Ahh. A dogs ultimate life realized. A neverending game of fetch where it never has to worry about an owner being too busy or too tired to play. The idea sounds like a dream come true, but is it actually worth buying a dog fetch machine? At ruffnstuffs.com, we wanted to find out. We researched all about dog fetch machines so that you can make a well informed decision if it’s right for you and your pup. Here are the main factors a dog owner needs to consider…
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Pricing.
We found that these machines generally ranged from $60-$200+. Many of the options were right in between that range at around $100-$150. Of course the ones of the lower end of the spectrum seemed to have worse reviews and complaints about parts not working. We did notice however that the machines that were $200 and over weren’t necessarily rated any better than machines that were a bit cheaper. The only real benefit of the more expensive ones seem to be including a remote, which some users may want. But most of the machines in the $100-$150 range had similar features and provided the best value.
Function.
How well do these things operate? Well, apparently…it depends. Many reviews said that they worked well and their dogs were able to use them for hours on end. We also noticed a good amount of complaints about the overall function of the machine. Most of them seemed to do with the ball not launching a very far distance. Battery issues were another common issue, with reviewers saying that the battery life wasn’t long or that the batteries had trouble staying in the machine. Some of the higher end models also had complaints about the remote that was included. Ultimately it seems many of the machines all over the price spectrum had some sort of functionality issue
Quality.
How well made are these things, anyway? Unfortunately, there doesn’t seem to be great news on this front. A good portion of the models available have a relatively cheap plastic make, and parts that aren’t built to last. Reviews indicate that some of these machines stopped working after only a moderate amount of use, and that parts were needing replaced and only being able to order those parts from the same company. Some commenters even mentioned the quality of some of the balls provided weren’t the best either. There doesn’t seem to be any brand or specific machine that uses high quality pieces and has been made with durability and sustained use in mind.
Entertainment.
How much fun is this going to provide for the energetic dogs in your life? The consensus seems to be that these machines can be fun…if they work properly. Some reviewers said that their dogs loved their machine and that their dogs would play with it often. Others weren’t too impressed. A common complaint for some of these machines is the distance the ball was launched, stating that they couldn’t get the machine to launch at the desired distance or only a few feet, which led to a not so fun experience. Among other issues were the loudness of some machines which turned certain dogs off, with reviewers saying that their dog was scared of the machine, and also that the balls provided with the machine were too small and presented a choking risk for bigger dogs.
Conclusion.
Overall, the results are a pretty mixed bag. It seems that these dog fetch machines are too new to the market and the kinks haven’t been quite worked out yet in order for us to be too confident in any of the products available. There wasn’t any one machine that stood out as superior to the rest, but rather a majority of products in the models in the mid range price that are okay but possibly have some mechanical issues. Almost of these machines seem to come with flaws or some negative aspects that keeps it from being a total homerun. Problems with machines varied greatly. Issues with the launcher itself, complaints about the machine ceasing to work, and batteries not functioning as well. Another seemingly major issue that hasn’t been addressed is the balls themselves that are provided with the machines.
The biggest concern and most alarming thing to us is that there were several complaints about numerous machines providing balls that were too small for their dogs. So we would suggest that when looking to purchase one of these machines a dog owner should be aware of the size of balls as well as if they are able to use their own balls or if they have to use the balls that were issued. Users commented that some products required them to use the balls that were included and the only way to get more balls is to order them specifically from that company. So if your balls get lost or ruined for any reason, you might have to wait until more are delivered.
Our final conclusion is that it IS possible for your dog to enjoy these dog fetch machines. If you search for these products you will find a number of reviews from owners suggesting that their dogs did in fact enjoy the machine and were able to spend hours playing with them. So if it will provide hours of entertainment for your pup, perhaps it is worth the purchase. But in our research we found that none of these products seemed to be perfect by any stretch, with almost every single one having at least a few negative reviews about the product.
If truly interested in testing out one of these machines, we suggest shooting for one in the middle price range. The cheaper products selling for around $60 seem to have the most complaints about the product itself, but the machines on the higher end of the range don’t necessarily blow the competition away, don’t provide much more for the money, and also have their own negative reviews. Buying one in the mid price range will hopefully help you avoid the lower quality products, while also not breaking your wallet on something that may or may not work well for your dog.
Will a dog fetch machine be the ultimate toy for your dog? We think that until more quality products are available on the market, it will be a temporary novelty for your dog to enjoy for awhile that will likely eventually end up gathering dust in the basement.
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