One time I came home to discover Mr. N all tangled in a reusable shopping bag with the straps looped around his neck. He was so excited to see me he didn’t care but I almost had a conniption over how he could have possibly strangled himself. Thanks to modern technology, now you can spy on your dog using a pet camera. It’s definitely needed in our house for peace of mind.
We were asked to review the Furbo. It’s a dog camera with interactive treat tossing abilities. It’s white with a bamboo wood cover and reminds me of the robot Eve from WALL-E.
- Live streaming 720p HD video with 120 degree wide-angle lens and night vision
- 2-way audio
- Interactive treat tossing (30 piece capacity)
- Photo and video capability
- Barking alerts
- Spill proof
Setup is simple and only takes a few minutes. After a few days of usage, I got a few unstable connection messages. I re-connected to the wi-fi network and that solved the issue. If you have slow internet though, your footage may be choppy.
Mr. N thinks the Furbo is magical and I had to remind him that it is not a puzzle toy and knocking it over will not get him any treats. It does come with tape on the bottom but I move it around different rooms so I haven’t used it. Mr. N stares at it intensely to see if anything will pop out if it’s on the ground. I didn’t have any issues with it jamming although the number of treats dispensed are variable (I’ve been using various kibble bag samples). I usually keep it slightly higher up to get a better vantage point of Mr. N on furniture.
I’ll occasionally send photos taken with the pet camera to the boyfriend when Mr. N is doing something particularly weird or funny. He likes standing on top of things like his polar bear and barking when he’s anxious.
Separation Anxiety Tool
Mr. N has separation anxiety. Thankfully, he’s not destructive towards himself or the house. His main symptoms are barking, pacing and refusing to eat when alone. He’s ever so slowly progressing. When we first got him, he would bark endlessly the entire time we were gone. Now he’s mostly agitated during the first half hour and he calms down and sleeps on and off with spurts of gazing at the window. It’s useful being able to keep an eye on him and gauge his progress. One of the goals is to eventually have him eat during my absence.
The Furbo came in particularly handy while Mr. N was sick. Every time I checked on Mr. N, he was calmly sleeping. Normally, this would be ideal. But due to his separation anxiety, I know that he periodically barks (especially when I first leave) when he’s alone. He was also a little listless and refusing to jump up onto the bed and couch so I knew something was wrong. After a vet visit, he’s feeling better now.
I would love to see a desktop client from Furbo in the future so I could watch Mr. N for extended periods without using up a lot of data. I like to keep an eye on Mr. N at work and the cellular signal is terrible. I usually have to step outside the building so being able to spy on him on the computer would be useful.
What do you think your dog does while you’re away? Have you tried spying on your dog with a pet camera?
Try out the dog camera and see what your dog does for yourself.
July 19, 2017 7:11 am
Aww love the live footage of Mr. N. Yep he’s just as adorable as his still pics! Yes Furbo looks like a great product. I would imagine not only great of dog owners but cat owners too. I really like the added bonus feature of being able to dispense treats. Nice! Thanks for sharing your review.
July 20, 2017 6:58 pm
Aww thanks! Yes, you can use it to spy on any pet.
July 19, 2017 7:54 am
I think it would be fun to have one of these and know what the dogs are up to when we’re not home. Once Cricket realized that thing dispensed treats though, that’s probably exactly where she’d be all day….parked right by it! 🙂
July 20, 2017 6:57 pm
Haha. At least you would know what she was up to!
July 19, 2017 3:07 pm
This seems like a great way to check on your dog and get instant peace of mind! Theo would be all over it if he knew it dispensed treats. In fact, I would have to put it up high so he wouldn’t break it. I love the way it looks, compared to some of the other cameras on the market.
July 20, 2017 6:56 pm
It looks pretty streamlined. It can be anchored too but I like having it up high just in case.
July 19, 2017 6:57 pm
I bet this was so reassuring when Mr. N was sick! I really want to try a Furbo. I am pretty sure Ruby sleeps all day. I also have a feeling she sticks to the cats like glue. She doesn’t like to be alone either.
July 20, 2017 6:55 pm
I was worried about him so it was nice being able to keep an eye on him. Does she like having the cats as company?
August 8, 2017 2:42 am
A very clever way of keeping an eye on you pup even when your going about your day! This is has definitely interested me and might get a hand on one myself, just to see what kind of mischief my pup gets on while im out of the house.