Petstages Orka Jack Review

An Orka Jack Gets an A on the Lab Test

Dogs love routine, and our blonde Lab is no exception. She has all her favorite toys on a schedule: squeaky bunny is reserved for rolling around on the family-room floor in the evening while her beat-up stuffed squirrel is for nighttime snuggling. When strenuous exercise is on the agenda, she tends to start slamming her favorite Petstages Orka Jack against the nearest human shin. This tough rubber toy is ideal high-energy dogs like our yellow girl because it's both tough and fun.

Description Her Orka Jack looks like a giant blue version of one of the children’s jacks we played with as kids - remember those metal jacks and the red rubber ball? - except that there aren't any knobs on the arms. It's six tapering rubber arms, all "Petstage blue," that project from a central point. Four of the arms have been left open so you can stuff in treats or string the Jack on a rope. The other two are closed. Four of the arms have a bumpy texture while the others have a pattern of raised stripes. It's available in small, medium and large sizes - ours is the large. The Orka's made of a tough but flexible rubber that stands up well to the sharp teeth of our determined chewer. It also floats, though she does't get to take this to the dog park for fear of losing it forever. We've gone through several Orkas over the years, which have included daily sessions of vigorous chase-and-retrieve play in the local open space. Eventually they break down, mainly from being thrown - hard.

Play Time

Look at her go!

Treats, floating, chewing or stringing on a rope? none of those is Orka’s chief fascination for blondie: what really gets her Lab motor revving is how an Orka bounces. If you think footballs are unpredictable, you ain't seen nothing yet. You just can't tell in advance which way, how far or how high an Orka will go on its next bounce. That's especially true when it hits a hard surface. She gets a daily chance to chase it in the park by our house where one of us flings it (an Orka's weight is about twice that of a softball). She takes off at a dead run, but by the time she’s caught up with her Orka, it's gone off in another direction and isn’t there any more! On a hard surface, she'll go bonkers if I put a little spin on the toss. Once she catches it - and she always does, thanks to Lab genes - she will parade around the park in a victory lap, head held high, Orka proudly displayed.

A potential downside is that the toy weighs enough to pack some punch: I worry that she might get hit in the face by a wicked bounce and loose a tooth, but she doesn’t seem concerned.

We say that all the dog toys that come into our house are Lab-tested; Orka Jack definitely passes!

Summary

PLUS: durable, our girl loves it
MINUS:heavy, somewhat spendy
WHAT THEY'RE SAYING: Lab girl adores her Orka Jack. She'll share any toy but this one!

You can find an Orka Jack for your own dog at eBay