Can players/events other than the artificer activate an item made with Magical Tinkering?

Greetings!

Starting a new level 1 artificer, and love the idea of magical tinkering.  Is there a way to, say, put a button on the item that makes it activate for others, or can it only be activated by the artificer that made it?  Our scout wants me to make a dog bone for him that emits the scent of meat to potentially distract guard dogs.  It would be fun if I could give him the thing and he could activate it when needed.

Also, some people have mentioned putting alarms on doors that emit a loud sound when the door is opened.  Is that possible with magical tinkering?

Just wondering if the artificer can set conditions when the thing should work.

Thanks!

Filbin Whittlespark, Level 1 Halfling Artificer

Rules as written - as above, the recorded message is activated by a tap of any creature, and all the other effects are continuous. 

But, there are hacks around this. For example, for the light, what you need is a little case, and voila, you cover and uncover the continuous light source: a small flashlight. For your odor, it could have an odorproof case and be released.

As the artificer, you can end the property by touching it. You can also end it by creating too many items - ie, if you create 6 items, you can turn the first one off at any distance by creating a 7th item. I keep extra ball bearings in my pockets for this purpose.

I personally would be willing to allow the player to work with a tap, but I'd force consistency. So if you are tapping the odor on, it taps off when the dog touches it. For sound, I think one can be a little flexible even RAW about allowing any sound for the recorded message. That said, over time I've come to learn to use and embrace the RAW as a player and enjoyed setting up the needed workarounds.

For your door, a sound couldn't be set off by the door opening, but it could be for example if a creature pushes the door or grabs the handle.

Magical Tinkering is a feature I've really come to enjoy with its flexibility and opportunities for surprising shenanigans. Don't overlook it as a spiff and convenient way to convert an item from nonmagical to magical in a pinch.