Rescue Pals Train and Play Puppy is a sweet little toy dog hiding a dubious talent - you feed him, he poops out his food, then eats it again. Modern toys, eh? What will they think of next?
Train and Play Puppy is part of the interactive Rescue Pals range He's got a cute, appealing face with huge blue eyes and very soft fur. Though his body is quite rigid, the head is nice and soft and cuddly.
He comes with a paw-shaped clicker which you press to get the puppy to perform. His actions include sitting up and begging. It's very simple to operate. so under fives will manage it easily.
The puppy also has a lead for walkies and an adoption certificate. Batteries are not included so you will need to provide 4 AAs.
Also provided is a piece of flat brown plastic which is destined to be the 'treat' with which you train your puppy. And soon after you've fed it, the same piece of plastic will re-emerge from his back end. My children found this hilarious: "Mummy, look, I can make the puppy eat his poo!" Um, yes, great, that's a talent that'll see you far in life.
What is it with toys that appeal to children's grosser side? We've only just recovered from the farting, burping Dave the Shoulder Monkey
I felt that this toy didn't do a huge amout to justify the price of around £30. But my children did like it, and judging from the way these are flying off the shelves, they're not alone.
Train and Play Puppy is widely available now, RRP £29.99, suitable for age 3 and over. However, there aren't many reduced deals and many stores are currently out of stock, so if you're after one of these snap it up quickly. One of the few places still with stock is Smyths.