Review of the Furbo Dog Camera
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Presentation of the Furbo dog camera, its functions and handling
Contents
Have you ever wondered what your pooch gets up to when you are out at work or running errands? Does he become anxious and exhibit certain behaviours such as barking or chewing, when you are away from him? Would you feel reassured if you could keep an eye on him when you left him at home?
Here at rangersdog.com, we have been pondering these questions ourselves. We are not new to the world of dog cameras, in fact we published our article and product review of the camera market a year ago. We liked the Furbo so much, we featured it in our 10 Pawfect Presents to Gift Your Dog for Christmas 2018! So we were more than happy when the Furbo PR team, Karkalis communications, asked us if we would like our own Furbo, and the chance to offer our readers a discount coupon to enjoy its benefits for themselves.
£20 OFF COUPON CODE: RANGERSDOG20
So let’s get started:
What is Furbo?
Furbo is a treat tossing dog camera. It allows owners to stay connected to their dogs wherever they are, giving you peace of mind that your dog is safe and sound. Furbo has worked alongside vets and dog trainers to produce something which aims to reduce the separation anxiety that is common in our 4-legged friends when they have to be left alone.
Its treat tossing action allows for remote training of your dog, mimicking human-dog interaction alongside the audio ‘clicker’ sound when a treat is thrown, meaning your dog becomes accustomed to the action of the Furbo and develops a positive attitude towards it. 100 treats can fit into the device, which for most of us is more than enough for the time we are out.
If your dog is barking, Furbo will alert you through the app on your phone, and the two-way audio function means you can take action even when you are not around. Simply talk back to your dog to reassure and remind him that you are never far away.
Yellow and blue lights on the furbo (colours that a dog can see) change to show times when you are interacting – blue, or ‘sleeping’ – yellow, again helping your dog become familiar with the device.
Tech Specs
I’ve included a photo to draw your attention to the tech specs as it’s much more appealing than reading about them! We are really impressed by the image quality that we see via the App; but not only that, we feel it is a great use of modern technology itself. Tech can sometimes get my hackles up, but when setting up the Furbo I can honestly say it was as simple as 1,2,3.
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The Furbo UK site has really helpful information on too for troubleshooting any problems. We did encounter one small issue when we wanted to change the dog owner using the device. Following the online instructions, we simply removed the Furbo from one owner account and added it to another. Never simpler!
What did we think?
Honestly, we love it. A quick and easy setup, sleek design which fit into the living space, robust build quality with features such as bamboo wood lid and self-adhesive feet, there isn’t really anything not to like in terms of what you can see.
Functionality wise, do we think it eases a dog’s separation anxiety? Does it reassure us while we are away? We are lucky enough to have ourselves worked with two dog owning families who must leave their dog quite frequently for work. They were the perfect team to help us answer that question, and they agree that having the camera was a positive step for them and their pooches.
Anne told us:
“Furbo is great, setup took 5 mins, its idiot proof. The features are easy and simple to use, zoom in/out with the camera, feed the dog treats and speak to them…the night vision is crystal clear and image quality is superb…PS the camera doubles perfectly as a security camera…10/10 for setup, ease of use and quality features, I would recommend this to friends”. Now pooch Kenny is being spied on at all times and Anne frequently catches him up to no good!
Jamie, Gemma and dog Wrigley are inseparable, however at times when it is necessary for them to be apart, they have found Furbo the perfect way to stay in touch! Jamie and Gemma both use the app to see and speak to Wrigley and throw him treats.
They say “it is a top quality camera…never used anything like this before”. The only downsides they could find was that sometimes the number of treats thrown out could be variable, anything from one to six. They also thought that a dog camera could be more useful if the unit had a rechargeable battery so that it didn’t have to be limited to a location near a socket and could easily be moved around the house. Good idea, guys! They think Furbo is stylish and good value for money, and we agree.
Is it Value for Money?
Furbo retails at £249 RRP (Currently discounted to £199GBP correct as of 4/4/19). This makes it the priciest treat throwing camera we have reviewed. The closest rival cost-wise is Petcube Bites at £219 RRP. As furbo does offer discounted prices from time to time, and the advantage of a coupon code, this brings it in line or even cheaper than main rivals, in which case I’d say it was worth the money.
Overall, in a world where technology has taken over, and there is a gadget for pretty much everything in life, we have to say that a dog camera is a great addition to the pet product market, enhancing the lives of dog and owner and bridging the gap between them when they are apart.
