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Home monitors have become a necessity for those of us who often need to leave the house and our little furry friends for a while. Although this temporary solution works well enough, there are better ways to keep dogs safe and remain in touch with them, even if you are gone for a fairly long time.

Regular home monitors can kind of show what your pet is up to, but they can’t provide a sense of your presence, feed them, play with them or adjust to both of your needs. Of course, you only want the best for your life companion, still many get lost in the numerous pricey options.

However, there is a cost-effective solution that will keep your loved ones safe and entertained while saving those special moments only for you. Have you heard of Furbo?

Unlike standard home monitors, Furbo is designed in such a way that you will never feel that you are being watched – it blends in your home design quite easily, the camera itself is positioned at the top of the device, making it stand out from other, standard “home monitors”.

Apart from many useful features that will be mentioned further down the line, Furbo is an award-winning electrical appliance with the first treat-popping design that takes care of your little furballs in real-time. Every concern related to the puppies being home all by themselves is put at ease through the interactive camera and the ability to take care of them at all times.

In addition, a bamboo wooden cover is designed to provide extra security from dog games, so you will not have to worry about breaking it or hurting themselves, as they can’t make any mess – except chewing on other stuff around the house. Furthermore, the overall design of the Furbo uses white color and the wood-grained cap used, which does not look or feel plastic, making Furbo easily blend in with your home design.

Dog Singing On (Furbo) Camera

The age of just monitoring your dog and not being able to make a connection is over. Besides live streaming HD videos with a 720p camera and a night vision option, Furbo has a high-quality microphone that works as a 2-way audio service, and its built-in speaker, with the option of customizing snack calls, allows for a mutual remote interaction with dogs.

Another way of letting your dog know that you are near is through soothing colors. Furbo’s light indicator uses blue and yellow, the colors dogs can see, so that you can get their attention by simply opening the app.

Additional features allow you to film your lovable little creatures or snatch a few adorable photos that you can share online later on.

French Bulldog Fails At Catching Treat

Do you by any chance want to treat your fuzzy smarty-pants? Well, you should – they deserve it! With Furbo comes a special indulgence – interactive treat tossing! With a 30 piece capacity for the treats of your own choosing, Furbo simulates real human-dog relations with a unique “clicking” sound before tossing the delicacies. This grants you the opportunity to play with your puppy while teaching it a trick or two.

The method of using a sound to train your dog is part of the clicker training process. Dogs can learn at any age based on this scientifically proven technique and they certainly love it! Whether you have an old dog or a new puppy waiting for you back at home, you can train them no matter the distance.

Know when your dog needs attention! Instead of constantly wondering about what they’re up to and looking at those sad puppy eyes over the monitor, you can always calm them down with smart Furbo technology.

Furbo has a built-in sensor for catching any barking sound. The sensor is extremely sensitive to the sounds of barking and provides the most accurate alerts, which are immediately sent to you via push notifications.

If you have your doubts about the accuracy of the alerts, you shouldn’t, as anyone can adjust barking sensitivity according to a pet’s bark volume. Though the best part is the ability to calibrate natural environment audio to eliminate background noise and identify only the sounds of your dog.

You will know in real-time if he misses you or is announcing possible intruders. Your irreplaceable buddy and home will be safe and protected while Furbo is on the lookout. Also, with a unique Smart Privacy mode feature, Furbo will automatically shut off when you come home when your smartphone connects to the same WiFi network that Furbo is connected to.

After spending a lot of time talking to dog parents, professional trainers, and researchers, an idea for a perfect way to stay close to our furry friends started brewing. Furbo was designed thanks to the enormous love our pets give us, so its main objective is to keep them happy while providing owners a chance to stay close, follow their pet’s fun home alone time, and remain present in their daily activities.

Our dogs need us more than we need them. The unconditional love they give us every day can never be replaced with a toy. That is why Furbo is more than a toy – it is a tool that keeps the two of you closer than ever! This device is perfectly designed to accurately mimic your presence and will replace any pet babysitter, as no one can take care of your dog better than you.

Dogs Love This Cool Dog Training Camera (Furbo)

Furbo addresses the things dogs really want you to provide:

Dogs can now feel the love by interacting with their owners through play and training. This interesting gadget is both a lovely piece of home décor and a great way to satisfy all of the pet requirements.

Recommended by Dog Parents Around the World

This impressive gadget looks after our pups while giving us the chance to watch over them in real-time. All the stress and guilt over leaving the dog alone are washed away by numerous features that come with Furbo.

Furbo is a great piece of smart technology that allows you to improve your lifestyle and change it for the better. In addition to reviews from customers, Furbo is featured as best of tech on Instyle, won best pet camera on The Pet God, and received 5 out of 5 stars on BestPetCam.com. Whether you choose to train your puppy with a unique sound, play for a while, treat them, watch over them even during the night, speak to them, take a picture or record your dog, Furbo is here for you. Don’t believe it? Try it. 

Regular home monitors can kind of show what your pet is up to, but they can’t provide a sense of your presence, feed them, play with them or adjust to both of your needs.

