After spending a decade and a half in the technology review arena, I can confidently say that I have never encountered a product as peculiar as Clippy, a pellet-firing, story-telling, pretend-urinating robot attack dog. This unique gadget arrived in a somewhat battered box, the result of a series of questionable decisions made during my shopping spree on Temu. The moment I laid eyes on the packaging, emblazoned with the striking words “FIRE BULLETS PET,” my curiosity peaked. Behind the protective plastic window, there lay Clippy, a plastic destroyer of worlds, that my four-and-a-half-year-old son instantly and inexplicably named.

Clippy is a robot dog, or at least that’s what we’re calling it. My son, adamant that this creation is male, has taken to his new robotic companion with great affection. This device seems to draw inspiration from the remarkable yet slightly eerie robotic canines produced by Boston Dynamics, a company that is firmly at the forefront of the robotic revolution. Known for creating humanoid robots that can run, jump, and even dance, Boston Dynamics has set a high standard in robotic innovation. Clippy, on the other hand, is more of a playful nod to these sophisticated creations, albeit at a fraction of the price.

With a price tag of around $50 (a bit less if you opt-out of the—let’s say—spinal-mounted pellet gun), my expectations weren’t set particularly high. It’s hard to imagine that a device costing less than a round of drinks in a London bar could live up to the Instagram ad hype, which promised all sorts of animatronic wizardry. However, the temptation to explore this quirky product was simply too strong to resist.

What followed was, perhaps predictably, a lesson in the pitfalls of taking social media advertisements at face value. But, to my surprise, it also turned out to be a whole lot of ridiculous fun.

Robot Attack Dog: Lab Notes

Upon liberating Clippy from his cardboard prison, I was immediately struck by the ultra-lightweight and glossy plastic used in his construction. My relationship with plastic is complicated. While I have fond memories of the Nokia Lumia 920, whose polycarbonate body was a design triumph, Clippy—and his accompanying remote control—exuded the kind of fragility reminiscent of a Christmas cracker toy, leaving me somewhat skeptical of their durability.

Clippy’s main body, which houses the bulk of the electronics, is sufficiently weighty, giving it a somewhat substantial feel. However, his four spindly legs hardly inspire confidence; they seem ill-equipped to support much weight. Despite this, I happen to have the turret-toting model, which claims to be able to rain down destruction on its enemies by launching water-absorbent pellets (more on that thrilling aspect in a moment).

When you look at the entire setup, it resembles an elongated CCTV camera on legs, with a menacing turret perched on top. Aesthetically, it’s not far off from the offerings of Boston Dynamics in terms of appearance alone, albeit without the engineering prowess and capabilities that come with a hefty price tag.