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Introduction
Last weekend, we went to that small lake an hour outside the city, right? The one with the shallow cove where Max can swim for hours without getting tired. Before that, I’d been using regular tennis balls for fetch, but the problem was, they’d sink after a while, or I’d lose them in the tall grass because the yellow was too dull. And every time Max came out of the water, he’d immediately start chewing the ball, and he’d destroy it in 10 minutes. I was going through a tennis ball a day, it was ridiculous. That’s when I found the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper. It was $18, this floating fetch toy, supposed to work in the lake, supposed to be easy to spot, supposed to last longer than those stupid tennis balls. I ordered it, because I was tired of losing toys every time we went to the lake. After using it for two weekends, I have so much to say about it, the good, the bad, and the weird little thing no one warned me about.
Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper: A Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper Review of Its Design
First, let’s break down what this thing actually is, right? It’s this weird, bumper-shaped toy, medium size, about 6 inches by 9 inches, perfect for Max’s 35 lb frame. It’s made from this buoyant EVA foam and rubber core, wrapped in a soft nylon exterior, so it’s gentle on your dog’s mouth when they catch it, right? No hard plastic that hurts their teeth when they’re running full speed. And it has this knotted rope handle on one end, which is supposed to give you a non-slip grip, so you can throw it way farther than you can throw a regular ball.
And it’s supposed to be unsinkable, right? No matter what, it floats, so you don’t have to worry about losing it in the deep water. And the colors are bright, eye-catching, so you can spot it in the grass or in the water, even from far away. It’s also easy to clean, the nylon and rubber are resistant to dirt and slobber, so after a day at the lake, you just wipe it off with a wet cloth, and it’s good as new. That sounded perfect, honestly, exactly what I needed for our lake trips. I didn’t think it would live up to that, but I was willing to try it, anyway.
My Story: Putting the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper to the Test
When the package arrived, I opened it, and I got the bright orange one, which I was happy about, because I’d read some reviews that the green one was harder to spot in the water. I washed it real quick, just to get that new toy rubber smell off, and then we headed to the lake. The first time I threw it? I couldn’t believe how far it went. The rope gave me so much more leverage than a regular ball, I threw it like 40 feet, way farther than I’d ever thrown a tennis ball. And it landed in the water, and it just floated there, right on top, no sinking, nothing.
Max took off swimming after it, and he grabbed it, and swam right back to me. And the best part? I could see that bright orange thing the whole time, even when he was out in the deep water, I never lost sight of it. That was a huge relief, because before, I’d had a ball sink once, and I was so scared Max would dive too deep trying to get it, and hurt himself. We played like that for three hours, throwing it, swimming, fetching, and it worked perfectly. The toy didn’t get waterlogged, it didn’t sink, it didn’t tear, nothing. I thought, this is the best toy I’ve ever bought!
The One Thing Nobody Warned Me About
But here’s the thing no one told me, right? I thought this was a tough toy, right? Chuckit! is usually known for their tough, indestructible toys, so I thought Max could chew on it a little bit, after he was done fetching, while we were driving home. Wrong. The second we got back to the car, Max laid down in the backseat, and he started chewing on the bumper. And in 10 minutes? He chewed a little hole right through the nylon exterior. I was shocked! I’d only had this toy for two weeks, and he already put a hole in it?
And then I noticed, the rope, the end that was attached to the bumper? It was starting to fray, a little bit. The stitching that held it on was coming loose, just from him pulling on it a little bit, when we were playing tug for 5 minutes after we got out of the water. I was like, wait, what? This is a $18 toy, how is it already falling apart? And then I read the fine print on the listing, after the fact, and it said, it’s not intended as a chew toy. Oh! Right! It’s a fetch toy, not a chew toy. I had no idea! I thought, since it was Chuckit!, it was tough enough for him to chew on a little bit, but no, if he chews it, it falls apart. That was the thing no one warned me about. It’s not a big deal, really, I just have to take it away from him when he’s done fetching, so he doesn’t chew it. But it was definitely a surprise, I wish someone had told me that before I let him chew on it, and put a hole in it.
What I Liked and What I Didn’t Like About the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper
After using this for two weekends, I went through all the pros and cons, and I checked out hundreds of other reviews to make sure I wasn’t the only one with these experiences.
What I Liked
- It actually floats, perfectly. No sinking, no matter what. I threw it in the deep part of the lake, it just stayed right on top, the whole time. I never had to worry about it sinking, or losing it, even when Max was pulling on it as hard as he could.
- The bright orange color is so easy to spot. I could see it from 50 feet away, even in the dark water of the lake, even in the tall grass when we played on land. I never lost it, which is a huge upgrade from the tennis balls I was losing every other day.
- The rope makes throwing so much easier. I can throw it way farther than I can throw a regular ball, which means Max can run and swim farther, which means he gets more exercise, and he’s tired out faster. That’s perfect, because he’s such a high energy dog.
- It’s gentle on his mouth. The soft nylon exterior means when he catches it, it doesn’t hurt his teeth or his gums, even when he’s running full speed. Before, with the hard tennis balls, he’d sometimes hit his teeth on them, and he’d yelp, but this? No problem at all.
- It’s so easy to clean. After a day at the lake, it was covered in mud and slobber, and I just wiped it off with a wet wipe, and it was clean. No stains, no nothing, it looked brand new.
What I Didn’t Like
- It’s not chew proof at all. If your dog chews on it, it falls apart really fast. Max chewed on it for 10 minutes, and he put a hole in the nylon. A lot of other people said their heavy chewers destroyed it in a day, which makes sense, now that I know it’s not a chew toy.
