Life is busy, and sometimes, you get so caught up with the day-to-day activities that you forget all about your furry companion. You just wake up one morning and realize that you don’t have any treats or toys for your pooch.
To ensure that busy doggie owners do not run out of goodies and treats for their four-legged friends, many dog subscription box services and canine care packages have come up. Today, we are going to look at one such dog subscription box service which has been rapidly gaining popularity among dog owners. We’re talking about BarkBox.
What Is BarkBox?
BarkBox is a subscription service that delivers a customized package of goodies for your dog every month. With Barkbox, you will never have to worry about running out of treats or toys for your dear Fido.
Unboxing
How Does It Work?
Getting a Barkbox subscription is pretty straightforward. The first step is to provide BarkBox with information about your canine buddy, including your pooch’s name, size, breed, and birthday, as well as any allergies your dog might have. However, most of this information is optional, except for your dog’s name and size.
After providing information about your doggie, the next step is to create your account with BarkBox and choose your preferred subscription length. The longer your subscription plan, the cheaper BarkBox gets. We will get into the maths in a bit to show you why Barkbox is such a good deal, especially with longer subscriptions.
Once you have picked your preferred plan and made your payment, that’s it. All you need to do now is to wait for a box of goodies for your canine buddy to be delivered to your doorstep within 48 hours. From there, a box of goodies will be delivered to you on the 15th of every month as long as your subscription is running.
What Is Contained In A BarkBox Package?
Each BarkBox package comes with 5 items (6 if you order an extra toy). These items include:
- 2 bags of treats
- 2 toys
- 1 chew
To keep things interesting, BarkBox does not provide the same kind of treats, toys, or chews every time. This means that you will never know what kind of treats, toys, or chews are inside the box until you open it. This surprise element keeps your dog excited and looking forward to their next box of BarkBox.
BarkBox varies the contents of each package depending on their theme for the month. If you are wondering what BarkBox themes are, we will take a more detailed look at them in the next section. However, regardless of the theme for that month, you can rest assured that your doggie will love the contents of the BarkBox package.
This series of videos show just how excited Barkbox can make your dogs in looking forward to each month’s goodies. Check out the reaction and the exhilaration without fail whenever Barkbox arrives.
What We Like About BarkBox
BarkBox has been rapidly growing in popularity among dog owners, and we decided to give it a try to find out what the fuss was all about. After trying it, I can confidently say that both we and our lovely canine buddies were delighted.
Here’s what we loved about BarkBox.
Very Affordable
The first thing we loved about BarkBox is how affordable their goodies package is. If you go for the 12-month plan, each BarkBox package will cost you just $22. If you go for the 6-month plan, each BarkBox package will cost you $25. If you opt to purchase BarkBox for a single month, the package will cost you $35.
| Plan | Cost Per Month | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Months | $22 | $13 (More than 35%) |
| 6 Months | $25 | $10 |
| 1 Month | $35 | – |
It’s good to note, however, that to take advantage of the savings from the 6-month or 12-month plan, you have to pay the full amount upfront. This means that you will pay $150 for the 6-month plan and $264 for the 12-month plan.
In addition to the regular subscription, you also have the option of getting an additional premium toy in your BarkBox package for just $7 on top of the normal subscription costs. This is a great option for those who have dogs that grow bored of their toys quickly.
What’s more, you even get free shipping. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a better deal anywhere else. However, free shipping does not apply if you live in Alaska or Hawaii.
Value For Money
Compare the subscription plans to buying their treats and toys separately.
Treats cost $5 per pack, chews at $3 each, while toys cost at least $10 each. That is a total of $33 per box. And free shipping for an ala carte order does not apply until a minimum of $35 is reached.
With BarkBox’s 12-month plan, you stand to save more than a third of what you would have spent if you were to buy these toys individually.
High-Quality Goodies
You definitely want the highest quality goodies for your four-legged friend, and with BarkBox, you are assured of that. All goodies that come in the BarkBox package are made using the highest quality ingredients from reliable and trusted vendors.
The ingredients for doggie treats are sourced from vendors within the USA and Canada, while the doggie chews are sourced from New Zealand, Australia, and South America, as well as the USA and Canada.
To ensure that your canine buddy will love everything in the BarkBox package, each month’s package is tested by BarkBox’s puppy squad. Anything that doesn’t delight the puppy squad is removed from the package. This way, you can be sure that your dear Fido will love everything that comes in the BarkBox package.
BarkBox Is Mindful Of Allergic Dogs
Just like us humans, dogs sometimes suffer from allergies. However, allergies shouldn’t keep your furry buddy from enjoying some tasty treats. BarkBox understands this, which is why all their treats are free from corn, soy, and wheat (the most common dog allergies). If your dog is allergic to any of these ingredients, you can get your BarkBox subscription without any worry about your dog’s health.
BarkBox also understands that some doggies are allergic to chicken, beef, and turkey. If this is the case for you, you have the option of ordering hypoallergenic dog treats for your canine buddy during the subscription process. All you need is to communicate your requirements with the team at BarkBox, and you will receive this special, allergy-friendly option at no extra cost.
Customized Goodies
BarkBox understands that different dogs have different preferences, which is why BarkBox packages are customized according to your dog’s size. Dogs between 0 to 20 lbs get the “small and cute” package, those between 20 to 50 lbs get the “just right” package, while those over 50 lbs get the “big and bold” package.
