Poo York City: Barkbox Unboxing

After a several-months-long hiatus, I resubscribed to Barkbox for my precious baby angel, Biscuit. Side note: if you want to see more Biscuit, who makes the infrequent cameo here, she has her own Instagram! You can follow it here. Anyway, if you’re interested in Barkbox, it’s in the $20+ price range depending on how many you’re willing to buy in advance. Month-to-month is more, and if you’re willing to pay for up to a whole year at once, it’s significantly less. You also can plug in how big your dog is in size. Biscuit gets the large dog size, and is also flagged as a “heavy chewer”. If the “heavy chewer” thing isn’t enough for your dog, there is another option (for a fee) to get the Super Chewer box. So, lots of options for whatever your dog needs! If you’re interested, you can click here, and get your first box free! It is a referral link, but all of the free boxes that I earn are being donated to animal shelters.

This month’s theme was Poo York City. I’ll be the first to say that there are a million NYC puns they could have made, but that one? That’s the worst. Do better, Barkbox.

In our box:

Lady Liberty Ball - $12

“Does your mutt love America? The NSA is listening, so the answer had better be yes. Add a dash of patriotism to your games of fetch with this Lady Liberty squeaker ball. A spiky ball covered in durable plush, we had this custom-made to withstand the perils of both dachshunds and democracy.”

This is the best thing in the box, in my opinion, and Biscuit’s. It’s bouncy, squeaky, and has held up surprisingly well. I don’t know how long it will continue to last, but so far, so good. It’s also cute.

Trachea - $3

“A delicious, 100% quality beef treat from Omaha, Nebraska for Barkbox pups! Butcher’s Block selects its bones from prime beef grade cattle, slow roasts it for three days, and hand trims each delicious piece. These chews are muzzle-licking good.”

This is 100% gross, as far as I’m concerned. It comes out of the package greasy and unpleasant. Biscuit also didn’t really know what to do with it. She carried it around for a few days before she finally decided that it was okay to eat it. Does she like this? Yes. Would I buy this nasty, oily, organ meat? No.                                                                             

Jerky Sticks - $8

“Pamper your dog’s palate with a personal-chef-quality treat. These Jerky treats are made in the USA by the folks at Rocco & Roxie, a small-batch family business. Inspired by the family pets Rocco (a dog) and Roxie (a cat), these jerky sticks are slow roasted, naturally smoked, chewy, tasty and packed with protein. The thought and care that Rocco & Roxie put into every stick will have your dog salivating in luxury.”

Biscuit likes these and they are of reasonably high quality. They don’t stink to high heaven, and they are really good for coaxing Biscuit into her kennel at night. I would buy these again.

Best Treats Ever: Turkey & Duck Strips - $7

“If there’s one thing the folks at Bark & Co (that’s us!) know, it’s how to make dogs happy. Best Treats Ever Duck & Turkey Strips are certified awesome by Bark & Co’s family of office dogs, because nothing goes out with Bark’s name on it without the slobbery endorsement of Ziggy, Noodle, and the whole pack. These succulent strips, entirely farmed and made in the USA, are no exception. When your pup is chowing down on these strips, you can trust a recipe crafted by ridiculously dog-obsessed experts and their ridiculously treat-obsessed dogs.”

These are similar to the chicken or turkey breast strips that you can find at PetSmart or Target. They aren’t exactly special, but the puppy likes them, and that’s good enough for our little family.

Rope Pretzel Toy - $12

“We made the best part of a pretzel the only part: chewing! Your pup doesn’t need the extra calories from a normal pretzel, so we’ve stuffed this durable, nylon covered pretzel toy with a rope to satisfy those twisted-dough cravings.”

This one was designated as being for heavy chewers, but it certainly wasn’t. Biscuit made super short work of this one. The flimsy stitching on the pretzel was easy to rip apart, and then she ripped the squeakers out. This was the biggest disappointment for us, and I wouldn’t recommend it.

In total, we pay $24 a month for this box. I think it’s a great value, considering that we got two toys and three high-end treats for that much. Try buying this volume of dog stuff at Target or PetCo and you’ll spend double that quickly. Total value so far is $42. Based on the flimsiness of the rope toy, this month was awesome.

What’s your must-have dog toy?

Photos courtesy of Barkbox.