Help with my I-dog whether I should leave it without batteries or on some occasions with batteries ? (If that makes any sense)

I got this I-dog amped from last year, because I saw a bunch of videos talking about the I-dog and thought that it was just something really cool to own and aesthetic wise from the 2000’s.

When I first got it I did start using it, to play music and all of the sorts.

however one day I started to play music through it with a connector that connects to my phone, and randomly the speaker on the I-dog smelled like it was burning.. so I completely turned it off and left it alone for a while.

I do intend on using it not to play music through it but rather for it to listen to the music that I play through my phone.

On the other hand I won’t be using it as much/a lot and just letting it sit on my shelf, though I’m a bit worried that if I leave it sitting for too long the batteries inside of it will corrode.

I know that it says on the instructions to turn it off completely to save battery life but I’m not so sure.

So I’m really mixed now on what to do :/

A: remove the battery’s and let it sit there ?

Or

B: remove the battery’s, and on some occasions put them back in the I-dog to use it ?