Furbo lets you see and talk to your dogs and give them treats when you’re not home

All dog owners will agree, their pet is a part of the family and they miss them when they’re away from them. But the new Furbo Dog Camera can now help you keep in touch and even give them a treat or two from anywhere.

Furbo features a full high definition camera with a 160-degree wide-angle lens that connects to your home wireless network.

Pet owners can log into Furbo remotely to see a live view from the camera to find out what they are up to and talk to them as well thanks to the two-way audio.

Now instead of wondering what your dog is doing at home alone you can check in on them whenever you like.

It even has infrared night vision so you view the camera at any time of the day or night

But Furbo is more than just a camera.

This is a device designed just for dogs and has features that can help train and comfort dogs when they’re alone.

It does this using a special mechanism built into the bottom of the product that can toss treats to reward them or simply play a game.

Users can also receive real-time alerts when Furbo hears their dog barking so you can instantly check on them to see if something’s wrong.

It’s also possible to adjust the sensitivity of the barking detection so you’re not getting flooded with nuisance notifications.

The device is 22.5cm tall and about 12 cm wide with the camera built into the top half above the treat tosser in the lower third.

It is powered through a micro USB port and needs to be connected to a power point – it does not have a battery on board.

As an owner of two Dalmatians myself, I decided to give Furbo a try.

Set up was as simple as plugging in the device, downloading the companion app and typing in our wi-fi password. It was ready to go in minutes.

Our next assignment was to find the right spot to place Furbo.

We eventually settled on the corner of our living area where Ziggy and Logan usually hang out when they’re not outside.

We were able to easily see the whole area and get their attention by talking through the Furbo camera.

Using the app, you simply press the icon at the bottom of the screen to toss a treat.

One thing we noticed was the mechanism to toss the treat was loud enough to startle our older dog Ziggy (who is not a fan of loud noises) and he moved away from it.

But when he realized the noisy thing in the corner dispensed food, he got over his fear.

Logan had no such issue and it wasn’t long before he would sit in front of it hoping for another treat.

It was also amusing to see them react to our voice and wonder where it was coming from.

You can also capture pictures and video clips through the Furbo app if your dog is doing something particularly cute.

After a while their curiosity got the better of them and they weren’t afraid to come right up to the camera.

We think they could probably smell the treats sitting inside while they were wondering how they could get to them.

Furbo has a detachable bamboo lid to allow you to fill it up with treats.

It can dispense treats through a hole that is about the size of an Australian 10 cent coin – so be sure the treats are small and light enough to fit through.

The best fit is around treat that has a diameter of 1cm or less.

And if you’re worried about your dog tipping Furbo over, there are industrial strength 3M adhesive strips on the base so we can be positioned steadily.

Furbo is priced at $359 and is available from www.furbo.com or Amazon Australia.

VERDICT

Furbo is an ideal product for dog owners who want to stay in touch when their pets are home alone and give them treats to keep them happy. We think the dog lovers will appreciate the connection more than their dogs.

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• Rating

Furbo is an ideal product for dog owners who want to stay in touch when their pets are home alone and give them treats to keep them happy. We think the dog lovers will appreciate the connection more than their dogs.