Using this to throw with your dog helps everyone out---the dog gets more exercise, you don't have to handle a nasty, spit-covered ball, and you're not throwing out your shoulder and screaming cuss words if your dog requires a substantial amount of throwing time. I actually much prefer using regular tennis balls as opposed to the one that comes with this item; furthermore, that very same ball doesn't float well in water (it sank quickly in the river and hadn't even begun to endure the toll a typical tennis ball gets from my dog).