Remote-Controlled Jumping Ball Dog Toy

Bored dogs invent their own entertainment, and it is usually the skirting board. A toy that moves under its own power gets around the main limitation of every other ball in the house: it does not need you to throw it. Switch this one on and it rolls, jumps and changes direction by itself, which is enough unpredictability to trigger a proper chase rather than a sniff and a shrug five seconds later.

A paw-shaped remote gives three activity gears, so you can dial the movement down for a small dog in a lounge or up for a big one with a garden to cross. It lights up as it moves, which keeps it visible in a dim room. The shell is made to take chewing from dogs who catch it, and it charges over USB rather than eating batteries. There is a choice of the bare ball or one wrapped in a canvas or velvet cover, in blue or green.

• Self-rolling, jumping action with no throwing needed
• Paw-shaped remote with three activity gears
• Light-up body for play in dim rooms
• USB rechargeable
• Bite-resistant shell
• Bare ball, or with a canvas or velvet cover

On supervision. This is a powered toy with a battery inside, so it is for play you are in the room for, not for leaving out with a determined chewer while you are at work. Dogs who guard moving objects can also get wound up rather than tired by it, so watch the first session closely and judge from what you see.

Who it's for: High-energy dogs who run out of ideas indoors, and owners who need ten minutes of hands-free play.