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Furbo Dog Camera Review: Is It Worth It After 3 Years?
Updated: Sep 29
If you're researching pet cameras and keep landing on Furbo, you're in the right place. I've used a Furbo dog camera for over three years, in a home with three pets.
I have thoughts. A lot of them.
This is my honest Furbo review. I'll cover what it does well and where it falls short. Plus, which Furbo to buy and if Furbo Nanny is actually worth it.
Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links. If you purchase through my links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I genuinely use and love.
Quick verdict: Yes, the Furbo dog camera is worth it. It's ideal if you want treat tossing, smart alerts, and 360° coverage in one camera.
Best for: multi-pet homes, anxious pet parents, barky dogs, pet parents who travel
Not best for: people who only want basic live view and never want a subscription
What Is a Furbo?
A Furbo is a smart pet camera made for dog (and cat) parents. A Furbo dog camera isn't just a webcam. It's a two-way audio device, treat tosser, and AI pet monitor all in one.
It connects to your home Wi-Fi. Then you can check in, talk to your pets, and toss treats from the Furbo app on your phone.
Here's what the Furbo 360° Dog Camera does:
360° rotating view that pans to follow your pet
Treat tossing from the app
Two-way audio so you can talk to (and hear) your pets
1080p HD video with night vision
Smart alerts for barking, people, and activity, plus Pet ID with a subscription
"Calm My Pet," which plays soothing music for anxious dogs (or barky ones like mine, LOL)
Emergency alerts if a smoke or CO alarm goes off at home
Who Is the Furbo Dog Camera For?
Let me be upfront: Furbo isn't the right fit for everyone. But for most pet parents who leave pets home alone, it's hard to beat.
You'll love Furbo if you:
Have multiple pets and want to know which one is doing what
Have a dog with separation anxiety or excessive barking
Work long hours or travel, and want instant alerts, not just a live feed
Want a camera that can do something, like toss a treat
Have a bigger room and want pan coverage without buying five cameras
Barking or howling when left alone is one of the most common signs of separation anxiety, according to the ASPCA. That's exactly where a camera with alerts and two-way audio helps.
You might not need Furbo if you have one very chill pet, rarely leave home, or don't want any subscription.
My Honest Furbo Experience: Three Years In
The Furbo Cameras I Actually Own
I'll be real with you: I am a Furbo person. I own four of them, scattered all over my house:
Furbo 360° Dog Camera
Furbo 360° Cat Camera
Furbo Mini
Furbo Mini 360°
I have three pets: Widget (my mini aussie), Olive (my calico cat), and Sprout (my Siberian cat).
I used to be so anxious leaving the house because I didn't know what they were up to. Furbo changed that.
Anxious pet parent too? You might like my post on creating a cozy home with pets when you have ADHD.
What I Love About Furbo
Pet ID is a game changer for multi-pet homes. Most cameras just say "pet detected." Furbo's Pet ID tells you which pet is on camera.
With three very different pets, this matters so much. Is Olive puking on the carpet? Or is Widget barking because someone needs to let him out ASAP?
"Calm My Pet" has Pavloved my dog into good behaviour. This is my favourite Furbo story, and I tell it to everyone.
Widget learned that when the calming music plays, a treat comes next. Now when he barks and the music starts, he stops and plants himself in front of the camera. Waiting.
We basically trained him through the camera. It's equal parts hilarious and genius.
Training Widget through tech is apparently my thing now. My dog talking buttons guide covers how I taught him to "talk," which went about as chaotically as you'd expect.
The alarm alerts could genuinely save lives. I don't think Furbo reviews talk about this enough.
One day I was out and got an alert with a siren icon. Furbo had detected an alarm going off at home. My fiancé had burned bacon and set off the smoke detector.
I knew within seconds. In a real emergency, that instant alert while your pets are home alone could make all the difference. That feature alone justifies the camera for me.
It also caught me breaking a plate. Oops. I dropped a plate in the kitchen, and Furbo alerted me that it heard glass breaking.
Very helpful if a pet is the one knocking things off the counter.
One 360° camera covers a whole room. Because it rotates, one Furbo can replace two or three fixed cameras. That's saved me money and clutter.
Wi-Fi has never been an issue. In three years, I haven't had a single connection problem with any of my Furbo cameras. They just work.
What I Don't Love About Furbo
It stares at the walls sometimes. When a pet walks out of frame, the 360° camera tries to follow. Sometimes it ends up filming a wall for a bit before it resets.
It doesn't happen often. But if you're watching a pet with a health condition, you might miss a few seconds.
For Olive, I paired Furbo with a dedicated litter box monitor for exactly this reason. My SiiPet LitterLens review explains how the two do completely different jobs.
Pet ID gets it wrong sometimes. It has mixed up my pets, especially early on.
The good news? It learns fast, and it gets more accurate the more it sees your pets.
Most of the smart features need a subscription. More on that below. It's the biggest thing to know before you buy.
Which Furbo Dog Camera Should You Get?