Why Furbo Should Replace Your Home Monitor

Dog owners who work long hours know how sad it feels to imagine their pups sitting alone at home. But imagine no longer, people, because this treat-popping dog camera will keep you and your pup connected, no matter where you roam.

Huffington Post: This Treat-Tossing Dog Camera Lets You Send Snacks To Your Pup

Dog owners who work long hours know how sad it feels to imagine their pups sitting alone at home. But imagine no longer, people, because this treat-popping dog camera will keep you and your pup connected, no matter where you roam. 

The Furbo is a a baby monitor for dogs that lets you see what your pup is doing at all times. The best part, though, is that you can toss him a treat with just the push of a button:

A command on the Furbo app remotely unleashes a treat, which will spit out of the machine at home and entertain your dog for endless hours. 

The Furbo also comes with 2-way voice technology: You get a push notification when your pup starts barking, and you can loop in your voice and chat to him until he calms down.

There’s also night vision, in case you want to witness the raging parties your dog throws during your late nights at work.

The Furbo is a baby monitor for dogs that lets you see what your pup is doing at all times.

Our first camera was groundbreaking - allowing pet parents to see, talk to, and toss treats remotely for the first time ever. Every Furbo camera since has been designed to ease separation anxiety and help pet parents stay connected with their furbabies, even when apart. Today, Furbo, its app and the Furbo Nanny service, have evolved to offer advanced smart alerts and AI-powered features to keep both dogs and cats happy, healthy, and safe.

Furbo Nanny, the intelligent system designed to look after your pet, has sent over 2.3 billion alerts to pet parents worldwide. Many of these alerts have kept tens of thousands of pets out of harm's way by notifying pet parents of emergencies happening at home, allowing them to take immediate action. As technology continues to improve our daily lives, the team at Furbo has been hard at work developing new features to bring to our community of over 1 million users.

If you’re already a Furbo user, you may have started using features like Advanced Barking or Meowing Alerts, Home Emergency Alerts, and Auto Pet Tracking. Today we’re excited to release all new AI-powered Furbo Nanny features that will change the way pet parents care for their pets: 

Instant Updates - get a quick update on what your pet’s been up to every time you check the app 

Nanny Chat - get expert advice and opinions instantly. Ask any pet-related question! 

AI Health Checker - gather instant insights into your pet’s health & wellbeing by asking a question or uploading an image

AI Vet Report Translator - translate technical vet reports into pet-parent talk and better understand your pet’s results

Calm My Pet - offer instant and automatic anxiety relief when your pet displays signs of stress

Enhanced App UI & Alert Customization - navigate the Furbo app more easily, view important data and trends, and customize your desired smart alerts to personalize your experience

Coming soon: More pet emergency and health alerts coming soon! 

Always getting smarter: Get Instant updates with AI assistant features

The new AI Nanny learns more about your pet’s patterns and behaviors. Use it for Instant Updates and AI-driven insights tailored just for you and your pet!


The new Nanny Chat feature provides personalized, expert advice from trusted professionals for just about any pet-related question you may have. Chat with it to create your pet profile, ask about healthy recipes, gather training tips, and so much more!

Pet health insights: Monitor their daily activity, health, and behavioral patterns

Get peace of mind when AI Nanny tracks your pet’s daily routines, identifies unusual behavior, and reports back on potential health concerns. Monitor your pet’s health near or far, with the all-new AI Health Checker and AI Vet Report Translator features.

AI Health Checker is a helpful resource for understanding symptoms and suggesting home remedies when visiting the vet is not an immediate option. Get instant insights into your pet’s well-being, or even capture health concerns by uploading a photo for quick assessments. Ask anything about your pet's health!

AI Vet Report Translator now lets you translate veterinary language into easy-to-understand pet parent talk. Simply upload your vet report for an immediate summary of complex diagnostics or lab reports. Save time on reviewing bloodwork or waiting on a call back from the vet. Use this for personalized home care instructions or to clarify concerns.

Stress & anxiety relief for your pet with the new Calm My Pet feature If your pet is barking continuously, Furbo Nanny can now sense their anxiety and respond with calming care, and automatically tosses a treat once the barking has stopped, keeping your furbaby happy and your mind at ease.

These new features can help pet parents provide better care for their furbabies, even when apart. It’s an incredible and impactful way to harness the power of AI for good, with lots more to come over the next few months so stay tuned! 

"At Furbo, we know first-hand the deep bond between pets and their parents, which is why we are committed to developing cutting-edge solutions to enhance the lives of both," said Victor Chang, CEO and Co-Founder at Furbo Pet Camera. "With these incredible new AI-powered features, we aim to provide pet parents with a seamless way to care for their furbabies, no matter where life takes them."

Since its conception in 2014, Furbo’s vision has been to bring joy and innovation to every pet lover in the world. Now, a multinational pet tech company, Furbo has become synonymous with groundbreaking, boundary-pushing innovations designed to keep pets safe and happy. Our mission is to keep every pet safe and happy and we’re working to strengthen the bond between pets and pet parents through innovative technology solutions. Learn more at https://furbo.com/us/pages/furbo-nanny.

