My little dog is more than a little spoiled. Daily playtime is mandatory. She came along after I retired and is used to having me at her beck and call. As far as she’s concerned, it’s always playtime.

Like it or not, I play with her a lot. She makes it as easy as she can. Any time I’m not moving, she’ll bring me a toy to throw. If she places it out of reach, I wave my fingers at it if and she’ll push it closer.

She’s relentless and willing to play endless games of fetch. I, however, am not. Incessant whining when I don’t makes her hard to ignore.

I confess to sometimes buying her off with treats. If she carries on enough, I’ll give her a treat to shut her up. The longer a chew treat keeps her busy, the better. Most vanish in a matter of seconds.

The practice got a little out of hand. I realized she hadn’t touched her food for several days. Buying her off with treats had to stop. I needed a new way to keep her busy.

I went online in search of interactive toys and ordered two. My first selection, the Floppity Fish, arrived in the mail a few days later with nothing but a USB cable. I found instructions online.

Tootsie loved it (surprise!). Touching Floppity Fish triggers the action. The charge lasts up to an hour. Tootsie burned it out in about eight minutes–long enough for her to figure out how to make it wiggle. Sadly, it never worked again. The USB cable wouldn’t stay plugged in.

The rechargeable ball I’d ordered with Floppity Fish finally arrived. Lights flash as it randomly bounces or rolls across the floor. It needs a hard surface to work, and if thrown, is heavy enough to do some damage.

She loves it too (surprise!). Unlike the fish, the action is totally random. She picks it up, drops it hard with a toss of her head, and then waits for it to move. When it doesn’t, she loses interest.

I found Shaky Shark at a local pet store. Same idea as Floppity Fish but better quality. The charge lasted about thirty minutes. She plays with her shark until the charge runs out every evening. Or did. She runs to it when the motor whirs, but it doesn’t move anymore so she quickly loses interest.

I tried replacing the guts from Floppity Fish with the ball, but the cavity was too small. Shaky Shark, however, was a perfect fit. The combo renewed her interest in both toys.

She’ll shake it like crazy. If it stops moving for more than a few minutes, she moves onto something else. The charge lasts for hours–overnight even. When it comes back on again, she drops whatever she’s doing to investigate.

Turns out, her favorite interactive toy is… me. Balls, rubber squeaky toys, and stuffed toys–rechargeable or not– are just accessories.

I ain’t gonna lie. Her constant desire to play and incessant whining when I won’t sometimes get on my nerves. Yelling at her–my go-to reaction–isn’t very effective.

We’re working on it. She’s getting better about accepting when it’s not playtime. I’m trying not to yell. When I do, it’s rarely about her anyway.

She’s great company and the cuddliest little critter I’ve ever known. A little dedicated playtime every day is good for me too.

Thanks for stopping by!