Planet Dog's Sustainable Wood Chuck Takes Fetch "Green"

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© B. Boyko
I Think I Have Tanner's Attention!

Gone are the days of tennis balls that lay in landfills forever. Plastic ball throwers move aside. Planet Dog's Wood Chuck has stepped in with an Eco-friendly chucker for girls like me who are eternally throwing-challenged.


Made of a bamboo body with  reused cork scraps for a grippable, sweatproof handle, the bambo Wood Chuck doesn't stop there at sustainability. The ball that comes loaded in its throwing  mechanism is an Orbee-Tuff RecycleBall. Check out what I learned about this Earth-friendly product at their website:

"What other toy company takes their leftover material and makes productive use of it? We don't know of any. Our RecycleBALLS® are made from "regrind" - 100% 1st quality Orbee-Tuff® material that would otherwise be discarded."

© B. Boyko
Yes, Definitely!

When our Planet Dog Wood Chuck arrived, Tanner and I had to head for the dog park, where there was room for a real thrower to show off! As it turned out, Tanner enjoyed a great game of Fetch with a friendly Chocolate Lab as well, while other dogs experimented with the chewability of the toy intermittently. Suffice it to say this ball got a good workout. Despite its softer feel and flexibility, it has continued to hold up well under numerous power jaws it has come in contact with. 

All balls eventually split, and when they do, they deserve the proper burial, out of Fido's reach in the recycle bin or dumpster. Don't leave a torn or busted ball out for play, as this becomes a dangerous plaything. Replacement Orbee-Tuff RecycleBalls are available at pet superstores and online. 

Planet Dog's labeling for the Wood Chuck also mentions that some tennis balls fit nicely into the holder. It simply depends on the age and wear of the ball, which affect its flexibility for fitting into the holder. 

No laughing at my throwing form. I know I throw like a girl. You don't see Tanner complaining, now do you? Of course not! He knows a good Fetch game always starts with mom. After all, Mom taught Tanner the game. Enjoy the show. Then  let's have some fun with a giveaway. We love a sustainable toy!

Planet Dog Puts Helpful Pet Sitter Info in Owners' Hands

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© Carrie Boyko
Tanner Enjoys a Treat Hunt
with his Orbee-Tuff Ball

This past week I wrote an article for the Saturday Pet Blogger hop. The topic was pet sitters and dog walkers and my new friends at Planet Dog were quick to jump in and help. When I mentioned this post there was no hesitation. They offered a generous giveaway of 10 Planet Dog Pet Sitter Instruction Pads. New friends are so wonderful!

© A.J., reader copyright on file
Lola Shows Her Support

Planet Dog's offer was in honor of their 10th Anniversary of the Orbee-Tuff Ball. Tanner is playing with his in the photo above. This is one great ball. It smells delicious (not like typical rubber), floats in the water for swimming fun, and has a hole to transform itself into a treat toy as well. What could be more perfect? 


I suppose we should get down to business and hand out the loot now, huh? Congratulations to all these lucky readers who will receive a tablet of 50 sheets with fill-in-the-blank instructions for their pet sitters. It's a great tool to be sure you never forget the important stuff (like where Fido loves to be rubbed and which shelf the treats are on!). Congratulations to:
AJ 
Finn the Golden Retriever
Lillij
Ashley J.
Kristine T.
Sharon G.
Vicki B.
Colleen R.
Mike and Mandy
Sara N.

© Carrie Boyko
Tanner's Orbee-Tuff Ball
is a Great Pool Toy too!

You will all be notified by email. Please reply with your address to AllThingsDogBlog.com. When all of your addresses are received Planet Dog will ship your Instruction Pads. Thanks again for your participation. I look forward to seeing you often.


If you're not among the lucky winners, feel free to purchase your own Pet Sitter Instruction Pad by visiting this link. Meanwhile, Tanner wants to say Thanks to our friends at Planet Dog with one more photo:

Orbee-Tuff™ Balls Go to Fun Loving Winners

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© S.V.B, reader copyright on File
 Thanks to Sophie for Her Enthusiasm 

 Another week. Another giveaway. I love my job! Today I get to play Santa Claus and give away 6 of the Orbee-Tuff Balls™. I've used Random.org to select the winning numbers from your comments at the Review Post, and each winner will be getting a different color combination from their selection of blue/green, glow/orange, pink/blue, glass/lake, red/teal and silver/pink.


The winners of the colorful Orbee-Tuff Balls™ are Cynthia (crzycoookies), Rebecca H., K-Koira, Em, SvBerges, and Ashley J. Congratulations! The folks at Planet Dog will be shipping your balls right to your door. I just need to collect all addresses in order to do my part. Please send your address to me at AllThingsDogBlog.com. When I've received all 6, they'll go to Planet Dog for shipment.


Before I close, I must share 2 more adorable photos that came in for this contest: 

© Jones 
We Love You too, Lola

© S Gilbert
Thanks to Skipper and Schooner!

Oliver is probably wondering what the tiny Orbee-Tuff ball is like, but he has had much fun playing with his Glow Ball. He gets especially excited when I fill it with treats. Yee ha!





Full disclosure: The Planet Dog organization provided us with their balls to test. We were not paid to provide this review and the opinions herein are our own.

