Product Review: The ChuckIt, For Dog Owners

Owning a dog can have its wonderful moments. The joys of puppyhood, the way your dog looks up to you with those big eyes and lolling tongue. Things that make you say "awwwww, that's so cute." When we bought our black lab seven years ago, we knew that being a purebred dog, she would be predisposed to certain behaviors. Retrieving, for one thing. We just didn't realize how obsessive a dog could become. Our dog Bailey will literally retrieve until she is exhausted and shaking. Wanting to adhere to the Dog Whisperer's advice to adequately exercise our dog, we try to throw a tennis ball as often as we can.

Unfortunately, tennis balls can get pretty yucky when retrieved by a dog. The balls get slimy, mud-caked, and stinky. Who want's to pick up a ball like that? (Except for your dog, of course.)

A few years ago, we were introduced to Canine Hardware's ChuckIt Ball Launcher. The ChuckIt is a device made out of hard plastic, looking more like a strange brightly colored fossil than a dog toy. By placing the claw end of the ChuckIt over a tennis ball on the ground, you can pick it up hand-free. (Yay - no more slimy hands! It also saves wear and tear on creaking backs, arms, and knees.) With a quick over the shoulder throw, you can launch the ball amazing distances. We actually toss the ball using the ChuckIt over the roof of our house. The dog retrieves it, and the process begins all over again. We don't have to work as hard, and the dog is unbelievably happy.

The plastic is weather friendly. We've left the ChuckIt outside over winters with lows hitting -17 degrees, and the ChuckIt still works like a charm.

As with any device, a few cautions are in order. You have to give the human ball launcher room to swing the ChuckIt. The launcher is fairly long, and the hard plastic is not friendly to other human being's tender heads (ouch!). A few practice swings are also in order, before you get the swing of the ChuckIt's method. Don't worry if you launch a few balls into the ground at first -- just relax, follow through, and launch away.

One of the most challenging aspects of the ChuckIt has been finding tennis balls that have flown huge distances, balls that the dog cannot even find. Don't worry about those, either - just plan on taking a few walks with your dog to find them. Then you can get your exercise too.