SonyaSpring is in the air, well almost. Working from home affords me the flexibility to hang with my furry bestie but we know the rainy days are coming! The winter hasn’t been too bad here in Toronto but going for long walks and playing endless fetch in the backyard will be limited – not by me (okay, maybe a little) but also by the sheer protest from the little guy for not wanting to get soaked. Snow? He loves it. Rain? Not so much. But we’ve had a chance to explore various ways to play indoors on those days of extremely cold temperatures that will transition into spring.
Harley is now two years old and can happily self-entertain when he sees me working or otherwise occupied. The other times, I’m all in and on the ground with full attention on him. We’ve got a partnership and understanding that I never imagined could possibly happen. Good for both of us. If I’ve lost myself on my computer trying to meet a deadline? He’ll let me know as in “girl, I’m gonna steal your shoe at the front door if you don’t look up!”
You’ve heard the term “set them up for success”? We’ve use that term for our kids, our teammates, and it can also apply to our pets. It’s something we have engrained in our brains thanks to our dog trainer. A happy pup is one that not only has physical activity but one that is mentally stimulated as well no matter what breed. I found this article from the American Kennel Club a good read: A Mentally Stimulated Dog Is a Happy Dog.
Harley is an inquisitive and active breed. He LOVES to play fetch with a squeaky ball in the house and in the backyard. He can’t get enough of them. Playing “hide and seek” is another favourite. We are always interested in learning about different ways to keep him happy and active. When I recently took a look through PetSafe Canada’s site, the hands-free RICOCHET Electronic Dog Toys caught my attention. We thought we’d give it try with Harley. We also invited his friend Mylo over to play and they were happy to put the toys through the test.
What is it?
Two egg-shaped balls that interact with each other. Place them a distance apart within the house and with enough running space in between to start. According to the description, they will stimulate your dog’s natural hunting instincts.
How does it work?
When both balls are switched on they will emit a digital squeak noise. Curiousity leads the dog to inspect one of the balls. When your pet rolls one ball, it triggers the other ball to correspond and that squeaky noise “jumps” to the other ball. Each time a ball is touched it will trigger the other to make the sound. The reaction is naturally the playful dog will curiously run over to the ball making the noise. This game continues as long as your dog plays with the toys.
What happens?
At first, we placed the balls about 5 ft apart so the dogs would make the association with the triggered squeaks. The dogs learned how they worked and would run between them to find out why and how they are squeaking. Smart! So, dogs get both mental and physical exercise.
What else you need to know?
When the toys are not active they will once in a while send out a squeak noise to remind your dog that they are still there. If there’s no interaction with the toys within 60 minutes they will automatically turn off. After that time, you will have to physically turn them on for playing.
The toys are made of durable plastic with a soft rubber coating. The balls require 3 AAA batteries in each.
The range between the interacting balls was able to cover the main floor (our footprint is about 1500 square feet) with ample space for the toys to roll around on the hardwood surface. FYI the toys are not intended to be thrown around.
Final thoughts?
While it took Harley a few tries to see how the toys interacted and worked, Mylo immediately got into the game full on. His family reported a very satisfied and happy pup! Living in a condo, they also felt it would be a great option to keep Mylo stimulated.
More info about PetSafe’s Ricochet Electronic Dog Toys can be found here.
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GIVEAWAY! Our friends at PetSafe Canada has offered us one fresh new set of RICOCHET ELECTRONIC DOG TOYS as a prize (valued at $59.99 US) to one of Harley’s Instagram followers! Be sure to follow them on Instagram @petsafecanada and show them your love!
TO ENTER:
1. Visit @harleythecuriouscorgi on Instagram and LIKE this corresponding “PetSafe Ricochet Toy Giveaway” post.
2. Tag a friend, furry or otherwise, on the post in the comment section! Each separate tag counts as an entry.
Contest closes on March 12, 2020. No purchase necessary. Must reside in Canada and humans entering must be the age of majority in the province they reside in. One winner will be selected at random from all eligible entries. The selected winner will be contacted via direct message. The prize will be sent directly to the confirmed winner from PetSafe Canada.
Good luck and cheers to rainy season!
*We did not receive compensation for this post or for the contest. The Ricochet Electronic Dog Toy was provided to us for review purposes only.