4 1/2 stars! This product is a godsend. We have a small dog with separation anxiety and this gives us a way to make our time away be better. She can hear our voices from time to time and get treats; we can see if she's stressed or not. This little invention has done more to help us leave our dog alone than dog therapy and medication. That is saying a lot!
Having said all of that, because I anticipate buying this product again: This is the first iteration of this product and it somewhat shows, therefore four and a half stars instead of five. You can only use small round treats (the tiny bone shaped milk bones it came with got jammed) & the signal to the camera isn't always consistent (but still more consistent and amazing than one would imagine!). It would be great if there was a more industrial strength model. A larger dog who really wants the treats inside could do some damage as the product is mostly made of plastic (probably to keep costs down, but I would think there could be different grades/models in the future). It would also be great if the camera could move or be a fish eye lens so you get an even bigger view of the space. It would also be better if the audio was two way, being able to hear if your dog is happy or stressed (whining, crying) would be helpful.
Finally, the customer support for this company is outstanding. They really care about their product and customers, that bodes very well for the future of this product.
PROS:
- Great for keeping an eye on your pets while away. ( I found out which one of my dogs was the one that kept hiding my slippers)
- On days you will be gone longer than usual, you can fill the thing with kibble and feed them their meals from anywhere.
- Also good for home security. (Landlord came in with electrician for major repairs (scheduled) while I was away and I had it placed so I can see most of the house *due to my own paranoia* and was able to keep watch to make sure they only did what they were supposed to and not go in other rooms.)
- Has Night Vision
- Camera Quality is good for the price. Not as good as newer smartphone cameras, but then again.. you can buy about 8 of these for the price of a smartphone..
- Fun and addicting to watch. (Especially at work)
- Can talk into your phone and talk using the box as a speaker.
CONS:
- Making an account for the Petzi app, had a small problem (made an account and says it doesn't exist, tried to make another account says email is already in use.) Just used a different email and made another account and it worked.)
- There is a 3-5 second delay, but that's not really much of an issue unless you were trying to do some sort of training that involved timing. (In which case you should being doing that in person.) Internet speeds doesn't seem to matter much. Tested with Google Fiber and Spectrum 100mb/s speeds.
- Switching from WiFi to 4G disconnects the app.
- Sometimes doesn't connect "Whoopsi", "Camera not plugged in", "No connection", etc. (Simple fix to this that works for me is to close the app COMPLETELY (close the process) wait a little bit, then reopen the app and it works.
- While in camera mode, there is an "AFK checker" (Countdown timer asking if you are still there.) If you don't press YES, then the camera will close. Pops up every few minutes. Not too much of a hassle but it does get slightly annoying.
- Microphone communication is only 1 way. From phone to box. Box is only a speaker.
- Made me realize how much of a stalker I am.... (I can't not want to watch my dogs at work now.)
Overall I'm happy with the product. Researched the product before I bought to see if it's what I needed and compared it to other similar products. The app also does have it's own social media with other Petzi users that you can take a picture with and share. But I don't really use it.
If you're looking for something to play and interact with your pet with (like a laser feature) or want a home security system that records and allows you to playback recorded footage, this might not be right for you.
If you're looking for a "nanny-cam" with decent camera quality (no playback/no recording. Live stream only) to check on your pets and reward / feed them for not destroying your furniture while you're away, This might be good for you as it was for me.
Loveddddddd this Petzi Cam imI can watch my dog all day no stop sorta like a doggy stalker hahah !!!! This is perfect for me because I work and go to school (: loved it !!!
My brother loved this as a gift! He is crazy about his dog and he says it allows him to check in during the day. He did mention that the device shoots the treats out with a good amount of force. The first one hit his dog in the face.
Bought this for my miniature dachshund to keep on eye on him during my days at work. He was a little nervous of it at first, but now walks over when I ring the bell ready for his treat! It was easy to connect and I have never had an issue accessing the camera through my phone app. Have actually caught my dog chewing something he shouldn't and stopped him by telling him off over the microphone! Busted!
Feature Product
- A fun and easy way to connect with and treat your pet from anywhere
- Watch the excitement on your pet's face when you pop in
- Dispense your pet's favorite treat with the Petzi treat launcher for a big smile, say hello to your pet through the high quality one-way audio
- Dedicated iOS and Android app that controls the device and allows content to be shared socially
- Capture candid photos of your pet to save or share on your favorite social site
- Fill with treats and use to interact with your pet while away!
- Dash Replenishment Enabled - The Petzi Treat Cam monitors levels in real-time giving it the ability to automatically reorder when the treats gets low
Description
Our pets are members of our family and give us so many moments of fun and pure joy. Even when you’re not at home with them, you want to make sure they are happy. Now there is a new and fun way for you to pop in from anywhere and break up your pet’s day with a tasty little treat. Petzi Treat Cam is a remote treat dispenser and pet cam that allows you to check in to see what your pet is up to, say hello from anywhere and give them their favorite mini treat via the patented treat launcher. Features: Free Secure App and interaction. 30Fps HD camera delivers up to 720p video. Low-light IR video capture 110-degree wide angle. Rich, extended range audio will dispense any dry pet treat smaller than a US quarter coin in size (moist pet treats not recommended).
This is a great product that has some room for improvement. I mainly purchased this because of the treat dispensing feature. I have a dog who likes to wander into the kitchen and get into the trash when I'm gone, and I wanted to find a way I could train this behavior out by rewarding him for staying in the living room. It's been really helpful so far, but I've mostly used it as a way to check in on my dogs instead of a training aid.
