Some dogs are not tired out by fetch, because fetch is not the job they were bred for. A collie or an Australian shepherd wants something to move, control and keep moving, and a ball too big to pick up gives them precisely that. They nudge it with the nose and shoulder, push it across the garden, turn it and cut it off, which is herding with no sheep involved and no field required.

The ball is inflatable and built from a tough, reinforced fabric that stands up to being shoved by paws and mouthed by teeth. Its size is as much a safety feature as the material: a dog cannot get a proper grip to bite down, so the game stays a pushing game rather than a chewing one. Built-in handles let you pick it up, throw it and join in, which turns solo garden work into recall and directional practice.

• Large inflatable ball for pushing and chasing
• Reinforced, puncture-resistant outer fabric
• Built-in handles so you can grab and throw it
• Encourages nose and shoulder work rather than biting
• Suits medium and large dogs
• A real outlet for herding breeds with energy to burn

Two things worth knowing. Puncture-resistant is not puncture-proof, and a determined chewer who gets an edge of it into the back teeth will win in the end, so this is a supervised game rather than a leave-them-to-it toy.

Who it's for: Medium and large working breeds whose brains finish a normal walk long before their legs do.