Furbo, the world’s smartest pet camera, just got an upgrade! Meet the all-new AI-powered Furbo Nanny—designed to keep your pets safe from harm, and to give you peace of mind with all-new features like Instant Updates, Nanny Chat, and AI Health Checker

How Furbo’s New AI Features Are Changing the Game

Furbo, the world’s smartest pet camera, just got an upgrade! Meet the all-new AI-powered Furbo Nanny—designed to keep your pets safe from harm, and to give you peace of mind with all-new features like Instant Updates, Nanny Chat, and AI Health Checker.

At Furbo, we love and support adoption - so many pets are out there just waiting to be loved! (In fact, we’re now partnering with the Anti-Cruelty Society; read more about it here.) A few months ago, we gave away 50 free Furbos to adoptive families to help furbabies adjust to their new homes, and to give new pawrents peace of mind. Now we have a chance to catch up with some of the happy pups who landed a Furbo!

This week we’re featuring one of the adorable adoptees in our community (and psst, join our Facebook VIP group for a welcoming community of more Furbo friends and dogs). Read on to hear how Furbo helped with this pup’s transition from shelter to fur-ever home.

“I hope those that follow Furbo can truly see the huge difference rescuing a pet can make. It has changed our life and her life for the better and we couldn’t be happier.”

 The Pawrents: Krista is a healthcare worker, and Nick is her husband. As fate would have it, Krista was dying to get a dog, but Nick had never owned one and was very dog-shy! So Krista had to get sneaky: she took Nick to a lot of dog-friendly places to get him warmed up to the idea. She succeeded, needless to say, and the couple took a roadtrip to meet their future dog.

Bernie was waiting for her pawrents at that shelter. Krista and Nick were shocked by her small size and immediately fell in love. On her car ride to her furever home, the new pawrents discovered that this gentle girl loves soft and slow music. 

And once home, she quickly adjusted. Now, according to her pawrents: “To this day, she is always SO excited to see us. We really believe that she appreciates that we adopted her and all the love we give.”

Like many dogs, Bernie suffers from separation anxiety. She cries and has trouble calming herself down. That’s where Furbo comes in! A few days after Nick and Krista introduced their pup to Furbo, she began to get used to it - in fact, she absolutely loves it. Bernie walks up to the camera to try and sneak treats, and her dad just loves that he can toss them to her when he’s away. 

“It’s been a huge help when we are gone so we can check up on our Bernie.” - Bernie’s pawrents

At Furbo, we love and support adoption - so many pets are out there just waiting to be loved! This week we’re featuring one of the adorable adoptees in our community. Read on to hear how Furbo helped with this pup’s transition from shelter to fur-ever home.

Say Goodbye to Separation Anxiety with Furbo

Furbo, created by startup Tomofun, gives owners a new way to interact with their dogs while away from home.

The camera allows you to keep an eye on your dog, with two-way audio so that you can also talk to them and make them feel a little less alone. There are even push notifications that tell you when your dog is barking.

Other startups also make pet cameras, so what really sets Furbo and Tomofun apart is the ability to launch dog treats from the camera.

Lured by the promise of cute puppies, I tried out Furbo myself at a press event last week. It was straightforward to use the smartphone app to direct Furbo on where to launch the pre-loaded treats, and pretty great to watch a dog scurry across the room once they figured out what was going on.

Furbo, created by startup Tomofun, gives owners a new way to interact with their dogs while away from home. Other startups also make pet cameras, so what really sets Furbo and Tomofun apart is the ability to launch dog treats from the camera.

TechCrunch: Furbo is a dog camera that lets you share treats remotely

Furbo has made a stylish, and very user-friendly pet camera. It is a little picky with the size of the treats and doesn’t have a long power cord. If you are want to have a plug-and-play Pet camera that can shoot treats, and has night vision, Furbo is our recommendation!

Furbo is another promising new entry into the ever expanding Smart Pet Camera market. This one is designed specifically to be used for dogs, who are more responsive to treats than lasers. It features an HD camera with night vision, treat dispenser and a set of light and sound signals to interact better with your dog. It also can detect barks and movement to alert you when your dog is excited. Here is our review of Furbo, from unpacking the device to playing back the recorded video’s and shooting treats.

When we received Furbo, it came in a neat and sturdy package. The package included a couple of small bag of treats, which was a pleasant surprise, and a small 2-page quick start guide.

Furbo is designed as a cylinder with a narrowing about two-thirds from the top. The cover is made of Bamboo which is environmentally friendly and creates a nice contrast with the full white exterior. On the front are all the working elements: a 720P HD camera with night vision, Speaker and Microphone and the opening for the treat dispenser.

Furbo is free standing which means that it can be placed anywhere without any DIY. Most of the weight is at the bottom, and it’s also wider there. That makes it pretty stable by nature. On top of that, it has three adhesive pads on the underside. With those, it will stick to any smooth surface and be impossible to knock down. Additionally, there is a mounting option for tripods.

With the Tripod, Furbo can be placed anywhere and at any height. During our review, we haven’t tested this option because we didn’t have a tripod. If you do have one, this is a nice extra that few other interactive pet cameras have.

