This dog-babysitting robot can feed and play with your furry friend while you're away — for $49 per month

• Companion is a device designed to entertain, train, feed, and monitor the health of your dog.
• The stationary robot comes with more features than other automatic pet feeders on the market.
• It's expected to launch in 2024 for $49 per month, with other purchase plans available later.

Would you pay $49 per month for a device to babysit your dog while you're not at home?

That's what the company behind Companion, an AI device designed for dogs, is betting on.

Billed as a robotic playmate, trainer, and optional automatic feeder for dogs, Companion is designed to monitor and entertain your canine with "interactive games and basic obedience practice that adapts over time for continuous lifelong learning," the website says.

 

The device, which sits atop four short wooden legs, could ease a pet owner's decision to leave their furry friend behind during the workday — especially for those who bought pets during the pandemic when they were primarily working from home. Since then, some pet owners have been reluctant to leave their furry companions behind for working in-office, Insider previously reported.

Companion offers features beyond what other more traditional automatic pet feeders on the market have. While some of these feeders have a voice recorder and speaker, Companion is equipped with a camera, speaker, treat dispenser, and software that the company says can help train your dog.

In a video featuring the product, Companion is shown dispensing treats and practicing training commands, like "sit" and "down," with dogs. If the dog obeys the command, it gets a treat.

The company says the device can also monitor shifts in your dog's physical health as your pet grows older, and "detect sudden or subtle changes in your dog's movement or routine over time, offering warnings and alerts to possible conditions that could require early intervention," according to the website.

"We want to give humans a far greater understanding and an even better relationship with the dogs they care deeply about," founder and CEO John Honchariw said in an interview with Doobert, an online platform for animal rescuers. 

The Companion device will be available starting May 2024, according to the company's website. Right now, the company is taking reservations for the device for customers who put down a $49 deposit.

While there will be several plans offered to customers, the deposit guarantees these customers will be able to select a Companion plan for $49 per month, a Companion spokesperson told Insider over email. Details and price points of other plans have not yet been released by Companion.

The $49-per-month plan would include the Companion device and access to an app and training modules for your pet, as well as additional "early perks," including personalized coaches and access to special events, per the company's website. 

Customers who reserve a spot will be able to choose from Companion's various plans before the device ships, the spokesperson said. They can also cancel and receive a full refund anytime after placing their deposit.