Furbo: Communication between you and your pets
How to talk to your pets when they’re home alone!
We can’t be with our pets all the time. Sadly, life’s necessities like work or grocery shopping mean our pets must be left at home, often alone. Do you ever wish that you could see what your cat or dog is doing? Or if your dog is barking and disturbing the neighbours?
A new device, Furbo allows you to view your pets, talk to them and even give them a treat – all in your absence. Through an app on your phone, you can feel like you are never apart from your pet!
I thought I would share my Furbo experiences with everyone at Pet Problems Solved. It’s not the first time I’ve used one of these remote cameras. I reviewed the Petzi device some time ago but I’m always keen to try something new and, for me, the real assessment comes if I continue to use the product after its testing period.
Setting up Furbo
Furbo was easy to set up. Simply take the device out of the box, plug in and a minute later, after it’s found your wi-fi network, it’s good to go. Download the app and you can see your pet from anywhere, even the other side of the world! Fill it up with treats, if you wish to give these to your pet.
The settings can be adjusted from the app and you can personalise for your pet too. You can talk to your pet from your phone and take photos and videos too. You can even see your pet at night…
The Positives of Furbo
Ease of use: Furbo is really easy to use and it is fun. I showed my app to so many friends and colleagues and all were impressed by the quality of vision and the ease of delivering treats. It was also so easy to set up that no one should be daunted by the technology.
Variety: Furbo works with many treats. We tried the supplied treats, general dog treats and some cat biscuits too. It also delivers treats in different quantities which keeps your pet interested. You will need to use regular, rounded treats to ensure a smooth delivery.
Pet spy: This device not only watched your pet but a wide angle lens allows you to see the entire room. If you need to see who’s coming to your home or who your pet is reacting to, this will be possible by setting it up in the correct location.
Pet behaviour: If you need to know how your pet is behaving, this device is ideal. You can watch interactions between pets, how much they sleep or if they are pacing, barking or chewing up your sofa. You can distract them with your voice and hopefully reward calm behaviour with a treat.
The Negatives of Furbo
Expensive: Furbo is not cheap. Currently retailing at AUD$299 on Amazon, this may put it out of reach for many pet owners. However, we know that people love their pets and money is not an issue for many devoted owners. If you want to keep an eye on your pet, this may be just the tool you need.
Sensitivity: Furno is sensitive to noise. The design feature that alerts you to your dog barking, even when set to low sensitivity, alerted me every time someone was in my kitchen cooking or emptying the dishwasher. A great way to spy on your family in your absence!!
Timing: Furbo, like devices I have tried before, releases treats to your pet but there is a slight delay between pushing the button and the treats being delivered. This means if you are using it to reward your dog for being quiet, the time delay may interfere with this training. For instance, your dog could be quiet, you press the button to deliver the treat to reward your dog but before it is delivered your dog starts barking again. You have inadvertently rewarded the barking. Until digital connections are improved this will still be the case with all remote devices.
Multi-pets: Delivering treats to a multi-pet household can be fraught with difficulty, especially if your pets fight over food. If this is the case, as a behaviourist, I would advise that you keep your pets separated or only use the Furbo to watch your pet, not treat them.
Ants: With treats located int he device, we had some issues with ants and had to get creative with setting the Furbo device inside a bowl, then put that bowl in a bowl of water. Furbo can’t be put into the water directly, as the power (battery or plug) would be affected.
Overall Impression of Furbo
Well, I am still using Furbo and will continue to do so. That tells you that I am pleased with this device. If you want some of the newest technology and you love your pet, this device is a must! It is very useful for those people who need to know what their pet is doing,
About the author:
Dr Jo Righetti is an animal behaviour consultant and owner of this website. If you wish your product to be trialed, please contact us.
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