Furbo Dog Camera Review by Barking Mad
Do you worry about the mischief your dog is getting into when you leave the house? Or perhaps you have a dog who suffers with separation anxiety? The fact of the matter is, dogs get bored and sometimes lonely. Sadly, dogs can’t read the newspaper or binge watch their favourite Netflix series (yet!). As devoted dog owners, we have gone to extreme lengths to ensure our dogs are entertained; Dog TV, Dog Radio and endless dog toys.
But we could have found a solution to dog mischief and boredom. You no longer need to stress about your puppy chewing up the sofa or missing you too much.
You can keep a watchful over your adored dogs with the help of the Furbo Dog Camera from anywhere: work, the gym or even the pub!
What is Furbo?
Furbo is a treat-tossing dog camera that allows you livestream video and audio directly from your home to anywhere in the world with Wi-Fi connection. The Furbo is roughly the size of a small vase, with a smooth stylish white design. Designed to give peace of mind to dog owners, Furbo can help to train, comfort and reward dogs when they are home alone.
Key Features of the Furbo:
- A 1080p full HD camera for live streaming
- Treat dispenser
- Night vision
- Speaker so you can talk to your dog
- Microphone so you can listen to your dog
- Real time barking alerts
How do I set up a Furbo Dog Camera?
The Furbo is relatively easy to set up and has a smartphone app that can be downloaded for Apple and Android phones. Simply the plug the Furbo in and wait for the status light to turn green. Yellow means its on standby, blue – its in use and purple means the Wi-Fi connection has been lost. Then download the Furbo mobile app from the App Store or Google Play and follow the instructions on screen.
How do I give my dog treats with a Furbo?
Use small dog treats that are low in calorie and refill by taking the lid off the Furbo and popping them inside. You will need to log into the Furbo mobile app, go onto the camera and click on the ‘treat toss’ icon which can be found in the middle of the screen. Just like that, a treat is release and you will have one happy doggy!
We did the doggy professionals think?
We tested the Furbo with five of our dog besties; Paddy, Blue, Ollie, Polly and Charlie. Here’s what their owners thought.
Paddy’s owner – Karen:
“When we took the Furbo out of its box, Paddy immediately showed an interest. He quickly figured out that the treats went in the top section and tried to get the lid off but it held fast. He also loved the fact that it squeaked before dispensing treats and wouldn’t move away from it! We ended up with some hilarious close up photos of his nose right up to the camera. Unfortunately, setting up the Furbo wasn’t seamless and a few resets were needed but the clear and simple instructions were very helpful. We were soon up and running and Paddy had great fun playing with it. He isn’t left alone very often but we felt that using a Furbo would offer us real peace of mind when we do.”
Blue’s owner – Helen:
“She loved the Furbo and it even proved to be ‘Staffy proof’ when she tried to get the treats out of it herself! I personally loved the treat dispensing feature and being able to see what Blue was up to for my own peace of mind. However, I decided not to utilise the voice feature as I felt it would be unsettling when I wasn’t there. I did have a few issues in setting up the camera but Furbo’s customer service department was amazingly helpful and the instant chat facility was really useful. The Furbo looked great and blended in with my decor perfectly.”
Border terrier owners, Al and Suzi:
“The Furbo has been absolutely superb for us! We just plugged it in and it worked fine with no connectivity issues whatsoever. It was great to be able to see Polly and Charlie when we couldn’t be with them, particularly as they are advancing in years. It’s a fabulous product and our only comment would be that rather than having just one camera, it would be even better if you could have a central hub with satellite cameras that you could put in each room of your house.”
Ollie’s owner – Lisa:
“The Furbo has been an absolute God-send! Whilst we were trialling it, Ollie was really poorly and ended up having an operation on his spinal cord. It was invaluable to be able to observe him behaving out of character, as this led to me rushing home and getting him straight to the vets. Now that Ollie is recuperating after his operation, I feel so much happier being able to see him when I briefly have to leave him.”
Pros of the Furbo Dog Camera:
- The Furbo is specially designed for dog owners, with input from thousands of professional dog trainers, vets and dog owners.
- Gives video and audio view of your dog when you are out of the house.
- The dog camera has the ability to toss treats and a clicker noise for use in obedience training.
- The Furbo can be set up anywhere in the world with a good Wi-Fi connection.
- Offer a high-quality design, quick and easy to set up with bespoke smartphone app.
Cons of the Furbo Dog Camera:
- This dog camera has the capacity to give 4 or 5 treats at one time, so ensure you use low calorie small treats.
- The Furbo has the potential to become a dog toy, ensure you place it where it cannot be knocked off and chewed.
- Audio quality and connectivity could be improved.
- The bark alarm feature can be temperamental and not recognise actual barks.
Should I buy a Furbo Dog Camera?
Do we really need another gadget in the home? Probably not, but we couldn’t quite imagine life without a Furbo Dog Camera now. Overall, we were very impressed with the Furbo, the video quality is fantastic, and the option to dispense treats works really well for training and dogs with separation anxiety. The Furbo also has an attractive, stylish design, which fits well into the home. The peace of mind it offers is priceless, the ability to check in with your pets at anytime becomes a habit that is hard to break.
Barking Mad Dog Home Boarding
If the Furbo Dog Camera isn’t quite enough for your peace of mind when going away for the weekend or holiday, they why not discover our professional dog sitting service. Our dog home boarding service means you can relax whilst you’re away, having complete peace of mind that your dog is being properly cared for.
Disclosure: Barking Mad were not financially compensated for this post but did receive product samples for review purposes. The opinions expressed are completely our own based on our experiences.
