Boredom is not a small problem in a dog left alone. It is where the chewed skirting board and the neighbour's complaint about barking both start. A ball that moves by itself gives a dog something to do in that gap, rolling off and changing direction when it senses movement nearby, so a game can begin without anyone being in the room to start it.

It is quiet in a way that matters if you live in a flat. The shell is ETPU, a foamed elastic material that is springy underfoot and chew-resistant, and it charges over USB between sessions.

• Motion-activated, moves and changes direction on its own
• Chew-resistant ETPU shell
• USB rechargeable
• Suits small and medium dogs
• Works indoors or out in the garden

Do not treat it as a dog-sitter. There is a battery and a motor inside, so this is a supervised toy first, and a dog who cracks the shell must not be left alone with it. It is no substitute for a walk or for company either: it fills a gap in a day that is already reasonably structured, and it will not fix genuine separation anxiety, which needs training rather than kit.

Who it's for: Small and medium dogs who get bored between walks, in homes where noise carries and a clattering hard-plastic toy would not do.