- The stitching is kind of weak. The stitching that holds the rope on came loose after two weekends of play. I had to sew it back on myself, it was easy, just two little stitches, but it was annoying, I shouldn’t have to do that for a brand new toy.
- The rope can pull off easily if you’re not careful. A lot of other reviewers said their dogs pulled the rope right off the toy after a few uses, which makes it useless, because then you can’t throw it as far.
- The colors are random. You don’t get to pick, you just get whatever color they send you. I got lucky and got orange, which is easy to spot, but some people got green, which is harder to see in the water, which is a bummer.
- It runs a little small for big dogs. The medium size is perfect for my 35 lb golden, but if you have a really big dog, like a 80 lb lab, it’s too small, they might accidentally swallow it, if they’re not careful.
Is the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper Right for Your Dog?
So, is this thing right for you? Well, that depends on your dog, honestly.
If you have a dog that loves to swim, that loves fetch, that just wants to run and grab the toy and bring it back to you, no chewing? Then yeah, this is perfect. It works exactly what it’s supposed to do, it floats, it’s easy to spot, it throws far, it’s gentle on their mouth. It’s perfect for lake trips, beach trips, pool days, all that stuff. If you’re just using it for fetch, not for chewing, it’s great. I have a friend who has a border collie, and they use this every weekend at the lake, and it’s lasted them 6 months, because they just use it for fetch, no chewing.
But if you have a heavy chewer, a dog that likes to chew on their toys after they’re done playing? Then no, this is not for you. This toy will fall apart in a day, if your dog chews on it. It’s not designed for that, it’s designed for fetch, not for chewing. And if you have a really big dog, like a 100 lb great dane that plays rough? Then you might want to get the large size, because the medium one is too small for them, they might accidentally swallow it.
And if you really care about the color? Well, you can’t pick it, so if you get the green one, it’s a little harder to spot in the water, but it’s still way easier to spot than a regular tennis ball, so it’s not that big of a deal.
Common Questions About the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper
I got so many questions from my friends after I posted about this, so I wanted to answer the most common ones right here.
Does this really float?
Yeah, it does! It’s completely unsinkable, I threw it in the deep part of the lake, it just floated there, the whole time. I never had it sink once, even when Max was pulling on it, even when it was full of water, it just stayed on top.
Can my dog chew on this?
No, don’t let them! It’s not a chew toy, it’s a fetch toy. If your dog chews on it, they’ll destroy it really fast, the nylon is soft, so it’s easy to chew through. You have to take it away from them when they’re done fetching, so they don’t chew it.
Does the rope ever fall off?
It can, if you’re not careful, or if your dog pulls on it too hard. A lot of reviewers said their dogs pulled the rope off after a few uses, but I sewed mine back on, and it’s been fine ever since. It’s an easy fix, just a couple stitches, nothing major.
Can you pick the color?
No, you can’t. It’s random, you get whatever color they send you. I got orange, which is great, but some people get green, which is a little harder to spot, but it’s still way better than a regular ball.
Is this easy to clean?
Yeah, it is! The nylon and rubber are resistant to dirt and slobber, so after a day at the lake, you just wipe it off with a wet cloth, and it’s clean. No stains, no nothing, it’s perfect.
My Top Takeaways on the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper
At the end of the day, this thing works, for what it is. It’s a fetch toy, for water play, that keeps your dog busy, that doesn’t sink, that’s easy to spot. It saved me from losing tennis balls every time we went to the lake, it let Max swim more, it tired him out faster, which is exactly what I needed.
The problem is, it’s not for everyone. If you have a heavy chewer, it’s not going to work, you need a different toy. And you have to remember, it’s not a chew toy, you can’t let your dog chew on it, otherwise it falls apart. But those are easy things to work around, right? I just take it away from him when he’s done fetching, and it’s fine.
I was so shocked at first, because I thought it was a tough chew toy, but it’s not, it’s a fetch toy. But once I figured that out, it’s been perfect. It’s exactly what I needed for our lake trips. I can’t believe I didn’t find this thing sooner, honestly.
Would I Buy This Again With My Own Money?
Yeah, actually, I would. But only if I know what I’m getting into, right? I know it’s not a chew toy, I know I have to take it away from him when he’s done playing, I know I might have to sew the rope back on if it comes loose. For me, that’s worth it, because it works so well for fetch in the lake. It’s way better than the tennis balls I was using before, it doesn’t sink, it’s easy to spot, it throws farther, it’s gentle on his mouth.
Would I buy it for a heavy chewer? No, definitely not. But for my dog, who loves to swim and fetch, and only chews if I let him? Yeah, it’s worth the $18. I already bought a second one, actually, so I have a backup, in case this one breaks. It’s that good, for what it does. I don’t regret buying it at all, even with the little hole in the nylon, even with the stitching coming loose. It’s still the best water fetch toy I’ve ever used.
Final Thoughts on the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper
All in all, the Chuckit! Amphibious Bumper is a great toy, if you know what you’re getting into. It’s not an indestructible chew toy, it’s not going to stand up to a heavy chewer, but it is a perfect fetch toy for water play. It floats, it’s easy to spot, it throws far, it’s gentle on your dog’s mouth, it’s easy to clean.
It’s not perfect, the stitching is a little weak, it’s not chew proof, the colors are random, but none of that is a dealbreaker, as long as you know what you’re using it for. If you’re looking for a toy to take to the lake, or the beach, or the pool, for fetch? This is perfect. It does exactly what it says it will do, and it’s worth every penny.
If you’re interested in trying it out, you can check it out here: Check Price on Amazon
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A Quick Disclaimer
I’m not a vet or professional trainer. This is just my personal experience.