Pros:
+ Treat dispensing feature is great. You are able to use any kinds of treats you want, although they have suggestions for what works best.
+ Video is good quality. You are able to take snapshots.
+ You can send audio.
+ Overall a good design. I worried about my dogs trying to bust open the container to get the treats but it would be hard to do so. It's easy to mount it on the wall. It looks nice.
+ The support team is very nice. They respond promptly and they are very helpful. They seem to genuinely care about keeping their customers, unlike some dog product companies. If you have a problem with your device, I'm sure they will fix it.
+ The camera only turns on when you connect through the app.
Cons:
- Audio is only one-way. Originally, their Kickstarter said it would be two-way so I'm not sure what happened there. This feature would have been a major improvement.
- You can only view the camera through their application. It would be great if there was a way to view it online too, so I can keep an eye on it throughout the day.
- There are delays with everything. Your video is delay by a few seconds, and any interactive button you push has a delay as well. I expected a slight delay, but it's slower than I hoped. My internet connection is fast, so that isn't the issue here.
- Treat dispensing mechanism can use some work. They suggest hard treats that are at least 1 inch long, but even the treats they supply you with that match this description aren't perfect. Sometimes one treat gets dispensed, sometimes 4+ do. I've also seen it get stuck once. I wish there was a better way to control how much got dispensed.
- Minor con, but I feel their their social feature is a waste of time. They created a new social networking site that you can upload pictures of your pets to, much like instagram and the more dog-focused Pack. It has nothing to do with the camera. I rarely even see any photos posted that are actually taken from snapshots. I wish they would have put the effort into improving another part of the application instead.
Some easier improvements: I'd like to see the addition of video recording in the future in addition to their snapshot feature. I'd also like to see a way to record video throughout the day. Currently, you're only able to view the camera when you connect with your phone. You can't see what happened in the past. It would also be great if you could set it up to alert you when there's movement.
Overall, it's a good purchase if you want to be able to interact with your pet more, instead of just watching them.
Oh my gosh! What a clever invention! This is great for dogs/ pets with anxiety! You can talk to your pet and check on them any time you want so long as you have wifi! I did my share of research trying to decide on the best pet cam. I will admit, it was difficult but I decided on this one for the price and for the fact that you can use your own treats (as long as they are no larger than an inch). Many of the other cameras are FAR more pricey to begin with and then on top of that you have to purchase the treats that fit specifically inside the cameras!! As long as your dogs/ cats/ other pets are food motivated they will easily catch on! Super easy installment, and very fun! But be careful, you may spend hours playing around with the functions with your dog(s)! We certainly did! There is a bit of a lag with the video feed, however it is not a huge issue, just something to note. Our dogs now wait by the Pets every morning, it is too cute! My biggest concern was the range of the Petzi... would we be able to access this while on vacation? The answer is yes! Our Petzi is located in Alaska and it was accessible from Georgia! Regretfully, the Petzi was actually purchased for our rabbits in order to check on them throughout the day. The dogs will be heart broken to see it go to the rabbits and they may even ask for one for themselves for Christmas. Next the cat will be wanting one! It seems you can never have enough of these brilliant cameras!
This thing is soooo awesome. Our boy Iago loves food (and he loves human attention), so we chose this instead of the laser light one. He very quickly learned to come right away when it is activated, so I can very easily check on him when I'm away at work or whenever he's alone at home. He occasionally will try to mess with it, to get food out, or because there's a bit of treat that landed in the little chute and didn't pop out. But it works very well. The images are grainy, for sure, think front-facing camera from several years ago, but it has a B&W / mono mode for low light that works pretty well. Being able to talk to him is nice, also.
It wall mounted very easily, and we used the adhesive piping for cables to guard the power cable, which can be routed several different ways. We had a little trouble initially getting the Android app set up... we eventually I think had to get the iPhone app to set it up - after that, Android worked fine, but we couldn't get the device going for anything until we used the iPhone app. I didn't take a star off for this, but it would've been a game killer if we hadn't had an iPhone handy.
Make sure to think about lighting before you place it, and also it's nice to put it in a room where your cat hangs out, that way you can see him as he's coming to you, or you know if he's ignoring you (which Iago never does for this thing).
Oh, one bonus recommendation from our vet - we mixed some hard food in with the treats, because we do not give Iago treats daily, but we wanted to use the Petzi more... this way he can have it a little more often (we try for once a day on weekdays, I don't always remember, so I end up maybe using it 3-4 times a week) without feeling too badly.
All of that and considering we were able to get a discounted refurb unit makes this thing absolutely awesome.
I adopted a puppy when I was working from home, and then get offered a much better position working 9-5. I didn't want to give up a better job to stay home with my puppy, and this camera was the next best thing. I scoffed at the price at first, but it really does deliver. The set up was painless. I love being able to check in on my puppy throughout the day and give him treats. One day I was able to see that he had diarrhea on his wee wee pad, and I was able to call my mom to check on him. If you're gone for long periods of time, this camera is a must. It will bring you peace of mind that your dog isn't destroying the house, or in distress. It's worth the price
I got this to try to work on crate training my puppy. She barked like crazy whenever left alone and if she saw us. This gave us the chance to teach her "quiet" with rewards without needing to be in the room (meaning she'd never be quiet). It's also great for checking up on her while we are at work. Pictures included show daytime vs nighttime mode.
There are 2 major cons. Like others said, it always gives multiple treats and need to use the Milkbones. I tried to use my small circle treats and it kicks out 5-7 in all different directions. The AC adapter is also very flimsy so when my puppy was left alone for about 5 minutes she immediately chewed through it. $14.95 for a replacement.
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