Auto-Fetch

I have two dogs now, and they love to play when left alone together. Both love to play fetch. They can play fetch all day long and be perfectly happy. However, this was not always the case. I used to have only one dog, Corona. Because my wife an I both work during the day, she was often left alone in the backyard for 9 hours a day with nothing to do but get into mischief. Oh, she had toys aplenty. But she'd get bored eventually playing with non-interactive toys and get into the garbage, dig under the fence, or just bark incessantly until my neighbors complained. This invention is intended to keep occupied those lonely only-pets.

Enter the Auto-Fetch. Auto-Fetch is a distant relative of the pitching machines used at batting cages and in little-league baseball. Auto-Fetch is, in it's simplest form, a pitching machine. It throws tennis balls, which my dog, at least, loves to catch and chase. All a dog has to do is pass close by (it's got a motion-sensor) and your (the dog's master) pre-recorded voice says "all right, ya wanna fetch???".

This is your dog's cue to go long, and targeting sensors launch the ball in the general direction of (but not directly to) and over your dog. Upon catching or retrieving the ball, all your dog need do is drop the ball into a feed tray at ground level (at which point it plays a recording of "Good boy!" or "Good girl! or "Great job!" etc... for encouragement), and the cycle repeats, using many pre-recorded phrases from you (his beloved friend) to keep him company.

Note: The Auto-Fetch has a feature that allows you to program a maximum range to keep the ball from going over your fence, and a minimum range to ensure your dog doesn't get lazy and just wait by the machine.