From the Toysit archive
GoGo My Walking Pup
Explore the 2003 GoGo My Walking Pup by observing one sound or touch cue at a time, alongside Toysit’s preserved launch report.
The play at a glance
A call, a pause and a small response to notice
The white GoGo My Walking Pup in Toysit’s October 1, 2003 report belongs to an early FurReal Friends generation. Hasbro’s 2003 training guide for model 70439 describes a dog that responds to a caller and to touch.
That makes a useful starting point for careful play: try one cue, watch what happens and leave room for the toy to finish before trying something else.
Start with the older white dog
Match the toy and its identifying marks to the 70439 guide before setup. The guide describes calling in a quiet setting: GoGo turns its head, then a further call can bring it toward the sound. It also describes forehead petting and a power switch. Use the full guide for preparation and care.
For the activity, choose one caller and one observer. With just one player, take those roles in turn: make the cue, then become the observer. Keeping the roles separate makes it easier to notice a small movement instead of filling every pause with another call.
Describe what happened
After one permitted cue, use plain words for the result. Did the head turn? Did the dog take a step? Was there a sound or a pause? Say “the head turned after I called” before adding an interpretation such as “it wanted to visit me.”
The second sentence can belong to a story, but the first is the observation. Keeping both gives the play room for imagination without treating the character’s imagined intentions as a technical explanation.
Change one thing
Try another round with the same caller in a different position, following the guide’s operating conditions. Keep the rest of the setup similar. Predict what you might see, then compare the result with the first attempt.
For a separate round, choose a documented touch cue instead. Avoid combining a call and a touch if you want to know which action preceded the response. An unchanged response is worth recording too; one attempt cannot establish everything the mechanism can detect.
Do not make the next attempt louder or more forceful just to obtain a result. If operation is uncertain, stop and consult the guide with an adult.
Let the observation become a story
Once the comparison is finished, give GoGo an imaginary destination: a visitor has arrived, or a friend is waiting nearby. The child can supply the dialogue and the reason for the journey. The sound-responsive mechanism supplies part of the action, while the player supplies the character.
Close the scene with a goodbye and follow the guide’s shutdown instructions. Use the original report below to revisit the toy’s 2003 debut; its store event and contest describe that particular moment, rather than activities still available today.
The historical record
Original Toysit coverage
The complete October 1, 2003 launch report, FAO Schwarz event details and attributed quotation remain below. Its references to voice commands and the wider FurReal Friends age range are preserved in their original context. Sound localization does not by itself demonstrate understanding of spoken words.
Hasbro's Popular Furreal Friends Line Extended with GoGo My Walking Pup
In 2003, a follow up to the previous year's holiday hit sensation Furreal Friends Cats and Kittens and a strong candidate to be among the most sought after toys that holiday season, Hasbro's wildly popular Furreal Friends line went to the dogs with GoGo My Walking Pup, the canine edition to Hasbro's line of realistic, electronic, plush pets.
GoGo My Walking Pup delivered one of the most realistic toy pet experiences yet with breakthrough sound localization technology that enables it to react to voice commands. Hasbro officially welcomes GoGo My Walking Pup to the litter this weekend when 50 lucky kids go on a "call of the wild" searching for 50 of the hidden plush pooches at FAO Schwarz in New York City.
"The Furreal Friends line has been a strong seller for us since day one, and the early reception to GoGo My Walking Pup has been fantastic," said David Niggli, president of FAO Schwarz and executive vice president of merchandising for FAO "We believe that GoGo My Walking Pup will follow in the footsteps of the Furreal Friends Cat as one of the most sought after toys this holiday season," said Niggli.
The first 50 kids to sign up for the contest at the store on Saturday October 4th had one hour to race through FAO Schwarz as they each attempt to find one of 50 hidden GoGo My Walking Pup toys by calling out its name. Kids who successfully call for -- and find -- one of the adorable plush electronic pups get to adopt and keep it. All 50 children selected for the contest will go home with a GoGo My Walking Pup toy, and free Furreal Friends 2004 calendars will be given out all day at the store while supplies last.
Adding to the fun-filled afternoon was a Furreal Friends "Petting Zoo," where kids can check out the entire Furreal Friends line and get free training tips from Hasbro demonstrators, as well as an appearance by some real-life GoGo My Walking Pup look-alikes. Throughout the event, New York hit radio station Z-100 will be giving away free GoGo My Walking Pup toys and other fun prizes.
GoGo My Walking Pup was the newest addition to the adorable, lifelike Furreal Friends line of electronic plush animals that mimic the mannerisms of "real" household pets when stimulated by touch and/or sound. The line is recommended for kids ages 6 and up.
Sources and editorial notes
Reviewed October 16, 2026 using the original report and photograph and Hasbro’s model 70439 training guide, copyright 2003. The guide’s white dog and period match this coverage. Its cover says ages 4+, while the archived report describes the wider FurReal Friends line as ages 6 and up; those are distinct statements. Later leash-equipped and app-related versions are not the basis for this profile. Manual diagrams were visually reviewed; no physical dog was tested.
- Hasbro: GoGo My Walking Pup training guide, model 70439 (PDF) — Original 2003 guide, including controls, care and operating precautions.
Images and descriptions are retained as historical material. How Toysit covers toys.
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