How does the dancing fish dog toy actually work? Understand the cool features that entertain your dog.
Okay, so everyone kept talking about these dancing fish toys for dogs. Saw them all over the place online, videos of dogs going nuts for them. My dog, Max, he gets bored with his toys pretty fast, always sniffing around for something new. I figured, why not? Maybe this weird floppy fish thing would keep him busy for more than five minutes.
Ordered one. It showed up pretty quick, just in a simple plastic bag inside the usual brown box. Nothing special. Pulled the fish out. Looked like a fish, yeah. Felt a bit… plasticky under the fabric? Hard to explain. Not super plushy.
Getting it Ready
First thing was figuring out how to charge it. There's a little zipper on the belly. Opened that up, and inside there’s this small plastic box – the motor, I guess. It had a little switch and a tiny port for charging. Found the USB cable that came with it, plugged it into my computer. A little light came on. Left it there for maybe an hour or two? Can't remember exactly, until the light changed. Put the motor back inside the fish cover, zipped it up tight.
Alright, showtime. Called Max over. He came trotting, tail wagging, always hopeful.
The Big Reveal (and Flop)
I tapped the fish like the instructions said, and BAM! It started flipping and flopping all over the floor. Made this whirring noise, kind of loud actually, especially on the wooden floor. Thump, whack, flop, flop. It was pretty vigorous.
Max? He just froze solid. Stared at the thing like it was some kind of alien invader. Ears went back, tail stopped wagging, lowered his head a bit. He took a step back. Then another. The fish stopped flopping after maybe 15 seconds. Max crept forward slowly, sniffed it cautiously from a distance. As soon as his nose got close, he must have bumped it, because it started thrashing again! He jumped back like he'd been zapped, let out a little yelp, and ran behind my legs.
Tried it a few more times over the next couple of days. Tossed it gently. Turned it on near his bed. Same reaction every time: suspicion, fear, avoidance. He wouldn't touch it. If it started flopping, he'd leave the room. He’s usually pretty brave, loves his squeaky toys, tears apart stuffed animals with joy. But this dancing fish? Nope. Terrified him.
- The flopping action works, definitely.
- It's motion-activated, starts again when bumped.
- But it was too noisy and jerky for my dog.
- He never actually played with it, just stared or ran away.
So, the dancing fish dog toy experiment? For us, it was a total failure. Max wanted absolutely nothing to do with it. It’s been sitting in the corner for weeks now, collecting dust. Maybe some dogs find it hilarious, but mine found it horrifying. Just goes to show, fancy gadgets aren't always better than a simple tennis ball, I guess. Another lesson learned.
