Furbo 360° Dog Camera [Paid Plan Required to Activate]

Why it's worth it

The Furbo 360° is a rotating camera with two-way audio and an app-controlled treat launcher. If your dog panics when you go to work, this is the only product here that lets you actually respond in the moment.

The ASPCA estimates that 20 to 40 percent of dogs referred to veterinary behaviorists have separation anxiety. A puzzle toy can't help with that, because the problem isn't boredom — it's your absence. The Furbo is the closest thing to being there. You see your dog, you talk to them, you toss a treat. Furbo's own survey data from over 50,000 users reports a 35% drop in self-reported separation anxiety symptoms among owners who use the treat-toss during work hours.

The 360° rotation and AI barking alerts are the practical upgrades over a plain pet cam. Your phone buzzes when your dog starts barking, and you can open the app and interrupt the spiral before it becomes an hour of howling that your neighbors hear. Owners also describe it catching things they never expected — a blaring smoke alarm, a power outage, a dog getting into something they shouldn't.

From our review of 7 interactive dog toys, by James Bennett, Associate Editor

What we like

• +The ASPCA estimates that 20 to 40 percent of dogs referred to veterinary behaviorists have separation anxiety
• +The 360° rotation and AI barking alerts are the practical upgrades over a plain pet cam
• +Read the subscription terms before you buy
• +Setup is straightforward and the video quality is good enough to tell what your dog is chewing from across town

What to know

• –The subscription requirement is the big one
• –The tracking isn't as smart as the marketing suggests
• –And it doesn't tire a dog out