Furbo Dog Camera Review

How to setup, use and associate your dog to the Furbo Dog Camera

**This video is not sponsored by Furbo Dog Camera**

Key features of the Furbo Dog Camera – what I think is gimmicky versus useful, and a quick set up guide so you can begin using your Furbo and building an association with your dog right away!

For more in-depth answers to the below PROS, CONS, and MEH, important information for Multi-dog households and the barking feature, I encourage you to read my full article: https://medium.com/canine-behavior-and-training/the-furbo-gimmicks-and-useful-tools-a996615305e5

Video Links:

Furbo: https://amzn.to/36BTTYW

Zuke’s Treats: https://amzn.to/2U1Edvy

Overall, I really like this product. I see many opportunities for training, stimulation, and even safe integration for people trying to bridge the gap between crating and going without the crate in young dogs ready to make that transition. I was a big proponent of the Manners Minder when introduced to it (I still am) and the Furbo is like the updated version of the Manners Minder with adding in interactive technology.

Like ANY training tool, I highly recommend at least conversing with a professional prior to using the Furbo.

PROS

  • Price point – the value of the product is worth it’s price. Though advertised as $250, you can purchase Furbo on Amazon, (link above) for under $200 as I did.
  • 1080 HD Camera
  • Two-way audio
  • Randomizing reward systems – helping to increase the integrity of the dog
  • Learning what your dog does while you are gone (helps to know what behaviors are normal for your dog and what behaviors are not) ~ Curiosity-sparking sound prior to treat toss
  • 3M tape on the bottom to keep the Furbo from getting knocked over.
  • Nanny Dog Cam Subscription option for more video and storing fun

CONS

  • Automated Treat Timer Feature – I strongly dislike this feature. You should always know what you are communicating with your dog through reward. When the Furbo is set to automatically deliver treats, you have no idea of knowing what behavior you are rewarding A treat says to your dog, “Yes! I like that behavior! Do it again!”. If you don’t see what your dog is doing when the Furbo delivers a reward, you could be saying all of those things to your dog while they are raiding the trash, counter-surfing, soiling the carpet, etc. Know what you are communicating. Mental stimulation with this feature was a good though, however, I don’t think its’ a good approach in practice.
  • Clicker Training Feature – I find this feature misleading as clicker training is specific to the sound of the clicker that you are using to train your dog through positive reinforcement. Sounds, (clicks) are independent of one another and require separate association building.

MEH

  • Amazon Alexa Skill – I don’t find much real value in this added feature, (yet). I think Furbo may have jumped the gun slightly in adding this as a selling feature but I do absolutely love that they are diving into tech integration and there will most likely be some neat things coming down the road. Remember that you do not want to reward your dog when you don’t know what they are doing, so you would only use this app if you were within eyesight of your dog and in the same room as your Amazon Alexa.
  • Lights – “the two color dogs see” dogs are dichromatic, however, they can see a spectrum of color in varying hues. There is some evidence (though it’s early) to support yellow being a color that stands out more than blue to animals with dichromatic vision. Given this, I would flip the colors – yellow for active and blue for inactive. I’m still not really sold on this feature as necessary. I like that they took an extra step in differentiating association.

WATCH NEXT:

○ Canine CPR: What You Must Know: https://youtu.be/uy8SURrYyKU

○ The Perfect Walk: https://youtu.be/n2SFE1n8maI

○ How To Get Your Dog To Love The Muzzle: https://youtu.be/DqM2_vLcQ2Y

○ Know Before Adopting From The Shelter: https://youtu.be/rD_GTyV7shI

○ How To Create Boundaries With Your Dog: https://youtu.be/hk-2mojpkYg

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