I have a confession to make: When I first heard about Furbo’s treat-tossing dog camera, I thought it was a total gimmick designed for helicopter dog parents who want to watch their pup’s every move. Then, I brought home a 12-week-old Shih Tzu puppy with a bad case of separation anxiety and I quickly had a change of heart about the device—which just so happened to go on major sale for Amazon Prime Day. And as luck would have it, the device is still 30% off right now.
My puppy, Zoey, barked so frequently when I left her that a few neighbors in my apartment building actually complained—but I had no way of knowing until I got home. As I vented about the issue, one of my friends reminded me about Furbo, saying the bark alerts were a total game-changer when training her Australian Shepherd to be comfortable staying home alone.
Desperate to try anything, I ordered it online right after our conversation. As soon as it arrived, I set it up on the counter facing her playpen, downloaded the Furbo app (the whole process took 10 minutes, tops) and then headed out for a run to test it out. A couple minutes later, I got a bark alert notification. When I clicked on it, I was redirected to the Zoey Cam, where I could see a wide-angle view of the room in real time, complete with Zoey barking in her play pen.
After that initial use, I’ve used the Furbo dog cam every time I’ve left my apartment without Zoey. As she’s gotten used to being alone, the bark alerts pop up less often—but I still open the app to take a quick look and see what she’s up to. As a new pet parent, the device gives me peace of mind when I’m apart from my pup and that alone is worth the full $169 price tag in my book. Right now though, you can order it for just $118 thanks to the left over Prime Day deal.
In addition to seeing what your furbaby is up to in real time, you can also use the Furbo to talk to your pets (it has two-way audio) and even throw them treats. Just load the body of the camera up with your dog’s favorite snacks, and you can launch them out while you’re on the go with a simple swipe of your finger in the app.
The clever design is so popular, it’s racked up over 17,000 five-star reviews from happy customers. “I love the fact that I can go to work and talk to them and call them over and see exactly what they’re doing,” writes one woman. Some users also say that the Furbo has saved their pets from life-threatening emergencies. One man explains that the camera gave him an alert that his smoke detector was going off, and by checking the app he could see that his pets looked anxious. It turns out the stove had accidentally been left on, which could have resulted in a fire if the app hadn’t alerted him.
The TL;DR? This device is definitely not a gimmick, and now I recommend it to every dog owner I know.