The cord for the Furbo isn’t very long, so it’s likely that you will need an extension. The view angle is on par with the industry standard at 120 degrees. As with all pet cameras, placement determines your field of view. It takes a little time to find the best place, for your home and your dog.

The Furbo and the corresponding phone app is very easy to use. Setting up the device took only 20 minutes and was clearly explained in the quick start guide. One thing that could have been more clear in the Quick Start Guide would be how to load the treats. But that is so easy after the first time that it’s never an issue anymore. There is a training video included with the app. This video helps to get your dog acquainted with Furbo.

Furbo uses a 720P camera with night vision. The image through the app is clear and smooth. In low light conditions, the image stayed bright enough to see what’s going on. The picture quality is not as high as with some 1080P cameras, but it also doesn’t use as much bandwidth. Both in night vision mode and normal mode, the video is very sharp and gives a good view of the room. The room, we tested it in, is a bit crowded so we didn’t have as big a view as we wanted. But even against the light coming from the window, you can see almost everything, which shows the performance of the camera.

In pitch black, the night vision of Furbo makes it possible to see exactly what is going on. This can be really useful for dogs that get upset during night time, or to increase the security of your home.

The microphone records close to every sound in the house. It can be difficult to hear it when you are in a noisy place, but with headphones, you hear almost everything. The speaker works well, but we didn’t test it specifically for sound quality. Dogs hear it well enough to respond to it.

Features: Web Interface and Smartphone App

The Furbo currently only works with a smartphone app. This is available for iPhone and Android through the respective app stores. We used the iPhone version, and it worked without any problems. The interface is simple and clear, and the few settings are easy to access. The app didn’t use a lot of power or bandwidth during standby. When we were watching the live stream for 10 minutes, it would use about 65 MB of data.

The app has a barking alarm. That means that you get an alert on your smartphone if your dog is barking. Then you can check on the camera, talk and dispense treats at the time when the dog most needs it. The alarm worked well during our test. It always sent an alert when the dog was barking.

Furbo has a treat dispenser that you can fill by opening the lid on the top. The treats do have to be of the right size. If the treats are too small, they will fill the opening area for the thrower and get stuck. Dick Van Patten’s Natural Balance mini-rewards are too small for the Furbo, for example. When the treats have the right size, the treat dispenser works accurately and fast.

It can take some time for a dog to get used to a smart pet camera. It greatly depends on the dog. Some just start playing with it, while others don’t seem to understand it for a while.

During the first two days, I introduced Saydee to Furbo as instructed in the training video. She appeared to respond well. I left for a few hours. Within 5 minutes of my departure, I receive a barking alert from the Furbo app. I didn’t check it right away as I was in an Uber. Another minute, another alert, again another minute another alert. I checked the app and my dog was barking at the door. I proceeded to say her name and she left the door and walked towards the Furbo and walked back to the door. Her barking initiated again, I called her again and threw a treat from the Furbo. She ran back to the door and began barking again. I tried different phrases and continued shooting out treats. She never ate the treats and went back to the door barking. My dog is not picky, and usually, acts like treats will disappear if she doesn’t inhale them. So, her not eating the treats was quite astonishing. She eventually stopped barking about after approximately 45 minutes remained quiet for the next 5 hours.
My dog is ten years old, and it may take some time for her to become acquainted with Furbo. I will keep trying it with her as I feel like this may be the only way to control her recent barking habit.

High quality video camera with great night vision.

Little bit more picky when it comes to treat sizes.

Smart Pet Toy:  Furbo has made a stylish, and very user-friendly pet camera.

Keep your dog safe and happy even when you're not home

Our dogs mean the world to us, even when they're up to no good at home while we're away. Check out these hilarious #CaughtOnFurbo moments shared by pawrents around the world!

Paranormal Activity Dog Camera (Furbo)

Husky vs Invisible Wall | Furbo Dog Camera

Funny Golden Retrievers Playing

Taken from Instagram @adventures_of_pippa_and_clark

That one sibling who never gives you a break

Silly Shiba Caught on Camera | Furbo Dog Camera

This Bichon is not happy about the new arrival in the house

Bichon Frise Caught On World's Best Dog Camera: Furbo

Dog Goes in Fridge to Cool Down: Caught on Furbo

With Furbo, you can cherish all these hilarious and special moments you have with your furbabies and stay connected with them even when you're miles apart. Never miss a silly moment again!

What Sorts of Mischief Is Your Pup Up To At Home?

Most pet parents would stay home with their dogs all day if they could, but duty calls and you must go to work. While you’re away from home, you want to know that your dog is safe and that he is happy. Unless you hire a dog sitter to stay with your dog all day, however, you can’t really know that either of these things is true – unless you purchase a dog monitoring camera.

Furbo dog camera is one of the top dog video cameras on the market and, more than that, it is an interactive pet camera. Not only can you keep tabs on your dog while you’re away, but you can actually see and speak to him whenever you like. With Furbo, you’ll never have to guess what your dog is doing while you’re away and he’ll never have to feel like he is home alone. 

