Dogs That Make You Fetch and Dogs That Dont

In the plastic world of Mattel, the tables have been turned.   Meet Red Rover.

Red Rover getting emotional, sort of

Now electronic toy dogs bark the orders and make humans (namely kids and toddlers) fetch bones and in the process teach them a thing or two about shapes, colors, and numbers.  With a grand total of 12 color-coded bones (and twelve's mighty lot), expect the little ones to really know their colors.

Up to (4) four kids can join in this game of give-the-dog-a-bone.  The winner of course is the one who can give the right bones the swiftest.  Red Rover doesn't  sing or hum This Old Man (he's a toy dog, remember?), but he still barks encouragingly.

Nice: Kid-safe plastic parts, amusing and educational at the same time.
NOT Nice: Only nine (9) letters in the alphabet are used in the bones.  Not so educational after all. 

Red Rover is priced at $19.96 at Amazon.

Since we're on the topic of toy dogs, here's a nifty canine made out of tightly woven and corded recycled newspaper from VivaTerra.  The dog doesn't fetch or make you fetch and teach you stuff, but it sure knows how to sit and stay.