I’ve always dreamed of being able to play with my dog 2,000 miles away. Well, actually, that’s not true. But now that I know technology exists to make that possible, I can’t believe I’ve been living without it. 

I first spotted the PePeHola smart dog toy while wandering the CES show floor, surrounded by the usual blur of screens, robots and wall-to-wall crowds. 

Then this small, hamster-ball looking rubber dog toy stopped me in my tracks. 

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It was unassuming at first glance, but once I learned what it could do, it felt like a glimpse into a future where being away from home no longer means being absent from my dog’s life. I was genuinely amazed by how cool it was, not in a flashy tech-demo way, but in a quietly realistic one.

PePeHola lets you play with your dog from anywhere through a Wi-Fi connected remote control that brings the toy to life in real time. From across town or across the world, you can move and interact with a durable rubber toy that your dog can chase, chew, nudge and wrestle with. Seriously. The demonstrator says she works primarily in China, but her two dogs stay at her home in Korea and she can easily play with them even though she’s a few hour flight away. 

In the demo video I watched, a man is sitting in an office away at work, he then grabs the PePeHola remote control, tapped a few controls on it and the toy rolled and shifted on the floor as a dog instantly lit up with excitement, reacting as if their human were right there, teasing them with a toy. The ball can also be controlled through the PePeHola mobile app. 

What struck me most was how easy it all was. Yet, it’s so genius. PePeHola turned a simple dog toy into a bridge between busy schedules, long trips and the very real guilt of leaving a pet alone. 

The PePeHola S1 interactive smart ball is still in beta testing and will be available soon on Kickstarter. 

Experts from CNET, PCMag, Mashable, ZDNET and Lifehacker debated for more than six hours to determine the absolute best new products from the CES 2026 show floor. See all of our winners and finalists here.