Dog owners love Furbo, but so do their dogs! Furbo has many wonderful features to offer but here are the top five reasons why every dog needs a Furbo:

Furbo has a two-way audio feature so I can hear my mom and she can hear me! The camera also has video capability so my mom can see how hard my tail is wagging when I hear her voice. I always know when Mom is watching because the indicator light on the Furbo turns from yellow to blue – that means she’s opened the app and is ready to talk!

I love making my mom happy, especially when it means I get tasty treats! With Furbo wifi pet camera, my mom can give me commands and see what a good boy I am when I follow them. When I make Mom happy she sends me tasty treats, so I always aim to please!

3. I can play with Mom even when she’s not home.

Sometimes I get bored and lonely when my mom is away from home, even though I know she will always come back. My Furbo lets me talk to my mom anytime I want and she can use the treat-tossing feature to reward me for my good behavior. I get so excited when my mom opens Furbo app because it means I get to play with her!

4. I can tell my mom when something is wrong.

With the Barking Alert function on my Furbo, I can tell my mom when something is wrong - like when that squirrel trespasses in my yard or another dog walks by without greeting me. All I have to do is bark and my mom gets a notification on her smartphone so she can open Furbo app and see what’s happening. I like knowing that if something happens when Mom isn’t home that she’ll still be able to look in on me and comfort me if I get scared or lonely. It makes being home without my mom a little bit easier for me.

5. I can take great pictures and become internet famous!

Not only does my Furbo allow my mom to see live-streaming video of me when she’s not at home, but she can take pictures too! I love performing tricks and I love it even more when my mom captures them on film. She knows I’m the cutest dog ever and, once she posts the pictures she takes with my Furbo, the rest of the world will know it too!

With Furbo wifi pet camera, your dog never has to be alone – even when he is home by himself. Through Furbo, you can view live-streaming video, engage in a two-way chat, take pictures and toss your dog some tasty treats, all by using your smartphone! Never again will you have to worry about how your dog is doing on his own and your dog will never feel truly alone.

Though Furbo is sold to humans, it is designed for dogs. It is a smart, interactive pet camera that lets you see, talk to, and play with your dog from any location using your smartphone. The main benefit of having a dog monitoring camera like Furbo is, of course, to keep an eye on your pup when you are not at home. You can view live-streaming video of your dog and take high-quality photos to post to your social media accounts. Using the two-way audio feature, you can hear and speak to your dog – you can even engage in remote training sessions! When you want to reward your dog, use the treat-tossing feature simply by tapping a button on your smartphone and engage the clicking sound feature to help your dog learn new tricks more quickly.

In addition to keeping you and your dog connected, Furbo also helps you keep your dog safe. The Barking Alert function sends an alert straight to your phone when you dog barks so you can activate the camera to see what is happening at home. If your dog is stressed or lonely, you can soothe him with calming words or toss a few treats his way to distract him from his distress. With the Furbo pet camera, you are always just the tap of a button away so your dog is never truly alone.

Furbo dog camera is one of the top dog video cameras on the market and, more than that, it is an interactive pet camera. With Furbo, you’ll never have to guess what your dog is doing while you’re away and he’ll never have to feel like he is home alone. 

5 Reasons Every Dog Needs a Furbo Dog Camera

At Tomofun, we spend each day thinking about the safety and happiness of dogs everywhere. And that means we also care about the world they live in. To give back to our beautiful planet, we’ve made our Furbo boxes extra special with upcycling tricks. 

Cardboard boxes take up valuable space in landfills, and take years to decompose. By upcycling cardboard boxes, we ease the strain on the earth’s landfills. With some creativity, we can upcycle cardboard packaging into fun, useful objects with a whole new life!

Check out Furbo’s tricks to transform your Furbo box into a birdhouse, planter, and even a rolling treat dispenser for your dog. Simply print out the free templates, trace onto your Furbo box, cut, and assemble!

Furbo is the perfect gift for your dog, and upcycling the Furbo box is a wonderful gift for the planet. Enjoy!

Furbo cares about our planet's sustainability. Use these fun ways to transform your cardboard Furbo box and give back to the planet and environment.

How to Upcycle Your Furbo Box

Furbo cares about our planet's sustainability. Use these fun ways to transform your cardboard Furbo box!

What’s the worst part about going to work each day? If you instantly thought about how much of a drag it is to leave your dog at home by itself, then Furbo — Indiegogo’s latest success story — will be right up your alley. Launched by the Seattle-based company Tomofun, Furbo is a Jack-of-all-trades pup cam that gives users the ability to launch treats and remotely talk to their dogs while keeping an eye on them throughout the day. It’s essentially a window into the user’s home or apartment that costs considerably less than signing a dog up for daycare each day, even if it may make users look a tad silly as they talk sweet nothings to their canine best friend through a smartphone.

Though not the first treat dispenser to hit the market, Furbo is packed to the gills with innovative features that could put it ahead of its competition — assuming the device is as reliable as the Indiegogo page lets on. For starters, Furbo packs a high-quality camera which gives users the ability to tune into a live HD feed of what’s going on at home and record any of the videos they are watching.

Additionally, Furbo boasts a two-way speaker, meaning not only do owners have the option of listening in on their pup but they get to communicate directly to Rex or Fido as well. The camera also features a 4x zoom as well as night vision, so owners can keep tabs on their canine companions even when it’s dark.

