Choosing the right ball for your dog

Fitness balls come in a range of sizes and selecting the right ball for your dog is important. NATE and ATA specify ball sizing by dog height at the shoulders/chest. If you don’t know your dog’s height check our post on how to measure.

Photo of 6 different sized fitness balls
(Photo: Lorene Voskinarian)

NATE rules provide a range of ball sizes based on heightt.

CLASSDOG HEIGHTBALL SIZEBALL SIZE ALLOWABLE RANGE
Mini 9” (22.5 cm) & under 25 cm18 cm (7 inches) up to 30cm (11.5inches)
** lighter weight balls may be used
X-SmallOver 9”(22.9 cm) up to
14” (35.5 cm)
 35 cm 30 cm (11.5 inches) up to 40cm (15.75 inches)
SmallOver 14” (35.5 cm) up to
18” (45.7cm)
 45 cm40 cm (15.75 inches) up to 50 cm (19.75 inches)
MediumOver 18” (45.7 cm) up to
22” (55.8 cm)
 55 cm 50 cm (19.75 inches) up to 60cm (23.5 inches)
 LargeOver 22” up to 26” 65 cm 60 cm (23.5 inches) up to 70cm (27.5 inches)
 X-Large Over 26” (66 cm) 75 cm 70 cm (27.5 inches) up to 80cm (31.5 inches)

American Treibball Association says the ball should be at the dog’s shoulder/chest level and recommends the following ball sizing

21.5″ = 75 cm (Giant Breeds)

19.1″ = 65 cm (Large Breeds)

17.5″ = 55 cm (Medium Breeds)

15.5″ = 45 cm (Small Breeds)

13″ and under = 35 cm (Toy Breeds) use kid’s play balls from the toy section of any retailer.

Advice on Adding Distance from Hannah Branigan

In a recent episode of Hannah Branigan’s podcast Drinking From the Toilet, she discusses adding distance to your behaviors. It’s not specifically about treibball, but the same skills apply to building your distance when sending your dog out to a target or to go out to a ball.