Furbo in the Travel Dog lounge
Having a business name such as Travel Dog PR means that all sorts of people get in touch with me on a wide variety of subjects (usually trying to sell me something).
One such instance was before Christmas, when a company in Germany promoting a new, digital camera called Furbo, which is for remotely keeping an eye on your dog in the house, contacted me and asked if I would be interested in trying one out and writing about it on my blog.
Both surprised and intrigued I said I’d be delighted, and a few weeks later it arrived in the post. It is a smart looking bit of kit which doesn’t look at all out of place in our lounge, and it also has an ability to fire treats!
You simply download the app from your usual source, and you’re up and running.
Once you have opened the app, you can see your pooch clearly on your phone, and can even speak to it! I tend not to use this feature as I think it freaks my dog out hearing my voice when I am not in the room!
The story of me writing the blog took a twist at the end of December 2018, when my gorgeous Flat Coated Retriever Billie, who was both the influence for my company name and logo, suffered multiple organ failure.
We finally had to say goodbye to her on New Year’s Eve which was truly one of the saddest days of my life. She was over 12 years old which is a good age for a Flat Coat, but it doesn’t make the loss any easier (I’m welling up writing this four months later). It didn’t so much break my heart (and my wife Debbie’s) as tear it to shreds.
Some people decide after losing a loved family pet that they will never get another because of the pain. For me, the sheer 12 years of joy that Billie gave us far outweigh the pain of her loss. She was one amazing dog.
We have a second dog, our Springer Spaniel, Poppy, and she has helped to ease the pain. We still have to walk her twice a day so doggie life goes on.
The arrival of Furbo with Billie in such a bad way was bitter sweet. It meant I could keep an eye on her over the final few days. The camera quality is top notch and there is even a night vision feature.
The Furbo people were brilliant about not pushing me to write this blog, knowing about the Billie situation (thank you Furbo).
For those of you with one doggie, my recommendation is to get a second one. It really will ease the pain when the inevitable happens (we have a new Flat Coat pup coming soon!).
You can check out Furbo at: www.furbo.com.