Furbo also lets users have a little fun with their dogs while allowing them the opportunity for valuable training time, even while out of the house. A speaker on the Furbo alerts users when their dog begins barking, thus giving the owner the ability to talk directly to their pup, presumably to comfort young Fido. If a simple “who’s a good boy?” doesn’t work, the device houses an innovative “Treat Popper” which — as the name suggests — pops treats to (im)patiently waiting dogs. Concerning its pop-ability, Furbo doesn’t mess around; the device absolutely launches the treat at the dog, turning the awarding of a simple treat into a full-out game.

Contrary to Furbo’s Indiegogo campaign page which calls it the “world’s first treat-dispensing dog camera,” other such products do exist. Take the Petzi Treat Cam, for instance. Launched last year to middling reviews, Petzi boasts many of the features Furbo advertises but misses out on a few crucial traits: live video feeds and the ability to directly communicate with your pet. Petzi does take photos and allows for the distribution of treats but Furbo’s ability to give owners a live look into what their dog is doing, as well as its ability to pipe real-time audio to their pet, gives it a bit more allure than the competition. Moreover, at $99 the Furbo is roughly $70 cheaper than Petzi — for now, at least — making it even more appealing.

The Furbo treat-dispensing dog cam is available via Tomofun’s Indiegogo campaign for the next month and has already raised just over $40,000 of its $50,000 flexible goal as of this writing.

If you instantly thought about how much of a drag it is to leave your dog at home by itself, then the Furbo — Indiegogo’s latest success story — will be right up your alley. Launched by the Seattle-based company Tomofun, Furbo is a Jack-of-all-trades pup cam that gives users the ability to launch treats and remotely talk to their dogs while keeping an eye on them throughout the day.

Digital Trends: Remotely launch treats and spy on your pets with the Furbo treat-dispensing camera

If you instantly thought about how much of a drag it is to leave your dog at home by itself, then Furbo — Indiegogo’s latest success story — will be right up your alley. Launched by the Seattle-based company Tomofun, Furbo is a Jack-of-all-trades pup cam that gives users the ability to launch treats and remotely talk to their dogs while keeping an eye on them throughout the day.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - until your pup decides those ornaments look pretty tasty. Your little Grinch may wreak havoc on your Christmas decor, as one Furbo user discovered:

“It was Christmas of 2018. We got an activity alert on the Furbo. When I checked the camera I saw our Christmas tree had fallen over onto the ground and Knox had his head in it digging for a candy cane! The tree water spilled all over the floor and there were broken ornaments scattered around. I was able to talk to him through Furbo to tell him to get away from the tree."

“Then I called my dad, who came over and put Knox up and cleaned up the mess. My dad told me when he arrived he found 5 candy canes lined up in a row on the couch!! We have not put a candy cane on our tree since! I'm so glad we have Furbo to check up on the dogs. It makes me feel much more comfortable when we have to leave. I believe Furbo prevented him from getting hurt when he knocked over the Christmas tree. So many things could've happened if we hadn't gotten the activity alert. It allowed us to get to him quickly.”

Good thing Knox had a Furbo to prevent him from swallowing those candy canes! He’s just fine today, and you can follow this cutie’s adventures on Instagram at @knockyknox. 

But it’s a good reminder that not only can your dog send your tree tumbling, but he’s also at risk for injury. To keep your pup safe, try these tree-proofing techniques:

Put up a barricade. While baby gates and fencing may not be the prettiest, they will keep your dog away from the tree, and Christmas morning will dawn accident-free. 

Choose dog-friendly ornaments. This would mean ornaments made of plastic rather than delicate china or glass, and avoiding edible ornaments like candy canes or gingerbread men. 

Tether the tree. Anchor your tree to the ceiling or walls with wire or plastic line, and you can be sure your tree is unshakeable. (You’ll want to test this before letting your Great Dane near the tree.)

It’s the most wonderful time of the year - until your pup decides those ornaments look pretty tasty. Your little Grinch may wreak havoc on your Christmas decor, as one Furbo user discovered. Read his story and to keep your pup safe, try these tree-proofing techniques.

Houseproof Against Holiday Hazards!

Furbo is a device that allows you to toss treats to your dogs and watch them eat, all from the comfort of somewhere other than the place where your dogs are.

New York Times: Toys and Tech for Pets Are Put to the Test

The writer and his dog, Barnaby, try pet products, including Furbo, a device that shoots treats.CreditNicole Bengiveno/The New York Times 

Because I want the best for our dog, I feed him soy- and wheat-free turkey bits rehydrated with turmeric-fortified bone broth and served in a stainless steel and acrylic dining set designed to reduce neck strain.

I test his urine using an app on my phone to make sure his bilirubin and nitrite levels are on track. Before taking him for walks in his grosgrain-and-bridle-leather Pendleton National Park Collection collar-leash set, I apply sunscreen to his underparts, lest rays reflecting off the sidewalk burn him where the skin is thinnest. When we return, I may daub his snout with Certified Organic Button Nose Butter.

