NoBite

Jolly balls are Taz' favorite toys. He likes the large dog size or the horse size Jolly ball. He will bite them repeatedly, shake them vigorously and carry them around while zooming! So, what's my peeve?

The handle.

Yes, I know these are not meant to be chew toys. I know they are meant to be used under supervision. I've read the advertisements that now explicitly point out both those fact. Yet, the handles are the weak link in an otherwise GREAT toy.

Some dogs get along just fine with the Jolly Balls just as they are. I have viewed comments on other breed sites saying so. But, there are others of us that have seen the handles chewed up in two days or less and watched a great toy reduced to lifeless rubber scrap.

I usually buy my Jolly Balls from SitStay dot com. Recently, I emailed SitStay with a request to contact the manufacturer and express interest in a soft Jolly Ball with no handle. I had already done exactly that, but could not get my letter to anyone in the company with a customer service mindset! The nice lady at SitStay did not make an attempt to contact them, saying that she knew they would not change their product because it was selling well.

Uh, HELLO SitStay, I am asking for an additional product, a NEW product! Geesch, how difficult can that be to discuss with a manufacturer?

Am I alone here? Would anyone else find a soft, ho-handle Jolly Ball to be a great idea? Perhaps if everyone with that interest dropped an email to the Jolly Ball folks, they would discover a customer base sufficient enough to give this product legs. I wonder how often any manufacturer gets letters from potential customers asking for a product that they are willing to buy?

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A good wife, a good horse, a good dog. That's all a man needs and I'm thankful to have all three.

ellenm

My two love the jolly balls, but they do not chew them at all. I can leave them out as all weather toys in the yard for something to play tug and chase over.

I would think the company would consider a handleless toy if there was a demand for it. Good luck!

NoBite

Upon much research and a tip from a friend, I have discovered that the company DOES offer a similar (I hope) ball without a handle. It's called the Bounce-N-Play ball and comes in two diameters: 4.5" and 8". I have the larger size on order and will report here once we give it a go. Funny thing is, I have found only one site where it is offered. My normal source for Jolly Balls, SitStay dot com, had not heard of this product, nor had other distributors that I researched.

I found the ball at Best Friends General Store. All one word, followed by dot com, if you are interested in looking into this.

If the ball is tough and re-inflates like a Jolly Ball, I think we will like it a bunch!

__________________
A good wife, a good horse, a good dog. That's all a man needs and I'm thankful to have all three.

NoBite

Our Bounce-N-Play ball has arrived. It is the 8" version. A 4.5" ball is also made. This comes from the same company that makes Jolly Balls.

Folks, this IS a Jolly Ball with no handle! It even says "JOLLY BALL" embossed on the side of the ball. Same material and it still re-inflates when bitten. To say it bounces is a bit of a stretch. It will bounce if you kick it up in the air, but it doesn't bounce like a basketball!

Initial impression: Taz LOVES this ball! It has every appealing aspect of the original Jolly Ball, without the drawback of the easy-to-chew-off handle. Taz bites it repeatedly, hikes it backwards between his legs then turns to pounce on it, and will grab it and ZOOM around the yard with it in his mouth!

I dropped a note to SitStay dot com and gave Darcie my review. She indicated that they would be placing an order right away, so the ball should be available there soon. Based on what I discovered when asking about a product like this at several breed websites, I'd expect this ball to be popular when the word gets out that it's available.

I purchased the ball from Unique Dog Toys Gifts Puzzles Tough Squeaky Dog Toys at BestFriends General Store. This was my first purchase there and all went well. They seem to also have a good selection of products. Worth a look-see!

I hope this review helps those of you that liked the original Jolly Ball, but wanted a ball without a handle.

__________________
A good wife, a good horse, a good dog. That's all a man needs and I'm thankful to have all three.

NoBite

Okay, in case you were wondering what the Bounce-N-Play ball looked like, here is a video of Taz playing with one.

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A good wife, a good horse, a good dog. That's all a man needs and I'm thankful to have all three.

Nikki

Looks like it's a hit.

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ReDobie4xtina2

Lukas has this ball, they were on clearance at our local supply store.

It is his favorite!!! I am going back today to get him a few more.

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NoBite

Here we are in late November and Taz still likes the Bounce-N-Play ball the best of all his toys! And, he has yet to destroy it!! I am not kidding. We play with this ball every day outdoors and he is anything but easy on it. Folks, two paws up on this ball!

I have talked at length with Darcie at SitStay. They plan to have this in stock by December 5.

__________________
A good wife, a good horse, a good dog. That's all a man needs and I'm thankful to have all three.