To test whether this strategy actually works, we tried the “big & bold” package on our black pug, which falls in the category of dogs weighing over 50 lbs. We found that the toys in this package were too large for our pug, and the chew was also a tad too tough. Our pooch even had trouble breathing while playing with these oversized toys.
Therefore, you are definitely going to love the fact that the BarkBox package is thoughtfully customized for your dog.
Different Themes Each Month
As mentioned earlier, the contents of each month’s BarkBox vary depending on that month’s theme. The themes are designed to be fun, and will usually match the season. Other times, the themes will be designed to provide an adventure for your pup or showcase something that is dear to BarkBox.
For instance, the theme for March 2020 was “Australian Outbark.” This theme was meant to take your pooch on an adventure in Australia, with toys such as the Topanga Kanga, the Kouddly Koala, Yobbo Wombat, and the Drongo Platypus.
For November 2019, the theme was “Thankstuffing,” meant to coincide with Thanksgiving Day. The toys included in this theme included a Ducken stuffed turkey, crammed berry sauce, ample apple pie, and mashed potato mountain.
Great For Keeping Boredom At Bay
We also loved the fact that BarkBox provides different kinds of treats and toys each month. This means that it is unlikely that your dog will get bored because they have a new, different toy to play with different flavored dog treats every month.
Tougher Toys For Tougher Dogs
Sometimes, your dog might be an aggressive chewer who requires something tougher than the toys that come with the standard BarkBox package. If that’s the case for you, you will love the fact that BarkBox allows you to upgrade your subscription to a tailor-made package that comes with tougher toys.
The toys in this package come with double-layered fabric and reinforced seams, which makes them a lot sturdier and more durable compared to the toys in the standard package. However, since they are made to be strong and durable, these toys won’t have the fluffy feeling and soft texture of the standard toys.
If your dog is a super heavy chewer, even the above option might not be strong enough. If that’s the case, you can once again upgrade to the Super Chewer package. The Super Chewer package comes with the toughest chews made from rubber, nylon, and rope.
BarkBox has so much confidence in the durability of these chews. If your doggie manages to destroy the Super Chewer toy, BarkBox delivers another Super Chewer toy to you, free of charge. Anyway, you can’t expect less from toys that are tested on wolves.
The Super Chewer package costs $29 for the 12-month plan, $34 for the 6-month plan, and $39 for a one-month plan. The Super Chewer package comes with two bags of treats, two tough toys, and two tough chews. Bought separately, the contents of the Super Chewer package are worth over $50.
| Plan | Cost Per Month | Savings |
|---|---|---|
| 12 Months | $29 | $21 (More than 40%) |
| 6 Months | $34 | $16 |
| 1 Month | $39 | $11 |
BarkBox App And BarkShop
Sometimes, your dog might be very delighted with a particular toy, but then you don’t know if you will ever get the same toy again, since the contents of each BarkBox package are a surprise. If you happen to find yourself in such a situation, all you need to do is go to the BarkBox mobile app or the BarkShop on their website, select the month this toy was sent, and then re-order a similar package.
Excellent Customer Service
A subscription service cannot be termed as great if its level of customer service is poor. Fortunately, BarkBox offers a very high level of customer service. The customer service team is highly knowledgeable about their products and dogs in general, and they are very friendly and supportive. Their response times are also very impressive.
You can get in touch with the BarkBox customer service team via live chat on their website, or through email. Their website also has a detailed FAQ section that provides answers to many of the questions you might have about your BarkBox subscription.
100% Satisfaction Guarantee
We also love the fact that BarkBox genuinely cares about the happiness of your canine buddy, which is why they provide a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If your dear Fido is not happy with any of the contents of the BarkBox package, all you need to do is to notify BarkBox, and they will replace it for you, free of charge. All that matters to BarkBox is keeping your dog happy.
Free Boxes For Every Referral
If you refer BarkBox to your friends, and they end up purchasing a 6-month or 12-month BarkBox subscription, BarkBox will give you a free month once your current subscription expires. This means that by referring just six friends, you can get half a year’s supply of BarkBox, for free!
Animal Charity
Finally, we also love the fact that BarkBox genuinely cares about the welfare of animals, which is why they donate 10% of BarkBox profits to animal shelters. BarkBox also has a program known as the BarkGood program, which collects donations that are then forwarded to animal rescue groups and shelters under FurKidsFoundation.
Conclusion
So, is BarkBox worth it?
Absolutely!
If you hardly ever get the time to replenish supplies for your furry friend, and if you are looking for a way to save some of the money you spend on pet supplies, BarkBox is a great option for you.
In addition to helping you save time and money, BarkBox also helps your canine buddies from getting bored by surprising them with a new and different set of treats and toys every month. With BarkBox, you are assured of your pooch’s happiness. What’s more, the contents of the BarkBox package are made with the highest quality ingredients, which means you don’t have to worry about your doggie’s health either.
You will also love the fact that each BarkBox package is customized to your pooch’s needs, as well as the fact that you have the option of ordering tougher toys if your dog is a heavy or aggressive chewer.
The best part about all this is that BarkBox subscriptions are quite affordable, with flexible payment plans that allow you to pay what you are comfortable with. You are also free to cancel your subscription at any time.
If you are looking for a great subscription service for your furry companion, you should definitely check out BarkBox.
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