Why We Love BarkBox

Let me start by saying this is NOT a sponsored post, just a dog mom singing the praises of a company she really loves incorporating into her pup's routine.

I have been a BarkBox customer since before Grimm came into my life, and it all started from a really weird place. After Tiny passed away in September, I felt really weird just having Loki in the house. I hadn't had just one dog since... ever really. There were a few short bursts here or there, but in my adult life, never had I ever been a one dog household. I worried that Loki would be depressed or lonely, which in hindsight wasn't even a thing because Tiny and Thor had been together since the womb, and Loki was never quite part of their crew. Because of their declining health for a big part of Loki's life and the needs that came along with senior dogs, I had never really gotten super close to Loki. But decided that it was going to be our time.

Surprise: Loki wasn't all that interested in me. So I moved on to the next rational thing- bribery. I'd seen and heard about BarkBox for a long time, and decided to go for it. Loki really liked having more toys, even if his favorite past time was just taking them outside to sit in the sun. He was never picky about treats, so those were always a win. It took some fine-tuning, but thanks to the BarkBox team, we ended up with a box Loki really looked forward to. Now that Loki's gone, the box is for Grimm, and he's quite a fan too. We're currently in the stages of readjusting the box to fit his needs, because every dog is different and no one understands that better than BarkBox.

Things I Love About BarkBox:

Customer Service

My relationship with BarkBox has been punctuated with some pretty sad life events, let's just be honest here. It also doesn't help that I didn't have a great handle on what it was that Loki really liked in a toy, because Loki didn't really play with too many toys, at least not with the same gusto that Thor and Tiny did.

After Loki and I received our first box or two, BarkBox sent out a survey to see how Loki had liked them. The survey took me through each item and I got to rate them based on things like durability, quality, and how interested Loki was in them. There had been a few items we weren't overly thrilled with only because Loki had decided to go full doggy psycho on them and rip them up (which wasn't usually his thing). BarkBox looked through our survey results and reached out to me about replacing those items with more durable toys... COMPLETELY FREE and IMMEDIATELY. As soon as I said sure (because who wouldn't) they sent out new items that were tougher and made to stand up to the abuse a big dog can do. They also took it upon themselves to change the settings on Loki's next box so he would get toys more suited to his style of play.

If that weren't enough, the way they handled Loki's passing and changing the subscription settings was absolutely top-notch. I was scrolling through my Instagram feed when I saw pictures of Grimm and Loki with their BarkBox and remembered, it was set to go to Loki. For some reason, that was a trigger and I knew I had to handle it ASAP. I went onto the BarkBox site, did a virtual chat with a Bark Pup Companion and told them what had happened and they instantly expressed their condolences and jumped into action for me. They changed everything to Grimm's basic specifications and changed the subscription to his name for me. The woman I spoke with was very kind, but I figured that would be the end of the interaction, and I wasn't expecting anything else.

Wrong. The next morning I had an email from Jennifer, a member of the Bark Team, reaching out to express her condolences. She checked in and asked about how I was handling things, but went a step further to ask how Grimm was taking things. She assured me that the changes had been made and let me know that we could continue to update the box to fit his needs at no cost. She provided me with resources for handling my own grief, as well as Grimm's, and reached out again a few days later.

I'm sure it's part of their protocol, but it doesn't matter, because BarkBox made me feel seen, appreciated, and valued in a time when I desperately need that.

Quality

I touched a bit on the quality aspect in the last section, but let's go a bit deeper.

Loki was a 110lb German Shepherd, so he could pretty much destroy anything if he put his mind to it. The thing about Loki was, if you made a toy too tough, he didn't have fun with it because he couldn't wreck it or leave it outside to get beat up by the elements. There was always a sweet spot, tough enough to last a bit, but not indestructible, and BarkBox got it right for him.

Grimm, well, he's a delicate little flower in comparison. He's right around 40-50lbs (I know, big gap, but weighing him at home is a pain) and is much gentler on toys than any of my German Shepherds ever were. Aside from this weird grey goat guy from Target and Lambchop plushies, Grimm is pretty nice to his toys, which is great because he gets to love them for longer and I'm not spending half the day picking up toy fluff. I'm proud to say Grimm is still the proud owner of every BarkBox toy he's ever had, except this really cute Koala from the Slobber Party box. Rudy, his best Pitbull friend, decided to give the Koala a permanent sleep.

Our box is the standard box, which comes with 2 toys, 2 treats, and 1 chew. Grimm always gets the pork chew and he really likes it, so I usually stuff it into his Kong and keep him busy when I need a break. I'd say Grimm has liked 90% of the treats he's gotten from BarkBox. He's not super interested in the more fruit/veggie forward treat options, or anything that's more like a hard cookie. With a few more trials, I'm very confident we'll have his box absolutely perfect.

Packaging

Each monthly box is themed, and it starts the moment you open the box. I got some (in my humble opinion) great, authentic pictures of Grimm tearing into his Galapagos Islands themed box back in March, because for this part, pictures are worth a thousand woofs.

Price Point

Does Grimm need a box of toys, treats, and chews delivered every month? No.

Does it make my heart happy to watch him get excited for his package? Yes.

I have puppy mom guilt, I'll admit it. I got Grimm because I was feeling lonely, and I didn't really think about the fact that the week after I got him I'd be back to work and he wouldn't see me for 8 hours. So, because of my guilt and the fact that he's an only pupper, sometimes I spoil him.

I think BarkBox is a great deal based on my personal spending habits and needs. I can't be trusted inside a pet store, and especially not when I bring Grimm along. I never leave with just what I came for, and if I leave for less than $100 I've done a good job.

I pay $27.69 every month for Grimm to get his 2 toys, 2 bags of treats, and 1 chew. It's cheaper than going to the pet store, and I know if there's a problem that BarkBox's customer service has my back. Bonus, I don't have to actually leave the house or get out of my sweats.

I don't feel that there's any option out there that's more affordable with such great quality and service, so I foresee BarkBox being part of Grimm's life for a while.

Options

BarkBox has so many options, it's really incredible.

When it comes to toy durability, you can choose Soft Plush (designed for dogs who just like to have toys, but not really descructive about it) or Medium Plush (geared towards dogs who enjoy the shredding and destroying and these toys often have another toy hidden inside) for no additional charge. For the Tougher option, you're looking at $9 more a month and includes "nylon & rubber toys with stronger fabrics are all tuff and no fluff". If you choose the Tougher box, you'll also receive an extra chew in your box.

In terms of box assortment there are two options: Standard (2 toys, 2 treats, 1 chew) or Toys Only. Both options are the same cost, and I appreciate that there's a toys only option for pets and pawrents dealing with allergies and/or food sensitivities.

There are also tons of add-ons like accessories, meal plans, separate toys, dental chews, and more. I really love the idea of adding something extra for his birthday month box, and it's great to be able to pick and choose when I want a little something special.

Grimm and I are huge fans of BarkBox, and we recommend it whenever we can, because BarkBox has proven time and time again that they're great dog people doing great things.