADVICE

Training your dog may take time and requires patience and a lot of practice but it can be a ton of fun when you see that the dog is having a great time with the new toy. You may have been playing fetch with your pet for years but you need to upgrade since there are great ball launchers out there. Most of this dog fetch machines have been well thought of and designed to be automatic hence they simplify your work while at the same time making the dog really happy. You may have done the job yourself and played and bonded with your dog, but you are now busy or just too tired to engage. Here are some few useful tips you can use to train your dog on how to use the different types of dog fetch machines that are out there.

Introducing the dog to the launcher

Since this is a completely new device to the dog, it is essential that you give it time to adjust and familiarize itself with the dog fetch machine. The best way to start is by introducing the ball fetcher slowly. Since almost all dog fetch machines make some sound or have some noise, the dogs can get really terrified or anxious and may hesitate for a while. For starters, you can start by enticing your dog with delicious treat to get it to warm up. You can then leave the machine and let the dog discover it and play with it on its own. When it does something like try and play with it ensure that you give positive feedback to the dog so that it is encouraged. Due to the noise, you can place the launcher at a distance when you start and then as your dog gets more and more comfortable you can then begin bringing the launcher nearer until is completely used to the noise that is produced by the launcher when it is on.

Train the dog to drop

Using any ball, you can train your dog by tossing or rolling it and making the dog bring it back to you. Make sure that it obeys command in that when you say something like ‘drop’ it will get what you mean and when you use ‘out’ it will know that you are communicating with it and it should obey the command. Of course, keep those treats coming for when it does anything right. Small affectionate gestures and phrases such a ‘good dog’ will go a long way. Always keep your dog on leash to avoid distractions and the dog running off. Practice using commands until your dog has mastered the art of dropping the ball then you can proceed with the rest of the training.

Adjust the distance and angle

Depending entirely on where the dog uses the dog ball launcher, it is important to adjust the settings. There are some settings, especially the short distance settings that are specifically for indoor use. For outdoors use, you will definitely need longer distances and can train your dog with the various distances. The angles also matter because once the dog is used to working with a certain angle, it becomes difficult to change that. Therefore, once you have trained your dog or if you are in the process of training your dog, ensure you give accurate settings.

Use voice tones to train the dog

There are some dog ball launchers that have several tones such as the PetSafe automatic ball launcher. In this case, take advantage of the tones and use them to create learning friendly interaction that will be between the toy and the dog. You teach the dog what the tones mean or they learn independently about the tones and this makes it really easier to play on their own.

Time

You should train your dog on a daily basis at most three times. You should do it for roughly ten minutes each session. This way, training and playing fetch will be interesting for the dog and it will not feel like it is some fetch boot camp for sure. You also do not want your dog to feel frustrated by the amount of time taken for training.

Hit the road

Training the dog within the compound or in the comfort of your home will not benefit it much in the long run. You can use the carry handle to take the launcher anywhere you want. All you need to do is to ensure that the batteries are charged so that you can keep the power of the launcher on. Train your dog in new environments too as you progress so that they improve their techniques.

Do not reward the dog for bad behavior

When your dog doesn’t do what it is required to do, you should refrain from rewarding it so that it can learn. Dogs generally like treats so how you use them will send a clear message to them. If your dog tries to roll over or jump up in order to get a treat, do not award these behaviors. Restrict the treats to only certain behaviors and in no time the dog will learn.