“Fur Real Biscuit has been a massive hit with my animal-obsessed daughter.”

Price: £116.66 (RRP £175)
Buy online at Argos

*****

Initial thoughts: My 4 year old nearly fell over when this lifelike toy came out of the box. It’s a good job she liked it because at this price it would have made a very expensive dust gatherer in her room. It has a lovely cute face and is just the right size of a youngster to cuddle. Grandma took a bit of a punt with this one but I have to say it has been a big big hit.

We liked: After 2 days my husband actually said to me ‘I quite fancy getting a real dog now don’t you?’ Err no. It has several voice and touch commands which he responds to including ’sit’, ‘lie down’, ’speak’, ‘give me your paw’ and if you tickle him under his ears he tilts his head to one side and gives happy noises. If you make too many demands on him he gets all confused and tilts his head to make puzzled puppy sounds. Cute!

We didn’t like: Personally I found the movements rather noisy as the mechanics move into action, however it didn’t bother my daughter in the slightest. Also, if you ignore him for too long, he sits in the corner and whines – really really annoying when you’re trying to work or sleep. You really should just switch him off but his on/off button is in a delicate area so we tended to leave him on!

Overall thoughts: A massive hit with my animal-obsessed daughter who, for the 3 weeks we’ve had him, has taken him everywhere with her. I do question the price tag though – when she moves on to something else in a couple of months time, it will have been like spending £100 on an ornament for her room. Or am I just being cynical?

Tara, Sticky Fingers