We’ve been reading about some creative products being introduced on the market that help keep Fido entertained while their owners are away at work or out buying dog food.  Here are a few:

PetChatz Paw Call – This is a two-way videoconferencing system for pets with a new addition – the Paw Call button that let’s Fido intiate the call!  When the dog presses the “I want to speak with you button,” the owner’s smartphone or computer gets alerted with a quick woof sound.  The videoconferencing system – complete with an app-controlled treat dispenser – sells for $380.  The Paw Call accessory is an additional $100.  Looks like Fido may need to get a few modeling jobs to help pay for these fun tools!

Petcube Camera – This is another videoconference system for pets, but with a different twist:  You can remotely watch, talk to and play with your pet.  Using the Petcube App, your voice is broadcast from a speaker strategically placed in the animal’s favorite play area.  If the owner sees that Fido is in need of some constructive exercise (and a distraction from destroying the couch!), they can swipe a laser dot across the floor for Fido to chase.  Not sure how Fido feels about chasing a ball-like object that can’t be caught!  The camera system sells for $199 (discounted at $149 through February 2016).

CleverPet – Think of this gadget as a brain teaser for Fido:  It works to stimulate the dog’s mind and body while the owner remotely monitors their progress.  The concept is a bit like Pavlovian theory:  The dog learns how to get treats by first seeing that the CleverPet machine dispenses them when they slap the machine’s buttons.  Next they learn to only slap the button that’s lit, and so on.  The challenges start out easy and progressively get more difficult while Fido learns how to optimize his treats.  Seems like a really smart dog could eventually get pretty obese, as slapping buttons doesn’t work off many treat calories!  The team behind the product is still fundraising on Kickstarter, but you can sign up now to be notified when it’s available on the market (planned for April) selling for $299, plus the cost of Fido’s treats.

PupPod – The idea for this product appears similar in concept to CleverPet – the dog interacts with a bobble toy and learns when treats will be dispensed on the other side of the room, so there’s some exercise involved to keep Fido trim!  The product is still in production after meeting its fundraising goal on Kickstarter this past fall.  Deposits are now being accepted to reserve a PubPod for $99, but the final price is still TBD.  I’d be a bit leary on this one, as the web site takes forever to load and the video on both the site and Kickstarter pages didn’t operate for me.

It appears Fido has a lot of options for staying occupied, but I can’t help but think the best part of his day is seeing his owner walk through the door at zero cost!