BarkBox is a monthly subscription box for dogs. The contents usually include 2 toys and 3 bags of treats each month, plus sometimes a bonus item like a treat box or a chew. The month to month plan is the most expensive and costs $29/month. If you can swing the cost of a 12 month plan ($228) it breaks down to $19/month and that is a good deal. And if your dog has an allergy to beef, chicken or turkey, Barkbox has special allergy-friendly boxes just for that issue.

 

 

 

They customize your box for the size of your dogs:

• Small and Cute (0-20 pounds)
• Just Right (20-50 pounds)
• Big and Bold (50+ pounds)

My dogs know a Barkbox when they see one so it is hard to open ours without a lot of doggie interest and excitement! We settled right away on handing over one of the toys but there was still a lot of concern about where the bags of treats were going to be placed, with both boys guarding their side of the table.

This month’s theme was “Peace, Ruv, and Happiness” and we received 2 toys and 3 bags of treats. Barkbox does not send a product information flyer anymore but information on the items can be found on their website.

The Rolling Bones Record toy – Large ($10)

“You can’t aways get what chew want!”

A Rolling Stones record parody is just a bit beyond what my boys can appreciate, even if they are border collies, but I think it’s too cool! They do appreciate the Mick Jaggerish loud squeeker, though.

Hippie Chic toy ($15)

“Tie-dye to die for”

Ahh, the old hippie in me (hidden WAY inside, after all these years!) has a soft spot for anything tie-dyed. I thought this colorful and flower power adorned toy was adorable and the boys agreed. However, their focus was on the squeeker inside. It only lasted about 15 minutes until Rocket had chewed through to get the offending squeaky thing out and then into the garbage it went.

The treats this month were well selected. As Rocket has a chicken allergy, I have to read through all the ingredients lists to be sure there isn’t any hidden chicken. Food allergies, especially chicken allergies, are quite common in dogs and they manifest themselves differently than food allergies in people. You can read my post on food allergies in dogs here.

Wild Eats 100% Natural Sweet Potato 3 oz ($8)

This is just what it says it is. 100% made and sourced in the USA, high fiber and full of vitamins. Yay!

American Hound Jerky Dog Treats 3 oz (? price)

Pork, sweet potato, kale and pumpkin with not a bit of hidden chicken. These treats are also sourced and made in the USA, have no chemical preservatives and are highly nutritious.

Max & Ruffy’s Organic Peas & Ruv 4 oz ($9)

These treats are also USA sourced and made from peas, hemp, coconut, molasses & carob bean. And no chicken. I love the photo of the gorgeous golden on the front and the boys, lacking any and all appreciation of retrievers, just loved that I was giving them treats!

 

This was the last month of our Barkbox subscription and overall I have to give them good marks for curating the treats in our boxes. We would make a great toy tester household for them as almost every toy they sent, promoted as a good toy for heavy chewers, turned out to be quickly chewed up and dispatched to the trash. The bottom line was that the cost of the box paid for the treats. A 2, 5 or 10 minute toy is not worth paying for. With that said, the monthly subscription price is not a good value for us at all. The annual subscription price is just about the cost of the treats sent to us but is not a bargain as I could purchase 3 bags of treats at the pet store for the same amount of money. And I would not do so, as we are not in training and so my dogs don’t eat 3 bags of treats in a month. But this January box was such a fun Barkbox for all of us and the boys will be enjoying the treats for the next few months!

The Homespun Chics paid for this subscription. All opinions are 100% our own.