Fisher-Price Laugh and Learn Learning Puppy

I’m afraid I was raised to be a bit of a snob about toys that just sit there and yell at a child rather than encouraging imaginative play. And our 1-year-old son has quite a few traditional stuffed toys that he likes a great deal. So when my nephew received this toy for his 1st b-day & I was told that my son also would for his (2 months later), I was convinced that he would hate it as much as I planned to, and said, “Oh no he won’t!”

But the gift was already bought by a great-aunt far away, so in it came. We had noticed that our nephew carried his everywhere & apparently loved it as much as our son loved his stuffies, but I was still skeptical. And OH, the grating voices that come out of that puppy . . .

That said, my husband pointed out, “This wasn’t a present for US, it’s for THE BABY.” And the baby . . . loves it.

He barely speaks, but can kind of say “Puppy” to ask for it. He doesn’t walk yet, but he hauls the puppy around in his walker, holding it high in the air by its (non-electronic) ear. He props himself against the couch in a standing position, lays the puppy down in front of himself, and slaps away at its contacts, frowning in concentration as it hollers about the great big colorful world or whines “It’s learning tiiiiiime.” He has limited strength, and this is one of the few electronic toys he can actually get to respond properly. He adores the songs, and demands hand motions with “Eensy Beensy Spider” or the classic “Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes.” He uses the ears as handles to hold Puppy in front of his face for an unconventional game of Peekaboo. He loves to kiss it when happy, or bite it when he’s angry over being told “No.” If Puppy is turned off, he flips him over and bangs the back of his shirt, pleading with me to do whatever magic thing I do back there to bring Puppy back to life. (At times like these, I bless Fisher-Price for the low-volume setting.)

Sigh. Learning Puppy, horrible voice and all, is our son’s new confidante and best friend. So even though the thing scares the bejeebus out of me by shrieking “PEEKABOO! I SEE YOU!” when I walk by it too briskly in the night (no touching necessary! yay!), I will reluctantly agree that sometimes my child is going to like things I hate.

He’d just better not grow up to vote conservative.
Rating: 4 / 5

My son has never once played with this toy. He got it when he was 6 months old and now he is 14 months old and he has never shown any interest in it. Fortunately it was a gift from a family member so we didn’t waste our money.
Rating: 2 / 5

Pediatricians recommend that families wait until children are school age to get a live dog or puppy.

Very young children are often not capable of acting responsibly around dogs, and can also hurt a small dog or puppy

This toy is a great substitute until the child is older

Then, visit Petfinder.com and adopt a great dog or pup for the family

Rating: 5 / 5

In 3 years of having this puppy it has never been played with. I have tried to get them to play with it, but no.

Waste of money!!!
Rating: 1 / 5

This toy holds my one-year-old grand-daughter’s attention for a minute or so, then she starts playing with the TV remotes because they light up when she presses them. The blurb about the item refers to an illuminated bone, which also shows in the picture and animated illustration. But my Laugh & Learn Cuddly Learning Puppy came without a bone–illuminated or no. The price of the toy recently went up by five bucks (25%), so maybe I was charged a premium price for the boneless version? (Probably worth it to those who have a taste for puppy steaks.)

Sometimes I’m grateful for being no more than a grandparent so I don’t have to lose sleep over these burning, bone-headed questions.
Rating: 4 / 5