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I have a very spoiled terrier, Freyja, who is competitively compensated for her jobs as Chief Exercise Officer and Lead Squirrel Chaser with subscription boxes. She has been receiving BarkBox for a while now. Let’s see how Pooch Perks compares.
Table of Contents
About Pooch Perks
Pooch Perks sends toys, treats, and other goodies to pamper your furbaby directly to your door. All the treats featured in the boxes are low-ingredient and US-made.
The signup process collects information about your dog, such as size, birthday, and allergies. The allergy section is a short answer box, rather than selecting from a list of common ones, so if your dog has a more obscure allergy you can easily communicate it. I love that they have an option for multi-dog homes specifically for dogs of different sizes.
Every monthly subscription box comes with a mixture of premium toys, treats, and other goodies. There are a few different box sizes:
- Popular Pooch – comes with 2-3 plush toys, 2 treats, and 1 chew for a total of 5-6 items.
- Pampered Pooch – comes with 3-4 toys, 3 treats, 2 chews, and 1 accessory for a total of 8-9 items.
- Custom Pooch – build your own box. For example, if your dog isn’t excited about toys, they also offer a “Treats Only” with 3 treats and a chew. If you choose Toys & Treats, you can pick between plushies and more durable toys for heavier chewers.
The billing and delivery options are what excite me most! If your dog isn’t very destructive, you may not need to get a fresh box of toys every month and Pooch Perks accommodates this perfectly.
You can opt for bi-monthly or quarterly shipments from the start and still get the lower price for the 12 box plan. This means you can take the task of buying dog toys off your plate for three years before the subscription renews!
Example Box
Pricing
If you’re wondering how much Pooch Perks will set you back each month, the customizability that defines the Pooch Perks brand also continues into pricing options. You’re sure to find a plan that fits your budget.
- Popular Pooch – says it starts at $23.75/mo, but that means pre-paying 12 months. Month-to-month, the price is $31.
- Pampered Pooch – starts at $45/mo. This is with all the best value options selected such as 12-month prepayment plan . Adding durable toys, grain-free treats, or a shorter plan increases the cost.
- Custom pooch – Starts at $18.45 if pre-paid for the year. This box provides the ultimate flexibility, as you can choose treats-only or toys-only, and even all-natural or grain-free treats.
All plans have a $2 charge for shipping per box.
What I Love
- Freyja loved the treats! She had a scavenger hunt in the yard and found them all.
- Allergy and toy durability options
- Longer subscription terms discounts
- Tons of flexibility for shipping schedules
- Many options to customize a box specifically for your household’s needs
The Less Desirable
- Discounted box rates require pre-payment, which can be a large sum
- This box is not appropriate for dogs that shred toys like a baby raptor
- One-time boxes are not worth the money
Verdict
It’s a solid choice and comparable to BarkBox.
Freyja prefers small toys she latched onto the blue fish. The treasure map quickly became her best friend’s prize possession. Both are well loved now.
The ice cream treat went in the freezer for 20 minutes before serving and she went nuts for it! One second it was there, the next it was gone!
The flexible shipping schedule alone makes this an attractive competitor to the other pet related boxes. I love that their treats and chews come from US sources. This is especially important for chews like rawhide and rawhide alternatives.
The extra toy option seems a little expensive to me, so I would pass on that for a single dog household.
If you need the ability to heavily customize your shipments or shipping schedule, Pooch Perks is the best choice of the boxes I’ve reviewed so far. The prices aren’t bad, but long-term subscription can be a lot of money upfront. I can see why the 3-month term is their most popular. It’s a good compromise between value and more manageable upfront payment.
Alternatives
- RescueBox -The ideal subscription box for people focused on giving back and passionate about animal rescue. It’s very similar to Pooch Perks, but there are no discounts for longer subscriptions because this funds their charity. They are part of Greater Good, which has excellent ratings on Charity Navigator. RescueBox also offers a box for cats!
- BarkBox – This is likely the most well known pet subscription box. With similar pricing, the main draw for me is that I don’t have to pay for the entire subscription up front to get better pricing. We have been really happy with this subscription, but I wish they had more flexible shipping.
Not in to Commitment?
This Goody Box from Chewy is similar and a great buy. It comes with a few more toys and it was the first box I bought my dog after I brought her home.
