# Trouble w/Gappay ball on a rope



## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Has anyone had the rope pull out of their Gappay ball? This ball is only a few months old, and I was playing with Naccia last night and 'pop'! out came the rope! I know she's strong, but damn!


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> Has anyone had the rope pull out of their Gappay ball? This ball is only a few months old, and I was playing with Naccia last night and 'pop'! out came the rope! I know she's strong, but damn!


I've had it with various makes. Now, I re-tie the rope, even on a brand new ball.


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## Chris Michalek (Feb 13, 2008)

Ian Forbes said:


> I've had it with various makes. Now, I re-tie the rope, even on a brand new ball.


The best "ball on a rope" I've found is made by the people who make the Chuck-It frisbees and tennis ball throwers. I was browsing bass pro shop and came this toy in the hunting dog section. 

http://www.caninehardware.com/products/trainers/trainers.html#


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Ian Forbes said:


> I've had it with various makes. Now, I re-tie the rope, even on a brand new ball.


There's no way to re-tie the rope on a Gappay ball. The knot is on the inside of the ball.


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## Greg Leavitt (Aug 31, 2006)

I have never done it on a gappay ball but several times on the yellow hallow elite k9 balls. I really like the ones from dog sport gear as they have a hole in the bottom so that you can push the rope back thru and re tie it.


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> There's no way to re-tie the rope on a Gappay ball. The knot is on the inside of the ball.


I take it it only has a single hole?


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Greg Leavitt said:


> I have never done it on a gappay ball but several times on the yellow hallow elite k9 balls. I really like the ones from dog sport gear as they have a hole in the bottom so that you can push the rope back thru and re tie it.


That's what I do. I use the Orbee balls and the knots on those things are terrible. I now thread the rope through one hole, out the other side and tie the ends together. You can see it in the below picture:


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Gappay are the only balls I haven't had the rope come out of, now having a dog chew the roap off, that's a different story. The Gappay does have 2 holes, one on each end but the one the rope is in is barely big enough for the rope, looks as if it's so tight, it's holding the roap in there. No way you can thread it back through, Might try the other end but even then...I can't see it happening. I just had my kong on a rope do the same thing, popped right out when my dog tugged on it with me holding. Finally got the Czech Gappay's in at the dog supply here and then I get one stuck in a friggin tree. I can't do tennis balls, my dogs break them in half in less than 30 seconds.


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> Has anyone had the rope pull out of their Gappay ball? This ball is only a few months old, and I was playing with Naccia last night and 'pop'! out came the rope! I know she's strong, but damn!


Which ball to you have?

If you have this one I doubt it will ever come out. I have had over a dozen and never had a single string come loose.
http://www.hallmarkk9.com/gappayballonstring-large.aspx

If you have the following ball it will come loose but this is a frabo ball and not a gappay.

http://www.hallmarkk9.com/fraboballonrope-large.aspx


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Great idea Ian. Are the hols in the Orbee large enough? I would have to drill a sligtly bigger hole to be able to thread anything thru the Gappay. I might try that on the balls I have with the chewed strings. I think I have at least 3 sitting around here somewhere. I'll find some nice braided rope and make a project out of it.


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## Ian Forbes (Oct 13, 2006)

Michelle Kehoe said:


> Great idea Ian. Are the hols in the Orbee large enough? I would have to drill a sligtly bigger hole to be able to thread anything thru the Gappay. I might try that on the balls I have with the chewed strings. I think I have at least 3 sitting around here somewhere. I'll find some nice braided rope and make a project out of it.


Orbee's have a small hole that the rope comes out of and another larger hole diametrically opposite. I push the existing knot (hidden in the ball) back out of the larger hole, untie the knot and then double tie the ends of the rope together.

You could just re-tie the existing way, but with a really good knot (maybe use some glue as well) and then push it back through the larger hole - this would be a neater option. I just prefer the knot to be visible, so I know if it is starting to come undone.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

My favorite are the Bende Balls. You can get them with or without the toggle. They are hard rubber which I like. I have never had the rope come out or break. 

http://www.itbitez.net/servlet/the-Tugs-and-Balls/Categories


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## Anne Vaini (Mar 15, 2007)

I re-tie the knots too. I use Orbee balls. 

