The trouble with a plain ball is that the moment your dog has it, the game is over until you can get it back. The trouble with a plain rope is that it is only interesting while you are holding the other end. Threading one through the other solves both problems at once: your dog has something worth chewing when you stop playing, and you have a handle the moment you want to start again.

The ball is a chunky grooved rubber, and those grooves are not decoration. They give teeth and gums something to catch against, which is what makes a chew satisfying rather than merely hard, and they give a wet ball somewhere for a paw or a hand to grip. The braided rope runs through the middle and gives you leverage for a tug plus a good deal of extra distance on a throw, since you end up swinging it rather than lobbing it.

• Grooved rubber ball threaded onto a braided rope
• Works as a chew, a tug toy and a fetch toy
• Rope adds reach and distance on a throw
• Grooves give teeth and gums something to work against
• Two colours, blue and orange
• Built for play with an owner rather than solo demolition

On supervision. Rope is the part that wears first, and a dog who shreds and swallows the strands can get into genuine trouble, so toys with rope in them are for sessions you are present for and then put away. Check the braid over regularly and retire the toy once it starts unravelling. A determined power chewer will get through this a great deal faster than a gentle mouth will.

Who it's for: Owners who want to be in the game rather than throwing from the sidelines, and dogs who chew as much as they fetch.