Planet Dog Celebrates 10 Years of Orbee-Tuff Balls™

by Carrie Boyko, CEB

© courtesy Planet Dog
Floating Orbee Balls

© Carrie Boyko
Meet Your New Treat/Pool Ball

My visit to Global Pet Expo earlier this year had many highlights. Unfortunately I cannot name Planet Dog as one of them. Shocking? Don't get your skivvies in a bind; it's only because they were so popular that I couldn't get near the booth. Each time I visited I found a mob scene and gave up, promising to return later.

© Carrie Boyko
Play Bow Offering to Orbee!

When I finally made contact (sounds like a sci-fi movie, huh?) it all ended well, with me getting a box of samples to review, while Tanner and Oliver are grinning ear to ear about their job at hand. We'll start with the Orbee-Tuff Orbee Ball that you see pictured above, their signature toy that is buoyant, AND can hold treats inside to give your pup a whole different experience as he plays indoors seeking the elusive treat inside.

© Carrie Boyko
Captivating Playtime

That's where we will start--treats!  The boys chased their balls around for about 30 minutes, digging and chewing and licking until they both dropped for a nap, exhausted from the effort of trying to get the payload--Organix treats inside!


When I picked up the balls, I was surprised to find that even with treats inside, the balls still smelled delightfully like peppermint. This scent is embedded in the material and makes the balls forever remain sweet smelling to us owners--another perk.

© courtesy Planet Dog Foundation

These great balls are non-toxic, recyclable, and come in 4 sizes and 6 colors. I take it the folks at Planet Dog are serious about their Orbee Balls! And that's not all. I wanted to sign on with their staff when I read their Workforce Initiatives and their plan for giving back with 2% of your purchases going to the Planet Dog Foundation. I did take issue with their Maine Winters though; I'm a Florida girl through and through, and Tanner needs his daily swims. We'll stick with that and let him try out the Orbee Ball in the pool. Take a look:

© Carrie Boyko
Tanner Discovers a Buoyant Orbee Ball

© Carrie Boyko
Resting on the Pool Float

 This has been a grand way to kick off our Independence Day weekend. My pups are pooped from invigorating play and I'm sure we'll have more throughout the weekend. The pool always calls to Tanner!

© Carrie Boyko
Fetch Success

Shall we give some of these great balls away? Of course! Let's get 6 of these colorful, durable balls out to some dog-loving folks for their pups. I can offer a ball in each color combination listed below, and with your dog sizing info we'll make sure Fido gets the right size ball. The colors are a wonderful assortment of blue/green, glow/orange, pink/blue, glass/lake, red/teal and silver/pink. The latter is the color combination that Tanner has been playing with. Oliver was introduced to the Glow Ball which we'll enjoy trying out in evening lighting as well. That should be fun!

© Carrie Boyko
Another Round, Mom?

Thanks to the nice folks at Planet Dog; they also will toss in a surprise sticker that you'll be sure to love sporting on your car window. Here's how to enter our giveaway:

• You may enter the giveaway once daily per method, but you must use a different Tweet, comment, photo, etc. each time. 
• COMMENTS are the primo form of entry--super simple since you're already here. Visit the bottom of the post to find the COMMENTS link and click.
• Winners will be selected from comments here on the blog that include a method of contact (URL, email, Twitter handle, etc). All Tweets and emails must be followed up with a comment here to be entered in the drawing. Random.org will be used to select the winners.
• For 3 entries, drop me an email at AllThingsDogBlog@gmail.com with a photo of your pup and a sign that says "We Love Orbee-Tuff Balls ". You can print a picture from this post and write the note on the photo for an extra entry. That's 4 entries right there! Your photo may even be featured on our Facebook page, Planet Dog's Facebook Page, or here on the blog. 
• Leave a comment here saying "I Like All Things Dog Blog and Planet Dog on Facebook" for another entry.
• Likewise, follow  @AllThingsDog and @PlanetDog1997 on Twitter and leave a comment here telling me you've done this.
• Subscribing to our blog by email using the dog house subscription box at left is a great way to keep up with our posts, giveaways, Ask the Vet and Trainer columns and more. Leave me a comment for one entry, saying "I subscribe to All Things Dog Blog." RSS subscribers may use this method also. Click this link for more info on RSS.
• And of course, hit that Tweet/Retweet button at the top of the post, and then leave me a comment telling me you Tweeted/Retweeted this post. Leave your Twitter handle for verification and we'll be thrilled to give you another entry.
• Don't forget to include a method of contact so we can notify you if you win.
• Entries will close at 5 PM sharp on Thursday, July 14th. I'll report the winners on Friday, July15th.

© Carrie Boyko
Oliver Greets His Glow Ball

Watch for more Planet Dog reviews coming up. I have a few other surprises up my sleeve to share. Wishing you could have a Planet Dog toy? Check out their online store for all their great products. You'll find more than just a wonderful selection of Eco toys; they also carry pet lover items, gifts, leashes, training items and some great looking Tshirts. Enjoy your shopping in the quiet of your own living room--no crowds, no gasoline, no parking lots. Just Fido on your lap while you browse the Internet. What could be more perfect? Happy tails!

Full Disclosure: Samples were provided by Planet Dog for review. I have not been paid to provide this review and the opinions included here are my own.