If your pillows are made of polyester fiber chances are they will always ball up in a FL and might be better washed in a TL. The nature of the way the fibers/strands of polyester are stacked up to make the filling of the pillows makes it easy for them to get deformed in the intense pressure of a FL spin. You might try stopping the machine before the spin and positioning the pillows around the outer walls of the drum and then launching into a spin-only cycle. And use much less spin speed, even though it will not extract as much water. The tennis shoe, nylon ring, kong, thing is not intended to prevent balling up in the washer. It is recommended to bash apart small clumps of down filling in a dryer, not the washing machine. It is also believed to add useful static charge during the drying cycle. Blankets balling up in FLs is not the same thingas as a polyester pillow getting deformed (though both would be described as having "balled up"). Blankets that get "balled up" probably would be better washed with another similar item if there is room, or just ignored as long as the cleaning is adequate. It is more of a problem in the larger tilted-drum FLs than the smaller true horizontal machines. Molly~

Here are the video instructions for the DIY version: http://makezine.com/projects/make-31/fetch-o-matic/ For me, I'd just pay the $100+ and buy the one in the link below. There are other brands and sizes available, but be careful as to how the ball is launched. Some dogs will try to wait where the ball exits the machine and they could be injured if struck in the face. For safety, any time a dog is playing with something mechanical a person needs to be present plus, it's a good time to interact with your dog. Whether your dog will fetch and return the balls to the bucket depends on the dog's response to training and the trainers patience in teaching the dog. Here is a link that might be useful: Tennis ball tosser

This story reminds me of my last babysitting job for neighbors who routinely call me to walk their small dog once or twice a day depending upon how many hours they will be gone. Suzie has always been friendly towards me, lets me snap the leash on and we go out. This last time, about a month ago, I opened the door and she was sitting on the couch. Something about her eyes and manner told me NOT to approach that couch! I talked and talked, she just stared or turned her head slowly away like dogs do when they want to communicate "I don't acknowledge you". There was no way I was going to walk over and put a leash on her. It hurt my feelings. But I'm sure she picked up on my own insecurity and decided something was wrong. It's strange because I've been babysitting Susie since she was a puppy. My neighbor and I discussed it later and we decided that some day I should come down and spend an hour or so with Susie and her owner(s)in the house to show that my presence is okay.

Judydel- YES, you should be worried if he/she is allowed to have any split ball - especially when not in your immediate sight! My dad's most beloved canine split open a tennis ball one time and swallowed half of it. He was excited to see my dad packing for hunting, we guess, because he'd never done anything like it before. Anyway, my dad left with the dogs for hunting and Ben (the dog) had a bowel obstruction from the 1/2 ball. The country vet that operated on him wasn't able to save him. As a child, it was the first time I had ever seen my dad really cry when he carried Ben out of the back of the truck at home. Dogs really shouldn't be allowed to have tennis balls, or any other type of hollow or foam ball when not actively playing/fetching with a human. They can choke on them, get ill from ingesting or die from an obstruction. Off my soapbox now....