What about using a different (smaller) rope if the holes are too small?


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## Anna Kasho (Jan 16, 2008)

I use Orbees too. I retie the knots on the outside, like in the posted pic, and then melt the rope ends together in the knot. Never had one come loose. The ball usually gets torn and shredded before the rope gives out.

I've stuck an orbee in a tree one time, hasn't everyone. I wish you could have seen the look my dog gave me when the ball landed up there... :lol: I WAS able to get it loose by hooking the branch with a 50' rope with a weight on the end, and shaking.


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## Kristen Cabe (Mar 27, 2006)

Daniel, I'm sure it's the Gappay ball, only my rope was pink and brown instead of black and white :wink: I thought the Gappay ball was the best for keeping the rope from pulling out, which is why I got it. :neutral:

Ian, there _are_ two holes in the ball, but one hole is not even as big around as a pencil - it's _tiny_. The other is about as big around as a Sharpie.

LOVE that rottie's tail in the pic, btw!


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## Daniel Cox (Apr 17, 2006)

Kristen Cabe said:


> Daniel, I'm sure it's the Gappay ball, only my rope was pink and brown instead of black and white :wink: I thought the Gappay ball was the best for keeping the rope from pulling out, which is why I got it. :neutral:
> 
> Ian, there _are_ two holes in the ball, but one hole is not even as big around as a pencil - it's _tiny_. The other is about as big around as a Sharpie.
> 
> LOVE that rottie's tail in the pic, btw!


Here is what I know about the gappay ball. It sounds like you got a defective product. I know the gappay balls are molded around the rope. I think the knot is actually embedded into the rubber. here is what I would do to fix it. Get your self a drill and drill a hole in the top where it came out. Not any bigger than you need to get some rope through it. I would make the hole about half the size of the current rope diameter. Start here and increase if necessary.
Next get a metal hanger and cut it and make a full loop. Take some dish soap with water and coat the ball to make everything slick. Feed the hanger through the top of the ball and then through the bigger hole in the bottom. Everything should be very tight. next fold the string in half through the loop and yank. Now you have threaded the string through the ball. Tie your self a kicka$$ knot and yank it through the bottom. I suggest you get some new rope from lowes and even a washer to put between the knot and the ball. I would leave a loop in your ball string because this will allow you to tie a much bigger not.

Does this make sense? I have used this technique before on a gappay ball that got the rope cut.


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## susan tuck (Mar 28, 2006)

The holes in the Bende Balls are big enough to thread a new rope through if the old one breaks, but I haven't had one break. I have had the rope break on a Gappay ball, BUT it was really old too.

Daniel, I for one appreciate the "how to" lesson, especially the idea about the washer.


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## Michelle Reusser (Mar 29, 2008)

Hmmm...printing out and handing to boyfriend. LOL


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## Terry Fisk (Jul 26, 2007)

Anne Vaini said:


> I re-tie the knots too. I use Orbee balls.
> 
> What about using a different (smaller) rope if the holes are too small?


We re-tie the Orbees too, you can also use needle nose pliers to help push the knot back into the ball once it's tied. Guess we should include instructions for this when we ship them out as it seems to be the only complaint we get about them. I think Leerburg actually has a video on his site on how to do this.


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## Maren Bell Jones (Jun 7, 2006)

In addition to re-tying the Orbee balls, I got to the hardware store or Lowe's and buy a section of rope slightly smaller than what they have in diameter but a bit longer in length. The balls wear our before the rope does (which still takes a while). Unfortunately the local store stopped carrying them, so I'll have to order them online.


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## Konnie Hein (Jun 14, 2006)

(I think I posted about this several months ago) 
I don't bother spending the $ on the Gappay balls. I lose too many of them before they have a chance to break anyways. I buy $2 rubber ball toys with the bells in them, remove the bells, string a rope through them and voila - it's the same as a Gappay ball. I pick the brightly colored balls so I can't lose them too.


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