Our mum testers put the Smart Stages Puppy to the test, to see if it makes a good educational toy for little ones.
Tested by mum Stephanie Price for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
My daughter was immediately drawn to this toy. She has started to hug and kiss the puppy, which she hasn't done before with any other soft toy. I like the 3 different levels of learning which correspond to different ages. It's easy to use and I like the various different songs.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The toy amuses my daughter for a decent length of time when I am trying to cook dinner, so I guess you could say that this makes my life slightly easier.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I think that the product design looks slightly tacky. I can't say that changing the design to look a little classier would make my life better! But it would definitely look better.
Tested by mum Lizzie Jackson for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
Yes, my son absolutely loved it. I was surprised, he would hunt for it in the morning and sit for long periods of time with it. More than any other toy he's owned. I wouldn't have bought it for him based on its appearance because I think it looks a bit naff, but I'm now very pleased to own it.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It does make it easier because he's very happy to be playing with it for long periods of time meaning I can get on with other things.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The design. I think, it's a bit naff looking.
Tested by mum Milli Thompson for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I liked the glowing heart on the puppy and the easy touch buttons on paws, feet and ear. My 10 month old could easily get noises and sounds out of it. One drawback is that it is only surface washable.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
An attractive happy puppy. Has kept my baby entertained for a while, he's quite excited by the glowing heart.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
If I could change one thing I'd have longer songs and speaking parts.
Tested by mum Louise Parr for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
The smart puppy is very eye catching and appealing to my son. The puppy is easy to use but it is too easy for my child to change the levels. My child really enjoyed playing with the toy.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It is very interactive for my child to play with. He can press the body parts and follow the instructions allowing him to play alone. My 8 month old also enjoyed watching but was too young to press the buttons.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would make the levels only changeable for parents so the children can complete all the levels and play at a level they understand.
Tested by mum Laura Walmsley for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
My daughter really loves playing with this toy, it’s great that it has different settings so you don’t get bored with the same song on the repeat. It’s good that it helps the baby learn body parts too.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
It’s easy to use so my daughter can control it herself.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
The annoying voice!
Tested by mum Clare Mechan for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
My little one loved the different textures of the puppy, the bright colours and that the various hot spots/body parts had different functions. I would recommend to fellow mums as the levels of difficulty can grow and change as my child does.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
Again another product with longevity that can grow with my child (level of difficulty can be increased with age and learning). It’s financially prudent in this respect. Great item that is safe, that you could leave a child sat with playing while I do chores.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
If I could change one thing about this product it would be the manner in which you change the difficulty level. You currently do this by squeezing a foot, so my 11 month old tends to do this a lot and then the settings are not age appropriate. Would be better if this was internal.
Tested by dad Dan Jones for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow parent?
I would recommend the puppy toy to friends, it brought a smile to my sons face and he enjoyed pressing the heart in the middle. He also seemed to like the voice of the recordings which I however found a bit irritating!
How does this product make your life easier as a dad?
The puppy kept my son interested for a few valuable minutes at a time so it is a useful addition to his toy box as well as this it is helping to familiarise him with numbers and ABC.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
If I could change on thing I would change the voice!
Tested by Chris Pain for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow parent?
We really love the Smart Stages Puppy. It’s a great way for our almost toddling baby to play, cuddle and interact on his own. We would definitely recommend this great educational and comforting toy to fellow parents. There are over 50 songs and phases so that our son (and ourselves) did not get bored or tired of this. The push buttons that are over the toy are so easy for our baby to press and the whole appearance of the toy is fun and comforting. The colours and materials used are of a high quality and the teddy dog is very soft. The centre button, which is a focal point for our baby is brilliant and lights up while songs are playing keeping our baby engaged with the toy. There are three levels that grow as your child develops, and because of this we believe it will be a favourite for a long time. It is therefore great value for money and a perfect first birthday gift.
How does this product make your life easier as a parent?
This toy was an ideal way to introduce our son to playing independently. We have suffered a little with separation anxiety and after one day of playing our son could cope with sitting in his playpen alone for 10 minutes with the puppy. It is also great fun to play all together and big brother has shown him how it all works, it was really nice seeing them play and work out new things together.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
We would change two things about the design of this puppy. The first is the way the levels increase, I believe it would be easier to recognise what level the puppy was on by changing the colour of the heart. Add three different light bulbs or a switch on the back so that you the parent know what level it’s on. The second is that a safety zip would make me feel more confident about leaving my baby with this.
Tested by mum Emily Bennett for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I really liked this toy for my daughter. It is a great way to introduce the parts of the body to her, and as she has started to say her first words, this is a great encouraging tool. It is made from soft material and she loved carrying him around by his ear, as it was light enough too, even though it has electronics and a battery. It was easy to fit battery and the instructions clearly indicate how it works.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
The smart puppy was a lovely way to keep my daughter entertained while in a long car journey and stayed with her for the rest of the holiday. The songs were brilliant and with such a range it did not get too annoying for us to in the front seats.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
I would not change anything about this toy as it is, but perhaps a foreign language puppy would be good for her future development. If it was French you could dress him in a French outfit etc.
Tested by mum Klare Ward for the M&B Awards 2016:
Why would you recommend this product to a friend/fellow mum?
I really loved this cute and fun puppy toy. I would highly recommend this to friends and family. It is super soft and brightly coloured. The volume is not too high and the songs and phases are brilliant.
How does this product make your life easier as a mum?
This puppy was perfect for my baby and it is such a good value for money. As a busy mum I find it hard to entertain my crawling son all day, but this just made it fun for him while I did chores around the house.
If you could change one thing about this product what would it be?
Absolutely nothing.