It can be the hardest part when it comes to owning a dog. No, not the pulling on the lead or cleaning up their mess, but having to leave them alone. For many pet owners it's the most difficult time of the day waving goodbye to our beloved pooches and wondering what they'll get up to while you're gone.
Sadly, there are a number of dog breeds that can be prone to separation anxiety and really struggle if left for long periods. Of course, the difficulty for many owners is knowing whether their dogs are struggling when they're home alone, or are perfectly fine.
Thanks to modern technology there are a number of devices out there that can help, perhaps none more so than pet cameras. Most work by simply connecting to the Wi-Fi and then allowing you to view live footage via an app on your mobile phone.
They can range in price hugely, with some budget-friendly options starting at around £20, like this Tapo camera which is £20.99 on Amazon, while the devices with special features can cost hundreds.
The Mirror's Bethan Shufflebotham is a dog lover who has tested out several different pet cameras in a quest to find the best. After putting them through their paces, she concluded that the Furbo 360° Dog Camera was the best, naming it the Mirror Choice pet camera, thanks in part to the camera's function that allows you to toss treats remotely.
It's usually £199, but thanks to Amazon's Black Friday sale you can make a big £60 saving, with it falling to £139, it's also the same low price directly on Furbo's website.
Bethan said: "The Furbo 360 dog camera has hit its lowest ever price, having been slashed from £199.99 to £139.99, saving 30 per cent on the RRP. According to price history checker camelcamelcamel, it was down to £159.99 in March for Amazon Prime Day - but Black Friday sees it £20 cheaper.
"This camera has provided invaluable peace of mind, and its features are fantastic, from the 360 degree view, to two-way audio and treat tossing. It’s integrated really well into the home and neither of the dogs have tried to pull it off the side and eat all of the treats in it yet.
"Black Friday is undoubtedly the best time to bag this camera at its lowest price - having been reduced by the same amount for the past two years. It’s very unlikely that we’ll see it cheaper elsewhere. What’s more is that it’s only £20 more than the newly-reduced Petcube Bites 2 Lite, now £119.99 on Amazon. And it’s well worth the extra spend for the quality, sleek design and superior functionality."
If you're looking for a more mid-range budget option, then Argos is selling the Petcube Monitoring Camera, that delivers a sharp 1080p HD live streaming video with a 110 wide-angle view, for £50.