My kids would love a dog, especially the 5-year-old. But between the two kids--one an infant--and a job that's an hour-and-a-half commute away, I don't have the energy to care for one more live being. A new possible compromise? LeapFrog's My Pal Scout ($19.99 list).

Scout and his "sister," My Pal Violet, should be familiar to those who have played with such LeapFrog products as ClickStart: He's the stuffed-toy version of the dog owned by Tad in the LeapFrog series of toys and DVDs. On the surface, he seems like many other toys out in the market that use basic technology to appeal to the 6-months-and-up set. He's adorable, he talks and sings when you press his paws, and he lights up. But look beneath the surface, and you'll find so much more.

The green-and-white Scout measures approximately 13 by 7 inches (HW). His collar flashes blue when he's active. Each of his four paws has its own function: Press the left front paw, and he sings. Press the right front paw, and he utters statements meant to encourage interaction (for example, "Can you guess what I am? Quack, quack!"). The back right paw activates lullabies, and the back left paw turns him on and off. There are icons on each paw to denote its function, but it seems less for the benefit of the kids--at least my 9-month-old, who doesn't even know what a paw is, much less an icon--and more for parents who are playing with the kids.

The secret sauce, so to speak, lies in Scout's ability to be programmed to respond specifically to the child it's meant for. Pull back the Velcro closure in his back to find the On/Off switch, which also controls Scout's volume from low to high, as well as the enclosure for the three AA batteries needed to run the toy, and the mini-USB port right above the battery enclosure. (Note: The mini USB port has a cover, and it's a little difficult to get to--but that means my kids can't get to it at all, and that's a good thing).

The toy comes with a mini USB-to-USB cable, which allows you to connect Scout to your computer. Once you do so, you're sent to the LeapFrog Web site, where you're asked to download the LeapFrog Connect application. You then open the app and start programming information about the child for which the toy is intended. Start by programming your child's name, and listen to how it will sound. Under My Picks, you can pick your child's favorite food (yakisoba was a choice), animal (no dragons, I'm afraid), and color. In My Music, you can choose up to five daytime songs and five lullabies. After you're done on each screen, click on Save to My Pal at the bottom of the page, and you're good to go.

You can also sign up for a Parent Account and use several LeapFrog learning programs to track and encourage your child's learning path. I'd certainly consider doing this down the road, when the kids are a bit older.

It's incredibly charming to have a toy that can interact directly with my child. Matt stared at Scout, like he would a person, whenever Scout said his name, or in one instance, spelled his name out in a song. There's a slight pause in the toy's speech right before saying the name, but I don't think my rookie tester noticed that. He did, however, bat Scout around, laughed when he heard his name, and chewed Scout's nose a little--but mature play really isn't a strong suit at Matt's age.

My older son, Jake, was beyond intrigued with Scout. I liked that Scout encourages more interactive play than other toys that can play music or talk. And the amount of things it can do is a definite improvement over similar toys I've bought over the years.

Here's my big beef with Scout, though. It seems that the toy is meant to be programmed with one child in mind. Or at least, that's how it felt. When I tried to change the setting in LeapFrog Connect to put in Jake's name and preferences, it seemed easy enough to do. I changed the name, preferences, music picks, and so on, and clicked on My Settings to rename. No problem. I disconnected Scout from the USB cable and turned it on expecting to hear, "Hello, Jacob." Instead I got "Hello, Matthew." I then checked the Help tab under Player Profiles and tried to rename and change the profile on Matt to Jake. One word: argh. Finally, I realized that I had to save each pick that I made, especially the one under My Name, to get it all to stick.

I think it would be very useful (especially for those with more than one child who will play with this toy) for LeapFrog to have a tutorial available online. This would help walk parents through all the major setup issues, including adding multiple Pal profiles and switching between them. I know it would have saved me an hour of swearing quietly at poor innocent Scout when I couldn't reprogram him properly.

Overall, I can see My Pal Scout being a very big hit with the 5-and-under crowd, particularly those who've been nagging their mothers for a pet (you know who you are). He's certainly a big hit with me. He's cute, has lots of tricks, and no feeding, walking, or cleaning up poop needed. What more can I ask for?

Scout is currently available at Toys R Us. Beginning in July, he'll be available on LeapFrog.com and at major retailers.

Post by Laarni Almendrala Ragaza