"And They Called It Puppy Lu-u-uv"

My son received Puppy Luv for Windows from his grandparents for his fourth birthday a year ago. He was very excited about it, but I had my doubts. I had previously tried a couple of cheap Dora the Explorer video games for our PC, and they didn't seem to hold his interest. The result was that I ended up playing a mindless game by myself and wondering why I was trying so hard to force computer game playing on a preschooler.

I needn't have had those concerns about Puppy Luv for Windows. Not only was my son completely taken with his new game, but I discovered that it is a really good teaching tool for a child of pre-reading ability.

System Requirements

You need a computer with at least Windows 98. I am not sure if it has any compatibility issues with the newer Vista systems, but it worked just fine on our Windows XP. Any fairly recent video and sound card should work just fine, as this is not a very complex game. It has very simple audio with fairly static graphic backgrounds.

Install

There is nothing especially difficult about the install of this game. If you have ever installed any type of software on your PC or laptop before, you can do this. If you have autorun enabled (if you don't know, than you most likely do), all you have to do is insert the disc into your CD-ROM and follow the simple on-screen instructions. If the install doesn't start up automatically, you should be able to start it by clicking on "My Computer" and double-clicking on your CD-ROM drive (probably D drive). Choose the recommended install unless you're very particular about where your software gets put. The game really should be up and running in a matter of minutes.

Game Play

You will be asked to create and name your dog. It's very simple. In fact, there's not a lot to choose from - just like real life! Your choices are between Dalmatians, Chocolate Labs, and Golden Labs. There are boy and girl dogs. Once you select you breed and give it a name, you get to type the dog's name on a very official looking adoption certificate.

The following help screen briefly explains the icons in the bottom-right corner as representing your new puppy's needs for food, water, cleaning, rest, love (treats), and walks if you know what I mean.

The game proceeds pretty naturally from there as your child teaches the dog tricks, earns money in Frisbee and obedience competitions. Your child can then buy food, water, treats, toys, dog houses, and yard decorations with the pretend Puppy Luv money that he or she has earned.

Teaching Reading

If your child can already read well, than he or she will have no problem navigating the five action tabs on the left side of the screen. Everything you can do in this game is broken down into these five categories: Care, Go out, Toys, Tricks, Call. I have been pleasantly surprised how quickly and happily my son has learned to pick his way through these tabs with little more initially than a beginner's knowledge of the alphabet. For example, he started out knowing that he wanted to give his dog a "Toy", but not knowing which of the words starting with "T" ("Toys" or "Tricks") was the one he wanted. It wasn't long before he could read most of the words in these left-side tabbed menus. Now he can click "Care", than "Food" in the secondary menu when he sees that his puppy is hungry.

Audio

If I have one complaint, it is that the muzak in this game is extra annoying and on a really short, repetitive cycle. It drives me nuts, but doesn't seem to bother my son at all. Fortunately, most computers have working mute and volume controls, so you will be able to bend even this negative aspect to your whim.