Because my cat is descended from generations of athletes, I give him high-performance salmon-lentil kibbles from a company that calls itself the Under Armour of pet food. To keep him smart and even fitter, I serve it in a multi-cupped contraption that forces him to fish the bits out with his paws, not just stick his face in the bowl.

When I started writing the Pet City column in January, I found myself besieged with greetings from new friends in an industry that works round the clock to find solutions to pet problems I never knew existed.

Did I want to check out the world’s first treat-tossing camera or celebrate National Pet Month with foie gras dog biscuits from a Michelin-starred chef? I did not.

“This Startup Has Made the First-ever ‘Smart’ Pet Urine Cup & iPhone Health Analyzer!” Send me one!

Then I got invited to a Petrepreneurs’ Home & Garden Pet Product Showcase.

All that is how, in the interest of service to readers, I ended up with a small pet store’s worth of merchandise, which I spent several days having Barnaby the basset and Sonny the ginger tomcat test-drive.

One recent evening, we invited Barnaby’s neighbor Boone the basset over for a product party. Boone’s owner, Mike Lipton, was drawn to the Pura Natural Pets Ear-Cleansing System. The insides of bassets’ ears are biological reserves worthy of protection by the United Nations. The Pura-Tip swabs are made from plant-based foam and reusable — just rinse in hot water. Mostly, they are really big. “With a Q-tip, I usually worry about losing it in there,” Mike said.

He cleaned Boone’s ear. An amazing amount of stuff came out on the swab. “This is something I would actually go out of my way to buy,” Mike said.

Then we fired up the Furbo, a device that allows you to toss treats to your dogs and watch them eat, all from the comfort of somewhere other than the place where your dogs are.

It is a stand-up device with a reservoir that you stock with treats and a camera mounted on the front. You open the app on your phone and press the treat icon, and the Furbo makes a cartoon “speeeowwnn” sound and shoots a piece of food.

We stepped into the next room and began launching. Boone immediately figured out how to knock the unit over and get at the treats. We set it up on something higher. Barnaby seemed lost, a simple soul whose idea of a good time usually involves little more than staring at the toilet or licking a wall.

After a few more tries, Barnaby figured out what was happening. He got excited and started barking his head off. Furbo flashed me a message: “Your dog is barking. Would you like to see how he is doing?” Then he peed all over his new senior-pet Wellness Mat, an anti-fatigue resting spot made with Advanced Polyurethane Technology. I imagined being at the office and watching this unfold on my phone screen and not being able to do anything about it.

A few days later, it was Sonny’s turn. He is notoriously difficult to impress, but I had high hopes for the Catit Flower Fountain. It provides continuous fresh, filtered water that runs from the petals of a plastic flower, features “whisker stress-free design” and has three settings — Gentle Flow, Bubbling Top and Calm Streams. Cats love fresh water: It’s why Sonny likes to drink from the toilet.

Sonny cautiously approached the fountain, which makes a pleasing trickling sound. He looked at it for several seconds and walked away.

Barnaby, on the other hand, loves it. (Also popular in my household: Epi-Pet Omega 3-6-9 dried anchovies, Loving Pets Natural Value chicken tenders, Nulo Medal Series salmon and lentils adult cat food. The Barks & Kisses Ashford Collection pet feeder looks nice on our kitchen floor with its bold, swooping curves and contemporary silhouette.)

The pet product showcase, at a hotel on the East Side, was organized by Charlotte Reed, who describes herself as a “petrendologist.” She strives to help people have better relationships with their pets.

One way to do that, Ms. Reed said, is for pets and their keepers to share products. Ms. Reed said she uses Epi-Pet ear cleaner to remove greasy makeup after television appearances.

“It just cuts it right off my face, and it heals the skin, so when I use this, it doesn’t sting at all,” she said. “I think more people want to have that experience: If it’s good for you, then it’s good for your pet; it’s good for your pet, why shouldn’t it be good for you?”

Which brings us, somehow, to the dog chastity belt, formally known as the Pet Anti-Breeding System. (“Stop it! Block it! Lock it!” says the flier.) If you want to delay spaying your dog for any reason, the belt lets her “still be a pet while being fully protected.”

Unfortunately, I could not find any dogs in heat to give it a real tryout. But Danielle Ettkins, who runs the Green Pup store in Gowanus, Brooklyn, agreed to let Cleo, her 5-month-old Goldendoodle, try it on. A fishnet triangle connected with an eight-point buckle system and a collar in the front, the belt like a piece of light bondage gear. Cleo did not seem to mind wearing it. Ms. Ettkins inspected.

“It certainly blocks the vulva,” she said. “I would have to see it in action.”

Fanna Easter CPDT-KA, KPA CTP, ABCDT-L2 is a professional dog trainer and lead writer for Dog Training Nation. She owns Positive Pooch Dog Training, which specializes in dog reactivity. Also, Fanna teaches reactive dog group classes in Dallas, TX, with a veterinary behaviorist.

As a professional dog trainer, I look at dog products a bit differently than pet owners. Dog devices shouldn’t frighten dogs. They should be easy to set up and able to positively change a dog’s behavior.   

