Dogs have had it pretty good during this recent pandemic in the United States. Never before have owners spent so much time at home with their furry friends. But now that dog owners are starting to go back to the office, who is going to keep an eye on the family dog? That family dog has become very used to having someone home with them around the clock.
This is where home cameras can come into play. But, why stop at a Ring or Nest camera when you can buy a camera specifically made for monitoring your pets at home?
One of the newest and most talked about dog cameras on the market is the Furbo Dog Camera. Not only is this a camera that allows you to monitor your pets while you are away, you can even reward them with treats when they deserve them!
You read that correctly, the Furbo is a treating tossing dog camera.
Furbo Dog Camera Appearance & Style
The Furbo Dog Camera has a very minimalistic and modern look to it. I think that the white really makes it look clean and crisp. There is a small hole where the treats can dispense from and then a small cutout at the top where the camera is located. That is about it, really. The top is removeable so you can insert your dog’s favorite treats.
It really reminds me of something you would see from Ring, just based on the appearance of it.
The Furbo Do Camera will definitely look nice on a shelf or a bookcase. It blends in well and doesn’t look cheap.
Setting Up Your Furbo
Setup isn’t too cumbersome and it shouldn’t take you more than a few minutes.
- Download the app from the app store.
- Your phone’s bluetooth will locate and pair with the Furbo.
- Set up your K-9 friend’s profile inside the app.
From here, you can now set your preferences under the settings tab. You can play around with the night vision, video quality, how treats are dispensed, different voice commands and get it set up with Alexa.
Now you are free test the Furbo treat tossing function out and see how your dog responds. What is cool is that you can start the live video feed, so you can watch the treats shoot out and see what your dog does. The first time, my dog was a bit confused why this white object was throwing stuff at him, but he quickly changed his tune when he realized they were tiny treats.
How To Set Up Furbo For Voice Commands With Alexa
Go to the Alexa App
- Select Skills & Games
- Type in “Furbo” (it should autogenerate the name)
- Select FURBO DOG CAMERA skill
- Select ENABLE
- Link your Furbo account by logging in
- After it confirms that your are linked to the device go to DISCOVER DEVICES
- Once the Furbo is found, click SET UP DEVICE
- Here you can add Furbo to a group or just click DONE
Now you can say “Alexa, tell Furbo to toss a treat,” and through science and witchcraft your dog just got a treat! Pretty cool, yes?
Now for me, I don’t really like using voice commands to dispense treats when I am home. When I am there, I want to be the one to physically reward my dog if he’s being good and deserves a treat. I also don’t want him to start thinking this treat-tossing robot is his new god.
However, the treat-tossing feature is very handy if you are away from home and want to send him a reward for being good or just to brighten up his day.
Furbo Video & Audio Quality
The video quality of the Furbo Dog Camera is pretty decent. You can see clear enough in daylight or when on night vision.
I do like how well the wide angel lens works to capture my entire living room.
You are able to record up to 60 seconds worth of video, as well as snap still shots as you go.
If you should capture your furry friend doing something funny or exceptionally naughty, you can save and share those videos or images with others.
The audio of the Furbo Dog Camera isn’t the highest of quality. It will do the trick, but could be better for sure.
Overall the video and audio is fine and does what you need.
The Furbo Dog Camera Bark Alert
The Furbo Dog Camera allows you to receive push notifications on your phone, when it detects that your dog is barking. I suppose this could be useful if your dog never barks and it is an indicator that something is really wrong. But otherwise, I think this would just get annoying. Like when my Ring cam was telling me every time a bird flew by.
Luckily, you can adjust the sensitive so it doesn’t alert you every time your dog makes a noise.
Still, for me, I don’t know that this is a useful application. But, some people might love it.
Is The Furbo Dog Camera Worth It?
Some people are going to love the idea of watching their pup on camera and being able to shoot treats at then. Others will think the notion is a bit far fetched (dog pun) to need to monitor and reward their animal when they aren’t home. Likewith anything, opinions will vary and, no, it doesn’t mean you love your dog less if you don’t think the Furbo is a good investment.
PROS For The Furbo Dog Camera
Modern and clean design
- High video quality
- USB cord for easy charging
- Set up is easy
- Works well on wifi
- Good app
- Treating tossing function works well
CONS For The Furbo Cam
- The audio quality isn’t great
- Bark notifications can be annoying (can be turned off)
- The treat dispenser can’t be set to shoot just one treat
How Much Does The Furbo Dog Camera Cost?
You can pick up a Furbo Dog Camera for your home for $170. That isn’t a bad price, considering you are getting a high quality camera and a treat dispenser.
Would I buy it? Honestly, probably not. However, I work from home, so I have little use for it. Also, when I am away, I trust my dog enough that he doesn’t need constant supervision. I would rather use a Nest cam to check in on things if needed.
I also don’t see me ever using the treat-tossing function when I am away. Like I said earlier, I want to be the one associated with rewards when my dog does something to earn himself a treat.
What do you think? Would you buy this, or have you? Interested to hear what others think.
