At first glance, the Furbo Dog Camera sounded too ridiculous to be real, and too adorable to pass up. The cylinder is part camera, part dog-treat dispenser, allowing clingy pet owners the ability to watch their furry friends while they're away, and if they sense the animal is getting lonely, fling dog biscuits or talk and sing to them.

But reviewing the gadget proved tricky, as I don't own a dog, and flicking treats at my unsupervised two-year-old seemed somewhat exploitative. Instead, I enlisted the help of a photogenic Scottish Terrier named Frankie and his human minder, James Croft.

Furbo's camera sits within a white plastic shell that looks like it was was modelled after Eve from the Pixar movie Wall-e. The Eve look is a popular one when trying to make your device seem friendly and inviting, and not at all threatening. But the shape of the Furbo makes it look out of place in a living room, the design is more suited to a bathroom air-freshener or overly complicated pepper grinder for the kitchen.

"It's probably fine if you're aiming it at an inconspicuous part of your house, but the most useful place for the Furbo to exist is where your dog hangs out, which for us is the living room with the TV," James says.

The Furbo started as a crowdfunded gadget on Indiegogo, and has since graduated to a retail consumer device. Still, James was a little wary of allowing a smart camera from a small start-up into his home, especially one that would be pointing from the TV back to his couch.