Ruff Wear Lunker.
Tucker received a Ruff Wear Lunker for Christmas. (Tucker says he LOVES trying out products.)  The Lunker is intended for both training and play.  We use it as a “fetch” rather than a “catch” toy.  That means we have Tucker sit or down and wait for a release command before he goes out to get the Lunker and then bring it back to us.  (We use the Ruff Wear Hover Craft for the catch “disk dog” toy.)

The Lunker meets our requirements for a safe toy: 

It has no pointy corners or sharp parts. 

While it does have a rope attached to make it easy for the person to grab and throw, the rope has no stringy ends to eat.  (In addition to that, the lunker is intended for “interactive play”. It is put away when we are done playing; Tucker does not get to chew on it.) 

It is machine washable.  That hasn’t been important this winter, but may become a factor during “mud” season. (That period of time in Vermont between the end of winter and the start of beautiful spring weather.) 

The Lunker can be used in the water (the filling includes scraps from the Float Coat foam for improved flotation).  Obviously we haven’t check that out yet.  Tucker loves to wade but doesn’t like to swim.  We worked on that last summer and plan to continue this year.  We will try the Lunker to see if it helps encourage him.

The Lunker is made from material that is durable enough to stand up to Tucker chewing out it some while returning it to us. (The Lunker is one of  the Ruff Wear “green”products, which are made suing environmentally sensitive materials.)  We haven’t played with it long enough to really test the durability.

The Lunker is available in three sizes.  Tucker got a size medium, because that is what I would consider him and also because - I admit it - whenever possible, I’ll  choose red.

Rating: A great toy for a reasonable price.