One such product that meets these criteria is the Furbo dog camera. When opening and operating a Furbo dog camera, I was pleasantly surprised by its featured options. Check out my review on the Furbo treat dispensing dog camera.

Setting up the Furbo dog camera is easy. Seriously, it took seconds to open and plug in the Furbo device. The instruction booklet provides super simple instructions with clear pictures. Once I opened the box, I plugged in the dog treat dispenser and found my Wi-Fi signal within a few seconds. Immediately, the light turned green, indicating it was ready to connect to my phone. The next step was to download the Furbo app.

Here’s where I ran into a snag. Finding the Furbo app on my iPhone took a couple of seconds, but downloading it was super simple. Once downloaded, the app finds the Furbo using Bluetooth and then begins setup.

Several times, the setup was unsuccessful, so I had to retry. After the third attempt, the setup was finally completed and the app opened. During setup, the Furbo device chirped, clicked, and changed indicator colors, which attracted my dogs into the living room. Every time the device made a sound, I gave my dogs a tiny treat. Within seconds, my dogs were glued to the device because treats appeared when Furbo made noise.

Pro tip: Treat your dog every time Furbo makes a sound, so he gets accustomed to the treat dispenser and associates it with a treat.

From opening the box to downloading the app to connecting my phone, it took a total of 23 minutes to completely set up.

Once it was all set up, I filled the Furbo canister with hard dog training treats, which I broke into quarters. Before test launching the treats, I placed both of my dogs in their crates with food-stuffed toys.

Dispensing a treat is super easy. The treat launched at least 5 feet away from the device, which is fantastic! As the device is dispensing a treat, it makes a binging sound, which is another great feature. Once I finessed my treat-launching skills, it was time to introduce my dogs.

For the most part, the camera feedback is clear, but it does have a 2- to 3-second delay. Timing is everything in dog training, so dispensing a treat for a “sit,” “down” or no barking may cause issues due to the delay.

The microphone feature was a bit tiny sounding, but worked quickly. It does have a slight delay as well though. Once the camera and microphone were set up, it only took 1-2 seconds to open the Furbo app and see a clear view of the room.

From a dog trainer’s perspective, the Furbo dog camera offers useful options to check in and reward your dog for good behavior throughout the day or evening. Below are a few tips on getting the most out of your new device. 

To keep your Furbo safe from dog teeth, place the device on a countertop, table, or shelf with the popper facing toward a large open area. It’s best to place the device on a high surface 2 inches from the edge because the popper is where treats are dispensed. You also want to make sure the popper faces toward an open area to prevent treats from getting lost behind furniture or appliances.  

Before leaving the Furbo with your dogs, take a day or two to positively introduce Furbo’s sounds. Grab a handful of yummy treats, and sit next to the Furbo device. Open the app, turn down the microphone sound and play with all the features except the treat dispensing option for now.

Reward your dog every time the device chirps, bings and your voice is heard through the microphone. Pairing good things with strange sounds lets your dog know these sounds are a good thing and make treats appear.

Now, it’s time to play with the treat dispensing option! Fill the treat canister with hard treats. I used Fruitable treats. While it’s tempting to use soft treats, such as string cheese or hot dogs, these dog-training treats will probably cause the dispenser to jam.

Bring one dog into the living room with the Furbo and slide the treat dispensing icon on the app screen. Your dog will hear a binging sound and a treat will shoot out. Soon, your dog will learn that the Furbo binging sound means treats are coming, and he’ll run toward the device. After 5-6 dispensed treats, it’s time to practice with your other dog.

If your dogs argue over treats, it’s best not to use the treat dispensing option when they’re together.

Dogs have incredible hearing abilities, so loud screeching noises can be painful. Turn down the microphone volume or, better yet, skip this option altogether. This feature was likely added because people enjoy talking to their darling dogs. While chatting is normal human behavior, it can be distracting and scary to dogs over a microphone.

Instead of calling your dog over to the camera using the microphone, dispense a treat instead. When treats are dispensed, the Furbo device makes a binging sound that will alert your dog that treats are coming. When your dog arrives to gobble up his treat, you can see that all is well.

Having an HD camera with night vision to check in on your dog is comforting. Place the Furbo camera up high, so you’re able to view the entire room. When you spot a happily sleeping dog, it’s best to let him rest peacefully. If your dog is sleeping somewhere else, dispense a treat to check in on him. Same goes for barking: When your dog is quiet, dispense a treat.

Due to the camera’s slight delay, treats may not launch properly. After playing around a bit, there was a message that read: "The connection is unstable" at the top of the screen. If this happens to you, give the camera a moment to catch up before dispensing a treat. If you don't, the device will ding, but won’t launch a treat.

Most pet parents purchase monitor camera systems to check in on their dogs. Furbo not only provides you the comfort of being able to see your dog when you’re not at home, but it also dispenses hard treats. While I reviewed this dog camera from a dog trainer’s perspective, I find it’s a great device for pet parents as well.

As a professional dog trainer, I look at dog products a bit differently than pet owners. Dog devices shouldn’t frighten dogs. They should be easy to set up and able to positively change a dog’s behavior. One such product that meets these criteria is the Furbo dog camera.

About Furbo

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