These are the questions people actually ask us, mostly in the comments under our videos. We have answered them the way we would answer a friend, which means saying no in a few places.
Which toy is right for my dog?
Start with size, because that is where most of the disappointment comes from.
BorkBall Nub is 40 mm across, about as wide as a ping pong ball. It is for small breeds and puppies that find normal dog balls too big to pick up.
BorkBall Zoom is 67 mm, exactly tennis ball sized.
BorkBall Tug is 75 mm and BorkBall Disco is 80 mm, both a little larger than a tennis ball.
Disco is the biggest of the four, so if your dog is on the larger side start there. Nub is the one that is genuinely only for the little ones.
One thing worth knowing before it arrives: Tug barks when you switch it on, which surprises people the first time.
I have a big dog. Which one should I get?
Disco. At 80 mm it is the largest ball we sell and it sits a good way above a tennis ball, which makes it the easiest of the four for a wide mouth to pick up and carry. Tug at 75 mm is the next one up, and the rope gives a big dog something to grab and pull on properly.
Whatever size your dog is, a moving ball is a toy to play with rather than leave lying around. Stay in the room while they have it and put it away afterwards. That is sensible with any ball, ours included.
Larger dogs also do very well on the food side, where size stops being a question at all. The snuffle mat is 63 by 43 cm, the puzzle board is 30 cm across and the treat ball is 12 cm, and nose work tires a big dog as thoroughly as it tires a small one.
Will it survive my chewer?
Probably not, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. Our moving balls are built for chasing, not for chewing. The shells are soft enough to be kind to teeth, which is the same thing that makes them easy to open up if a dog decides to work on one properly.
If your dog's favorite activity is taking a toy apart, a motorized ball is the wrong purchase, and no amount of marketing language changes that. A dog who chases and carries but does not destroy is the dog these are for.
The food toys have the same limit for the same reason. The lick mat is soft silicone, the snuffle mat is fleece with a squeaker in the corner, and the puzzle board has a squeak button a determined chewer will head straight for. Use them while you are in the room and put them away afterward.
Is it safe? There is a battery in there.
The battery sits inside a sealed hard core, wrapped in the softer outer shell, so it is not something your dog reaches by chewing the outside. That said, it is still a toy with electronics in it, which is why we say use it while you are around and stop using it if the shell gets damaged.
We would not leave any of our moving balls with a dog who is home alone, and you should not either. For being left alone, a frozen lick mat or a snuffle mat with breakfast in it is the safer choice. There is more on that in toys for dogs left home alone.
How long does the battery last?
Disco runs about four hours of play on a charge, holds standby for a week, and takes about two and a half hours to fill. Zoom plays in five minute bursts: on Normal it switches off after five minutes, on Smart it drops to standby and wakes when your dog taps it. Tug gives about an hour of rolling and powers itself down after five quiet minutes. Nub charges in about half an hour and runs up to four hours, and if it is left alone for thirty minutes it switches itself off.
All of them charge over USB. On every one of them a red light means the battery is low.
Can they be used outside?
On a hard flat surface, yes. They roll on grass but they work much harder at it, and long grass will stop them. Indoors they handle hardwood, tile, laminate and low pile carpet. Deep shaggy rugs slow them down, which some dogs prefer because the ball gets easier to catch. Tug is the fussiest about this: on thick carpet use the fast or interactive mode rather than slow.
Disco, Zoom and Tug all twist open, so the shell lifts off and rinses clean under the faucet. Dry the shell before the core goes back in, and keep the core itself out of the water. Disco is rated IP54 on top of that, so it copes with a splash. Nub does not come apart, so that one gets a wipe with a damp cloth, and if it starts running slowly it is almost always hair wound around the moving parts rather than a fault.
How much are they and is that a fair price?
Nub is $19.99, the treat ball is $19.99, the lick mat is $14.99, Zoom is $29.99, Tug is $34.99, the snuffle mat is $34.99, and Disco is $39.99, or $49.99 with the remote. Orders over $50 ship free.
People do tell us that is a lot for a ball, and for a plain rubber ball it would be. What you are paying for here is a motor, a rechargeable battery and a sealed core. Whether that is worth it depends on whether your dog actually wants to chase things, which is why we would rather you read the sizing answer above before you buy.
Is BorkBall Disco sold on Amazon?
No. BorkBall Disco is only sold here at borkly.store. You may come across balls on Amazon and other marketplaces with a similar look or a similar name, but they are not ours, and we can't speak for how they are made or help if something goes wrong with one.
When you order from us, you get the real BorkBall Disco, our 30 day return policy, and a real person answering at support@borkly.store if you ever need help.
Where do you ship, and how long does it take?
We ship worldwide. Orders leave within one to two business days. For the United States, allow around 12 to 15 working days. Canada and Europe run 15 to 25 working days, and everywhere else 20 to 30. Our products ship from overseas facilities, so customs is usually what decides whether your order is at the fast or the slow end of that.
You get a tracking link as soon as it ships. Tracking sometimes takes a few days to start updating once the package reaches the local carrier, which is normal and not a sign anything has gone wrong.
What if my dog ignores it?
Some dogs take a few days. Start on the calmer mode so the movement is less startling, put it on a hard floor rather than carpet, and let your dog investigate it while it is switched off first.
If they still is not interested after a few weeks, that is what the 30 day return window is for. Email us at support@borkly.store and we will sort it out.
How do returns work?
You have 30 days from delivery. Email support@borkly.store and we will send you a return label and instructions. Items sent back without asking us first cannot be accepted, so get in touch before you post anything.
If something arrives damaged or faulty, tell us straight away and we will make it right.
Something else?
Email support@borkly.store. A real person answers, usually within 24 hours.