For those of us who are forced to leave our pups at home while we head off to work every day (the horror!) there is now a way to see just what they are up to, thanks to this genius treat-tossing dog camera, Furbo!
Furbo has been around for a few years, making work less awful and puppy naps more cute. But their new technology is a game changer. They released a feature called "Furbo Dog Nanny" and it's 10 times more useful than I could have imagined. What's it do?
Three specific things! It has Smart Dog Alerts, Cloud Recording, and a Doggie Diary.
Smart Dog Alerts/Cloud Recording
- 10-second videos saved to the cloud any time there is dog activity
- Person activity so you can see if someone (like the dog walker) enters the house
- Selfies! If your pup gets his or her snout right up in the camera (looking for a treat, no doubt) Furbo snaps a photo. It's the cutest selfie you'll see all day.
Doggie Diary
- Doggie Diary is a 60-second video compilation of all of your dog’s daily activity. It's super useful if you're out of town or busy in meetings all day.
What Else Does It Do?
- Tosses treats
- 2-way audio (say hi!)
- Photos and video capability
- 1080p full HD
- Barking alerts
Check out Furbo in action!
Want to know more? Here's what's worth obsessing over:
1. THE SETUP IS A BREEZE.
Setup is incredibly easy. The box didn't come with instructions — just an app to download. Genius. The app walks you through the entire process and has a fancy FAQ section in case you get impatient and mess it up and have to start over.
2. YOU CAN GIVE YOUR DOGS TREATS REMOTELY.
Furbo has a treat dispenser. That's right. Fill up Furbo with your pup's favorite snack, and with the click of a button (in the app) you can shoot a treat across the room. The best part: You can record your own voice to notify your dog when it's coming! Our dogs know the word "treat" and come a-runnin' at the sound. I programmed my own voice — at the unfortunately high octave it apparently sounds like on the recording — saying that word and half a second later, two treats shoot 3 feet into the living room. You can even use it with Apple Watch!
3. YOU CAN KISS BARK COLLARS GOODBYE.
Our pups aren't exactly the angels that we imagine them to be. They bark when anyone comes in the front door of our apartment building and we're constantly nervous that other renters might find this a nuisance. Since barking dogs can easily get you evicted in a city like New York, we have been using a citronella-spray bark collar on the old dog and an actual zap bark collar on the younger pup (I know, awful — but it's the only thing she respects, and even that is temperamental).
I never, ever wanted to use bark collars, but I also don't want to be homeless. With the Furbo's "your dog is barking" push alerts, we're able to get rid of the bark collars! We discovered that when we aren't home, the dogs (a) sleep all the livelong day and (b) only bark when someone, like our dog walker, comes in the actual apartment door. We never had a way to know how chill they were when we were gone, and were only major barkers when we were home. SUCCESS. If your dog is a barker, Furbo might help you relieve the need for stricter measures.
4. YOU CAN TELL YOUR DOG WHO'S A GOOD BOY.
Say you wanted to have a quick convo with your dog. No problem! Furbo has a two-way speaker system. You can instantly hear what's going on in your home when you open the app. Also with the click of a button in the app, the dogs can hear you! Miss them? Let them know.
5. YOU CAN POST TO INSTAGRAM STRAIGHT FROM THE APP.
Do your dogs have an active social presence? Take pictures and videos straight from Furbo! Never miss another afternoon puppy-posting opp again.
Related:
8 Top-Rated Pet Cameras to Keep an Eye on Things
14 Best Dog Toys for Your Furry One
18 Great Gifts for Cats or Dogs
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