Got the new SI catalog in the mail yesterday and I couldn’t resist commenting on a cool new gadget they feature on the front cover.
It is the amazing “Treat and Train” Professional Dog Training System. Basically, it’s a whole system that includes a training manual, DVD, and here’s the best part: a small remote-controlled dog-treat dispenser that plugs into the wall in the room where your dog does all of his misbehaving.
The most impressive thing about this system is that the remote-controlled dispenser relieves you of that awful job of having to present your dog with a treat from your hand. Simply push the remote control, and a treat is dispensed along with a tone to alert Sparky that he has a reward. Incredible! Just think, no more worry about the little guy licking your hand. Heck, you don’t even need to approach him. Voilá, you can train your dog from your couch while you watch TV.
For only $169.95, you will save all the time it previously took to hand Sparky a treat when he was exhibiting good behavior. Of course, you do get the training manual and the DVD, so I guess you really only paid about $150 for the Pavlovian dispenser. Aside from the big question of whether the training system is effective, (you are actually the one getting trained in case you didn’t know) one has to wonder if Sparky will learn to love the dispenser more than you?
Whatever the answer, Sharper Image continues to deserve my highly revered #1 spot as
“the quintessential source for overpriced stuff you don’t need.” However, I think that in this case, they should also get honorable mention for “solving a problem that people don’t have.”
Hmm, I wonder if I could adapt the idea to work with my kids, maybe a remote-controlled auto-parenting cash dispenser linked to the completion of household chores. Or, now that more and more schools let you turn in your homework online, maybe this little private ATM machine could be linked to their schoolwork!!
Nah, they’d figure out a way to hack into it.
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1 comment:
I am a new visitor to the AARP website. John, your blog site was the first thing I read and I just had to respond by saying.. AMEN!!! You, in my opinion, hit the nail square on the head! Absolutely amazing to me how these high priced stores, catalogs, etc. continue to stay in business by ripping off and snow-jobing the public into spending their hard earned cash for such stupid items. What does that say for the intelligence of the individuals that fall for it? Hmmm.. Amazing isn't it?
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