# Slingshot For My Dog



## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

Well, indirectly anyway.

For Christmas I got my dog "AC" (short for anti-christ) 2 dozen brand new tennis balls. He was thrilled.

As I presented them I caught a glimpse of my computer screen, open to the Slingshot Forum, and thought how nice it would be to have a slingshot to propel them. The slingshot has added a new dimension to our daily hikes in that he ferrociously attacks and "finishes" every stump I shoot. Whenever I draw, he pauses and listens intently for impact, before charging maniacally toward what he must think is the object of my disdain. Either that, or he is genuinely upset that there is nothing to retrieve. It's great fun regardless.

I looked around on the net and found this:










By forum standards, this has to be considered kinda chintzy, though they say it will shoot a tennis ball 220 feet. I want one that will shoot 300 feet... I respectfully entrust this quandary to the design wizardry here. What would it look like? How would you band it? What would you make the pouch out of? Is my dog possessed?

Thanks in advance,

-CornDawg


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

If you use the frame in the picture, but use theraband gold for bands and full butterfly draw, 300 ft should be easily doable. As for a pouch... I'd think along the lines of a David sling type pouch.

What kind of dog do you have?


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

He's a Decker Hunting Terrier Viper--

Think of a 60 pound rat terrier on steroids...


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Then... Yes, your dog is possessed. But that is perfectly normal for dogs of that type. ????


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

Also... There's a type of step pedal tennis ball launcher available that your dog can load cock and fire himself so he can play catch by himself in the yard. I think the device was called FlyBall.

I would recommend you limit his flyball sessions to say, a half hour at a time because a dog like that might actually run himself to death if left unattended with such a machine. They get obsessed and don't know when to stop. 
But in half hour sessions it's great energy burning exercise.


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks Viper, I'd never heard of it. I'm reading up on it now...


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## Viper010 (Apr 21, 2012)

You're welcome mate but don't forget to put a time limit to his sessions! 
Keeps him from getting bored with it, if he has something to look forward to instead of having access to it all the time.
And it prevents him outrunning his ticker.


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## Phoul Mouth (Jan 6, 2015)

If you want 300 feet you could just make an actual sling. With a little practice 300 feet would be a piece of cake.


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## MakeSlingshots (Jul 16, 2015)

GG It looks like fun, but you could have used a shepherds sling.


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## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

A chuck-it is probably my vote... 300ft is a long way for a tennis ball, as its so light.. a chuck-ball is denser and heavier, probably a good choice for a powerful sling too. but the draw would be immense either way, maybe too much for the arms,


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## Barky Bow (Jun 14, 2014)

Hey guys I'm not big on wasting cash so I wouldn't buy something like that but I do love my dogs so this is my version.
It's an oversized Ash natural fork with blue theraband tubes and a very oversized leather pouch.
My dogs destroy tennis balls in about 5 seconds flat so I use a round Kong (Kong is an indestructible dog chew toy here in the UK). The Kong weighs about the same as a baseball so 120 meters is easy (120 meters =390 feet)
I own a Belgian Malinois and a German Shepherd cross Malinois and both have a very high prey drive so this has been a life saver or should I say a shoulder saver hahahaha. My dogs do not get tired easily so this slingshot gets used a lot.





















Oh and the lanyard is a must as the draw is fairly hard so as usual.....Safety first.

Clint


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

Thanks Clint, nice rig, and very much along the lines of what I was picturing. I'll look into blue TB tubes.

Our dogs are opposites in this regard. AC shreds Kong toys. No exaggeration. Shreds them.

Tennis balls tend to last because of the fuzz I think. He respects the fuzz.


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## Barky Bow (Jun 14, 2014)

Anytime bud. I am glad to help a fellow dog lover.
Anyone who cares for their dogs is good in my books.
If you fail with the tubes let me know and I'll arrange some for you. It may take a while but I would be happy to help. Failing that I would try double 1745 dankung tubes or Simpleshot large tubes.
I tried green theraband but it was to light so I've stuck with blue but I haven't needed to try anything else as this works for me.


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## honorary pie (Feb 12, 2015)

Sweet...I thought it would be muscle murder for sure, but maybe i supposed i was getting 200fps as well as the distance. Hahaha


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

Oh, OK, lol- "chuck-it." That was the first implement I tried, I just never knew the proper name for it. We called it the "cesta" in honor of a game I used to watch in Las Vegas years ago called jai a·lai. I never really got the distance out of it before AC shredded it.


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## Chuck Daehler (Mar 17, 2015)

Um. Give Shockley a ring. (not)


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

I'm sorry Chuck, the reference escapes me...


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## CornDawg (Sep 27, 2015)

Ah, perused a bit more and found it...

Ignorance really is bliss I guess. I'm still enjoying the novelty phase.


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## Steve32 (Jul 7, 2011)

Phoul Mouth said:


> If you want 300 feet you could just make an actual sling. With a little practice 300 feet would be a piece of cake.


That's what I use. Mark Harrop has a recipe for a sling made of garbage bags that throws a tennis ball beautifully.


honorary pie said:


> A chuck-it is probably my vote... 300ft is a long way for a tennis ball, as its so light.. a chuck-ball is denser and heavier, probably a good choice for a powerful sling too. but the draw would be immense either way, maybe too much for the arms,


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