Customer Reviews

Rescue Pets Swim To Me Puppy - Dalmatian

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(10)

 

 

This is the worst $25 bucks I have ever spent. The dog is cute when you take him out of the package, but add batteries and it turns into a freak show. My daughter has wanted this toy for months, so I finally went and got it. I put the batteries in and it makes this horrible motor noise as it is moving. Then I read the instructions about the water use and my little girl takes it into the bath. It would not turn off, no matter how much time you hold the button on the collar down. I then dried the toy and waited 24 hours before giving back to my daughter to play with on the floor and as soon as she turned it on it would not go back off. So out came the batteries. What a terrible toy, I am returning it as soon as possible. So word to the consumer who uses review before buying anything as I do, DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY....

This toy worked perfectly the first time. My six-year-old loved it! Once the water was deep enough to allow the puppy to balance out and "swim" it worked fine. And the sound of the motor was greatly reduced in the water. Our bath tub was filled to the brim, so it may not work in shallow tubs. The second time we used it the thing completely fell apart. It would not turn off. We pressed the button on the collar, dried it completely with a towel, even took out the batteries overnight to let everything dry. Still, when I put the batteries in the toy starts trying to "walk" and won't turn off! My daughter hasn't used it since...

My 4 year old loves this toy and takes it everywhere. It works fine. The reason it does not shut off when wet is because it has sensors which turn it on when submersed(It is mentioned in the instructions). Dry it off completely (especially around the sensors in the front) and it will turn off. The on/ off button is a bit touchy but not as bad as everyone says.
The toy has survived my son taking it everywhere and playing with it non stop. It's durable. Keeps my son entertained it's worth it.

CAUTIOUS OPENING OF THE BOX

My daughter insisted that she has wanted this for 6 months. Despite me presenting a lot of negative reviews and only a few positive reviews, my 9 year old refused to listen to the naysayers and open the box. I was hesitant about the decision but conceded. My recommendation is not to destroy the box by cutting the various rubber straps and carefully cutting the wires that hold the dog and its accessories in place. After about 3-5 minutes of meticulously cutting the pet free, I had to find a Phillips screwdriver small enough to fit into the holes that house the battery. I placed the 3 AAA batteries in, checked the rubber gaskets that line the battery compartment, and made sure that the battery cover was properly seated. If this is not performed correctly, I can foresee a water leak which can render this toy useless after placing it into water. Reading that this has poor performance in water based upon feedback from my fellow reviewers, I advised my daughter against that practice to ensure a longer useable life. She agreed and she will be using this as a vehicle for her Barbie Dolls to ride.

CONSTRUCTION

The dog is made of hard plastic with rubber ears. The battery compartment is in the abdomen of the dog. For design, I would have made the compartment in the back to limit water getting into the sensitive area. The button that powers the toy is in the front collar - it serves as an on/off switch. Again, I would have personally designed this toy to have the power button near the top of the device, rather than below the water level in its current design.

The rubber ears are durable in feel but are hollowed out for improved bouyancy. The feet/legs are hollowed out to function as "Scoops" to propel the dog forward in water.

The head is disproportionately large with big eyes that is more attractive for toddlers and young children. The high contrast design may even appeal to 3 year old children (the bottom limit of the recommended age). Accompanying the toy is a Terry cloth towel and a set of goggles. The goggles fit my daughter better than it fits the dog but it has no real function - except for a symbolic aesthetic.

OPERATION

The power button is the only switch to power On and Off. The toy moves in a robotic motion, and appears to be precarious in balance. There is a mechanical sound that is not loud; however, in 2008-2009, I would have expected engineers to make an item quieter than this.

CAVEATS

I would make sure that the battery enclosure is properly sealed before placing this into water. Depending upon the climate in which you live, I would recommend that you check the silicone gasket to see if there is any breakdown. The button is not accessible to inspection to ensure a proper seal and I see this as a major pitfall in design - this limits the serviceability for the general user.

RECOMMENDATIONS

With careful consideration and the design flaws, this has a small market of children that will actually benefit/enjoy this toy. This may appeal to a much younger population for its appearance or older children who have a greater attention to caring for their toy and want a virtual pet.

I bought this for my daughter as a treat; she had seen it somewhere else. After reading the reviews I was very nervous that I was wasting money. But once it arrived I simply READ THE INSTRUCTIONS and we haven't had any problems like those mentioned. It reads to hold the button for two seconds to make it stop. As long as your suppress the button, you won't have any problems with turning it off and on. Now, when it's wet, it will continue on a little longer than normal, but we wrapped it in a towel and didn't have any problems. It does go through batteries quickly, but she absolutely loves playing with it and it's worth it. But the reviews led me to believe it was crap and it's really not if you just read what it tells you to do!

I was hesitant to give this to my daughter after reading the previous reviews. I decided to go ahead - and so far, so good. It walks well on land and survived the first swim in the tub. The water does need to be completely drained by holding upside down. After the first upside down attempt to drain, the puppy turned back on when flipped over. We just turned upside down again to drain - gave a tiny shake or two to facilitate water drainage, and it turned right off. I will write another review if we experience malfunctions in the future. I've got my fingers crossed.

I bought this toy for my son's 4th birthday and he was really excited! After reading all the reviews I didn't have high expectations! We didn't have any problems!!!!!! The toy is great on land and awsome in the water!! The item quickly turned off for us as soon as we took him out of the water! Just had to turn it off!! I would recommed this item!!

My older daughter really wanted this for Christmas, and she ended up intercepting the package and that was the end of that so we let her have it.
Worked just fine on dry land, cute, walks around, and the off button works as advertised.
In the tub, it swims just fine, but when we took it out we cannot get it to shut off!! Toweled it dry, turned it upside down, pressed the button a full two seconds like it says, but it does not shut off. Have to open it up, peel the batteries out, and let it dry overnight Tried different batteries, no effect. On day five of this exercise, she takes her bath, takes it to me, I take out batteries, let it dry overnight, and put them back in, where it seems to function again on dry land, just as soon as you get it wet, it keeps on running.

Only other comment, buy a LOT of batteries. Uses 3AAA and with occasional use (1.5 hr or so) using duracell or energizer I am changing every other day since it is so drained.

Disappointed myself, daughter loves it, but I will tire soon of the battery extraction process to shut it off.

My daughter got this for her birthday from her grandparents. After playing with it in the tub, it wouldn't turn off no matter what we did...until removing the batteries....which are a pain in the tail to access. She sobbed when we told her it didn't work right, total watse of money!

So this is supposed to be a water toy, but after just one week's use in our pool, the batteries corroded and it no longer works! I'm going to email the manufacturer and complain. That is ridiculous for a toy that is SUPPOSED to be played with in the water. Why is the battery compartment not waterproof???