Since I own all four, this is the question I get asked most. Here's how they compare:
Model | Pans 360° | Tosses treats | Best for |
Furbo 360° Dog Camera | Yes | Yes | Dogs, big rooms, barky or anxious pups |
Furbo 360° Cat Camera | Yes | Yes, plus a feather toy | Cats who need play and monitoring |
Furbo Mini 360° | Yes | Yes, light snacks | Smaller spaces or a second room |
Furbo Mini | No | No | A budget camera for watching one spot |
My pick for most dog parents: the Furbo 360° Dog Camera, Furbo's flagship dog camera. It has the full-size treat tosser and covers the most space.
Have cats? Get the Furbo 360° Cat Camera. Or add a Furbo Mini 360 to a second room if you already have a Furbo.
Furbo also has an official comparison of its camera models if you want every spec.
Is the Furbo Nanny Subscription Worth It?
Furbo Nanny is Furbo's subscription. It unlocks the features that make Furbo stand out.
What works without a subscription:
Live view
Two-way audio
Treat tossing
Barking and meowing alerts
What Furbo Nanny adds:
AI alerts for activity, people, and emergency sounds (like smoke alarms)
Pet ID in multi-pet homes
Video history, so you can rewatch what happened
There are two plans in Canada. Standard keeps 3 days of video history, and Premium keeps 7 days. Check the current Furbo Nanny plans and prices, since they change often with sales.
My take: Furbo Nanny is worth every penny. I hate having yet another monthly subscription. But it's the one I've never once considered cancelling.
Best Treats for Furbo
Your Furbo dog camera is picky about treats, so this matters. The wrong treat can jam the tosser.
According to Furbo's treat guide, the best treats for Furbo are:
Dry and firm, not soft or sticky
Round, about 1 to 2 cm wide for the Furbo 360
Not crumbly, so they don't leave dust in the tosser
The Furbo Mini 360 takes smaller treats, around 1 cm wide.
For me, I personally use Canada Fresh cat treats. (Since both my dog and cats love them!)
Pro tip: Test a handful of treats while you're home. Toss a few and make sure nothing jams before you rely on it at work.
Furbo for Cats: Does It Work?
Yes! My cat's Olive and Sprout can confirm.
The Furbo 360° Cat Camera adds cat-specific alerts, like meowing and vomiting, plus a feather toy for play. The dog camera works for cats too, but the cat version is built for them.
Setting up a space just for your cats? Here's how I designed our mid century modern cat room.
Want more cat-approved finds? Here are the cat-friendly home products I'd buy again and my favourite aesthetic cat furniture.
Final Verdict: Is the Furbo Dog Camera Worth It?
Three years. Four cameras. Three pets.
I've used my Furbo dog camera enough to give you a real answer.
Yes. Buy it.
As an anxious pet parent, Furbo has given me more peace of mind than almost anything else in my home. With Pet ID, alarm alerts, and treat tossing, it feels less like a camera. It feels like a pet care system.
The only purchase that comes close is my automatic litter box. My PetSafe SmartSpin review explains why that one gets second place.
If you have multiple pets, it's especially worth it. And if you have a barky dog? Get it now and let the treat-tossing Pavlov experiment begin.
More Pet Tech I Use With Furbo
Furbo is the centre of my low-maintenance pet setup. These fill in the gaps:
PetSafe FreshFeed: A refrigerated feeder that keeps wet food on schedule while I'm out.
Cordless cat water fountain: Fresh water with no cord for curious pets to chew.
SmartSpin litter box: My favourite Litter-Robot alternative.
Cat litter box furniture: Hidden, modern picks that keep pet gear looking cute.
Modern cat furniture: The cat trees and shelves my cats actually use.
Furbo Dog Camera FAQ
What is a Furbo?
A Furbo is a smart pet camera with a built-in treat tosser. Through the Furbo app, you can watch your pets live, talk to them, toss treats, and get alerts.
Is Furbo worth it?
Yes, especially for multi-pet homes and anxious or barky dogs. Pet ID, smart alerts, and treat tossing make it far more useful than a basic camera.
Can Furbo work without a subscription?
Yes, but in a limited way. Live view, two-way audio, treat tossing, and barking alerts all work for free. Pet ID, smart AI alerts, and video history need Furbo Nanny.
How much is Furbo Nanny?
In Canada, Standard is $9.99/month and Premium is $12.49/month at regular price. Yearly plans and sales often bring that down, so check Furbo's site for current pricing.
What treats work best in a Furbo?
Dry, firm, round treats about 1 to 2 cm wide work best. Avoid soft, sticky, or crumbly treats, since they can jam the tosser.
Does Furbo work with cats?
Yes! Furbo makes a dedicated 360° Cat Camera with cat alerts and a feather toy. The dog camera also works well for cats.
Furbo vs Petcube: which is better?
I've only used Furbo, so I can't compare them firsthand. For me, Pet ID and the emergency alarm alerts keep me loyal to Furbo in a three-pet home.
