Calm Clean Companion Self-Rolling Smart Ball

A ball that moves on its own. Switch it on and it rolls around the room, changes direction when it hits something, and goes quiet after a few minutes of stillness — so your dog has something to chase without you throwing anything.

It is most useful in the gap between getting home and being able to actually walk the dog. It is not a substitute for a walk, and every dog gets bored of it eventually.

Two styles

• Rolling — smooth continuous motion. Better for cautious dogs and hard floors.
• Jumping — moves in bursts and hops. More exciting, more startling. Good for confident dogs.

What you get

• USB-rechargeable — no batteries to replace
• Sleeps on its own when nothing is happening, wakes on a nudge
• Silicone shell over a hard core
• Four colour and style combinations

Honest limits

It is about the size of a tennis ball, which makes it a toy for small and medium dogs — a large dog will pick it up and be done with it. Cats generally love it, if you have one of those too.

It is a chase toy, not a chew toy. A dog that settles down to seriously chew it will get through the shell, so supervise the first few sessions. If your dog destroys things for sport, buy the chew toy instead.