This post includes affiliate links where noted. These boxes were not provided for review, I purchased them myself. Thank you for your support!
Bella Notte is up there in age- she’s almost 13- but she hasn’t seemed to notice it yet. She still runs to greet us at the door with a toy, and every night when the kids are in bed, she tries every trick and tactic she can think of to get me to give her ALL OF THE TREATS.
While Bella has gotten much less destructive with her toys than in her early days, which has led to a massive toy collection {seen here}, she is constantly running out of treats. And the toys she has only hold her interest for a few minutes- there are so many newer, cuter toys out there that I figured might interest her more. So I decided to sign her up for a subscription box so we could replenish her treats and toys every single month!
I’d seen a lot of really cute subscription boxes for dogs out there, but I couldn’t tell which one was the BEST. And Bella Notte? She deserves the best. So I decided to try them all!
Well, almost all of them anyway. I’m sure there are lots of other smaller subscription boxes out there that I haven’t discovered yet, but for the sake of this Subscription Box Showdown I ordered the ones I did know about: BarkBox, Pooch Perks and Dapper Dog.
Below, I’m breaking down each box- including what came in the subscription box, the quality of the products, what Bella Notte thought, if I’d order it again, and ultimately- which dog subscription box is best!
BarkBox
You’ve likely seen it all over the internet- BarkBox is undoubtedly the most famous of all of the dog subscription boxes. BarkBox has even evolved into a brand found in Target and pet stores- albeit not in a subscription box format.
What’s inside BarkBox Subscription Boxes
BarkBox sends out their own toys and treats, and each month has a theme. We actually tried a few months and themes included The Muttcracker {at the holidays, obviously}, Snowbound Hounds, and Thankstuffing. In each themed box, we received a couple of toys and a couple of treats that were all based on the theme! Take a peek at our Thankstuffing box below:
Our box contained:
BARK Beef Pork Sweet Potato Treats
BARK Pork Lamb Carrots Treats
BARK Peanut Butter & Carob Stick
Ducken Stuffed Turkey Toy
Mashed Potato Mountain Toy
Are BarkBox products high quality?
YES! Every single one of the products and treats that we received in our boxes was very high quality. The toys were well-constructed with no safety issues or sloppy sewing or any other defects. The treats all came in easy to open but easy to close bags that had terrific branding. The treat bags are generous in size and the toys are long-lasting.
What did Bella Notte think of the contents?
Bella Notte has never met a treat she didn’t like, but she does have a spectrum of how much she likes those treats. A variety of the BarkBox treats were some of her favorite treats ever- there was a Beef Pork Sweet Potato treat in the Thankstuffing box that she could not get enough of.
BarkBox actually gives you the option to order more of the items in your box while their supplies last, but unfortunately Bella must not have been the only fan of those because they were already sold out. I keep checking out the Target pet section to see if they come out with them outside of the boxes- keep your fingers crossed for Bella!
The toys were a bit hit or miss with her, but that had more to do with Bella than the toys. Some of them were too large for her mouth- she’s considered a large dog but sometimes large dog toys are too big for her. And some of them were chew toys, but at almost 13 her teeth aren’t really up for that anymore. BUT she did find a handful of toys in our boxes that became staples for her door-greetings, and she LOVED all the treats, so I’d still say Bella Notte really loved BarkBox!
Note: When you subscribe to BarkBox, you can provide feedback about how well something worked for your dog. We cancelled our subscription because we have more than enough toys now from testing all of these, but if we had continued it I likely would have gotten toys more suited to her in the next box{es}.
Is it worth the price?
Ordering month-to-month from BarkBox is a bit pricier at $35/box, but ordering a 6 month subscription brings it down to $25/month, which is actually on the lower end for dog subscription boxes.
In addition to saving through prepaying, you can typically score a great deal {right now you can get FREE extra toys when you click here to sign up} which ends up making it a really good value. They make their own treats and toys and they are all very high quality, so the price really is a great value.
Would I Order BarkBox again?
YES! Absolutely. If I wanted to get Bella Notte a subscription box again or even if I was giving a gift to a new dog owner, BarkBox would be at the top of my list!
Order BarkBox and Save with this BarkBox Coupon Code!
You can order BarkBox for your dog right here. Subscriptions start at $35/month, with a big discount for longer subscriptions. Boxes ship free in the contiguous US. Use this link to get extra toys for free with your first box!
{Have a dog who destroys everything? Try the sister company to BarkBox, SuperChewer!}
Pooch Perks
Pooch Perks is a subscription box I hadn’t heard of until I went looking for it. Similar to BarkBox, they have a monthly theme and send both treats and toys that fit that theme in your box. The toys and treats are made by a variety of other brands and curated by Pooch Perks, and items vary monthly.
What’s Inside Pooch Perks Subscription Boxes?
Pooch Perks actually has three different boxes to choose from: Popular Pooch, Pampered Pooch, and Toys Only:
- The Toys Only box obviously has only toys, and include 3-4 toys a month. This box starts at $21.15 per month.
