What Cole Bought Tucker for Christmas (Tucker's Reaction)

Cole bought Tucker the Chuckit Ultra Ball for Christmas. He had seen it on the approved list. He bought it. He wrapped it. He gave it to Tucker on December 25th with what we can only describe as confident energy.

Tucker unwrapped it — which required assistance, as Tucker approaches wrapped objects with the same systematic curiosity he applies to stuffed Kongs — and examined the ball for approximately twelve seconds.

Then he brought it to Cole.

The Significance

Tucker does not bring toys to people. Tucker evaluates toys, approves or rejects them, and incorporates approved toys into his personal inventory. The bringing behavior is reserved for things Tucker wants used immediately.

He brought the Chuckit to Cole, dropped it at his feet, and sat. He waited. Cole threw it approximately three feet across the living room, which is not an ideal throwing distance for a ball designed for outdoor fetch, but Tucker retrieved it at full speed anyway, returned to Cole, and sat again.

They did this for twenty minutes.

Cole's Assessment

Cole said "I knew he'd like it." This is the third time Cole has said this phrase about a product Tucker approved. He said it about the orthopedic bed (which he bought after we recommended it). He said it about the peanut butter kongs (which he discovered independently). He is now saying it about the Chuckit.

In two of these three cases, Cole acquired the product after we identified it on the approved list. In one case — the peanut butter — he was genuinely first. We are keeping score. Cole has one independent discovery out of Tucker's top ten products. Tucker's methodology identified nine of the ten first. These are the numbers.

Mittens's Christmas

Mittens received a feather wand toy. She acknowledged it on day three by knocking it off the shelf. We scored this as a positive response. On day five she sat on it. This is, by Mittens's rating system, the highest possible endorsement.

The feather wand received five out of five from Mittens. Tucker did not interact with it — it is a cat toy and Tucker maintains professional boundaries about category jurisdiction. He observed Mittens's evaluation from across the room with what appeared to be collegial interest.

It was a good Christmas for the evaluation department.