The Ricochet Dog Toy is an electronic dog toy manufactured by PetSafe, one of the leading dog brands in the United States.
This toy was also winner of the 2019 Pet Business Industry Recognition Award (IRA) for exciting and functional design – pretty neat!
The Ricochet is an interactive, electronic toy composed of two balls – a green-capped one and a blue-capped one.
When your dog begins to play with the green ball, the blue one will begin to squeak and make noise, directing your dog over to it. When your dog then begins to play with the blue ball, the green one will begin making sounds!
The result is a game of doggie pinball, with your dog running back and forth between the two balls and having a grand old time!
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Ricochet Dog Toy
Electronic Motion-Activated Dog Toy
Two electronic balls synced via Bluetooth encourage your dog to run back and froth between them – when your dog plays with one ball, the other ball squeaks!
Features:
- Award-winning design – winner of the 2019 Pet Business Industry Recognition Award (IRA).
- Electronic interactive toy that includes two balls which communicate with one another. When your dog plays with one toy, the other one makes noise!
- Balls sync together via Bluetooth and can communicate up to 9 meters apart.
- Great for dogs that love balls and squeaky toys!
- Perfect for self-directed play – no need for owner interaction.
- Made of hard, durable plastic – no stuffing or fabric to tear.
- Backed by a one-year manufacturer’s warranty.
- Requires 3 batteries for each ball (6 AAA batteries total).
- Both toys automatically turn off after 60 minutes of inactivity to save battery life.
Ricochet Dog Toy Review
Let’s get into the ins and outs of this toy – should you get it for your dog? We’ll discuss the pros and cons of this toy below. Or, watch our video review of the Ricochet!
Ricochet Benefits
This toy is pretty unique in that it’s an interactive dog toy that doesn’t require any engagement on the owner’s part. Your dog can amuse himself by nudging, rolling, and pawing at the electronic dog balls.
Since the balls are synced via Bluetooth, they can communicate with each other across up to 9 meters, which encourages your dog to run back and forth across the house, burning some serious energy through play!
These balls are made of hard, stiff plastic, so you don’t need to worry about your dog tearing open the toy and ingesting any hazardous pieces.
Ricochet Drawbacks
The toy requires six AAA batteries (three for each ball). This isn’t a huge issue, but that does seem like a lot for a modern electronic toy. The good news is that both balls automatically turn off after 60 minutes inactivity, so you won’t burn through the batteries too quickly.
The biggest issue is that – unfortunately – not all dogs are excited by the electronic squeaking sounds. My own dog was only mildly interested in the toy initially, and quickly tired of it and had no interest in playing with it.
Still, if your dog is really into balls (my dog isn’t) and squeaky toys, it definitely might be a worthwhile toy to check out; especially considering the potential for self-directed amusement and exercise.
However, at around $50, this electronic dog ball toy is quite pricey, so it wouldn’t be too fun to buy it and then realize your dog isn’t a fan!
Bottom Line
My own dog wasn’t a huge fan of this toy. This does seem to be a common problem for many owners who have tried the Ricochet Dog Toy – a lot of dogs just aren’t into those electronic squeaks. I guess you can’t beat the real thing!
However, this isn’t true for all dogs. Some dogs really love this toy, and for those that do engage with the balls, it’s an awesome toy that gets your dog tons of exercise and plenty of fun without you needing to be involved.
I’d say this toy may be worth trying if:
- Your dog is a ball freak
- Your dog seems interested in electronic squeaks (try playing some YouTube videos of squeaks and see if your dog perks up)
- Your dog has engaged with electronic toys in the past
Alternative Toys
If the Ricochet dog toy doesn’t seem like a good fit for you, there are some other interactive dog toy you may want to consider, such as:
- PetCube Bites 2. This doggie cam lets owners talk to and monitor their dog virtually via the app. The coolest part? You can toss your dog treats and play “find the kibble” whenever you want!
- HypetPet Doggie Tail. This is another electronic dog toy that moves, wiggles, and squeaks like the Ricochet. However, this toy has a coat of fur and a tail, which may be more enticing to some dogs.
- Hide-N-Slide Puzzle Toy. This toy from Nina Ottoson is just one of many incredible puzzle toys that your dog will adore. Your dog needs to slide various panels to access tasty treats – perfect for food-motivated dogs.
- Flirt Pole. Flirt poles are basically giant sticks with a rope and toy attached (think giant cat toy), where you flick the toy across the floor for your dog to chase. This toy is incredible for dogs with a high prey drive. They do require human interaction, but they are a great toy for burning tons of energy.
Have you ever tried the Ricochet Dog Toy? What was your experience with it? Did your dog like it? Share your experience in the comments below!
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