- The Popular Pooch box includes 2-3 toys, 2 USA-made Treats and 1 Chew and allows you to choose between plush toys or durable toys, based on your dog’s preferences. This box starts at $23.75 per month.
- The Pampered Pooch box includes 3-4 Premium Toys, 3 USA-Made Treats, 2 All Natural Chews, 1 Sharkarama Bandana, and 1 Poop Bag. This box starts at $44 per month.
When I tested this subscription box, I got the Popular Pooch box. Our box was farm themed and included:
Horse Crinkly Dog Toy
Cow Tug of War Dog Toy
Chew Sticks Treats
Kale Dog Treats
Dog Popcorn Treat
Are Pooch Perks Subscription Boxes high quality?
Yes, we were very happy with the quality of all of the contents in our box. While Pooch Perks does not make the products themselves, it was clear that they source from reputable companies and only choose good products to include in their boxes.
What did Bella Notte think of the contents?
Once again, Bella’s a big treat fan. This was the only box that had treats that she had to warm up to- the kale treats- although I can’t say I blame her. If you were used to peanut butter or bacon flavored treats, would you really be excited about kale? But eventually she did actually like those, and I thought the dog popcorn was a super cool idea I hadn’t seen before!
As for the toys, they were both a big hit with her. When I signed up I selected plush toys for Bella instead of durable- since her toy destruction days are behind her- and the toys she got were so cute! She loves crinkle toys and the horse has become a favorite for carrying around with her. The tug of war toy is nice too- her old lady teeth aren’t the best for playing long games of tug of war anymore, but she plays it for a minute or two.
Would I order Pooch Perks again?
Yes, I think it’s a great subscription box! I appreciated that there was a box with a lower price point than some of the other companies, and we were very happy with our box.
Order and Save with this Pooch Perks Subscription Box Coupon Code!
Click here to order your own Pooch Perks Subscription Box! Use coupon code POOCH10 to save 10%!
Dapper Dog
Dapper Dog sends exclusive, limited edition bandanas every month. Each box also contains 2 bags of treats or chews and 2 adorable toys, curated based on themes.
What’s Inside Dapper Dog Subscription Boxes?
The box we got was The Pawchelor, so it came with a big diamond ring chew toy, a ZippyPaws Champagne Bottle {which was really cool, you insert a water bottle into it for crinkling!}, 2 bags of treats and of course, a bandana.
Are Dapper Dog Products high quality?
We had no quality issues with anything that we received in our box. The toys are sourced from other companies, but they were good brands and the products stood up to normal use.
What did Bella Notte think of the contents?
This box was a mixed bag for Bella. She liked both bags of treats, as expected, and she did cuddle with the Champagne bottle toy a few times. The ring chew toy was totally unusable for her- she couldn’t fit it in her mouth and there was nothing else for her to do with it. You can put treats in it, but the hole of it is really small and way too hard to use to hold her attention. And she HATES bandanas {or any clothing} which I knew going into this, so that’s not on them.
Would I order Dapper Dog again?
Personally, NO. The box was okay, albeit on the expensive side, but I had a terrible experience with their customer service. They had transitioned to a new platform just before I subscribed, so I was unable to get into my account to cancel. I emailed repeatedly for assistance with no answer, and then finally took to Facebook messenger. I received a couple messages back on there, but because of the new system their advice didn’t work and when I told them that, they totally stopped answering me.
This took place over several WEEKS, so while I was trying to cancel I ended up with TWO more boxes from them that I hadn’t tried to order- at $36 each. {And I feel the need to point out that all of this happened PRE-pandemic, so that wasn’t the cause.}
Of course, this was my unique experience and that does not mean you will have any issues with them. Their system is likely all set up by now, so you may never even need to contact their customer service. But I would personally never purchase from Dapper Dog again, and while their products were fine, I also can not recommend them without that warning.
Purchase Dapper Dog Subscription Box
If you’d like to order the Dapper Dog Subscription Box, click here.
So, what is the BEST Dog Subscription Box?
I am actually a big fan of both BarkBox and Pooch Perks.
Pooch Perks offers lots of ways to customize your box, including a box at a lower price point than other brands. Pooch Perks also donates to organizations around the country that rescue abused and neglected dogs. And Pooch Perks is a business started by two women so that’s a great reason to support them!
BarkBox is similarly priced IF you don’t buy month-to-month, and they always have a great deal to kick off your subscription. Bark is also giving back- according to their website “BARK is working to lower existing barriers to a dog-inclusive lifestyle to help dogs and their people stay together. Using education, technology, and volunteerism, we pledge to loyally serve as the voice for dogs in a human-led world.”
With all of this said, I can honestly say either company is good to go with- it all depends on your preferences. If you’re looking for unique toys that you can’t get anywhere else, go with BarkBox. If you just want a curated box of toys and treats that your dog will love, either one is totally great, and depending on current deals Pooch Perks is often cheaper.
Either way, you’ll have one happy dog!
Have you ever tried a subscription box for your dog before? What kind of subscription boxes should I compare next?
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