Dogs are man's best friends, right? Surely then, with such an illustrious title, they deserve to be spoiled and celebrated on a monthly basis?

At ScoobyBox, that's a firmly held belief. The Irish business - which provides subscription boxes for dog owners filled with toys and tasty treats - recently showcased their wares on Dragon's Den.

How it works

Dog parents sign up at www.scoobybox.com and they will deliver a box of toys and healthy, organic treats each month. All products are catered specifically to whatever breed your dog is.

The company says the RRP price of the contents of the box is regularly over €35.

Prices start from €22 per month for a 12 month subscription, with a once-off box setting you back €29.

For the purpose of this article - and because renting in Dublin is minus craic - I had to borrow a dog to "review" the box's contents (shout-out Bowie Roche).

This month's box included:

• Rosewood Jolly Doggy squeaky toy

• Rosewood Mr Twister stuffed bird toy

• Natural Nosh duck fillets

• Alfie & Molly's Mackerel Munchies

• James Wellbeloved MiniJacks with Turkey

ScoobyBox's May edition

From front left - James Wellbeloved Minijacks with Turkey, Alfie & Molly' Mackerel Munchies and Natural Nosh Duck Fillets

Mr Twister

Rosewood Jolly Doggy squeaky toy

You'd be hard pushed to find dog treats marketed as healthy, so the wide variety in the ScoobyBox is note-worthy (the Mackerel Munchies are also gluten free for the coeliac canines among the pack).

The toys lived up to their durability promise, and manged to hold Bowie's attention for longer than four seconds. The squeaky toy isn't unbearably annoying, but it's good to have the balance between chewy and soft toys.

Given Bowie's size, the toys were well-considered - nothing was too heavy or bulky, so he could carry everything in his mouth.

Considering that Bowie also can't speak English, one can assume that he enjoyed the treats. 

Competitors

Dog subscription remain a fairly fresh concept in the Irish market.

Pooch Post is another service which delivers to Ireland - and the longest running one in the country.

Their subscription model is similar to ScoobyBox - you can get a monthly, six monthly, or annual subscription - and all boxes are catered for breed and size.

One month will cost you €27, three months will cost you €75 in total and six months of boxes is priced at €138 in total. A year's subscription will cost you €252.

Working it out, a year's subscription will cost you €1 less with Pooch Post. 

History

ScoobyBox was started by entrepreneurs Liam Brennan, Paul Carrick and Gary Redmond in 2016. The company's ethos is "by dog lovers to cater for dog lovers" and aims to make owning a dog easier.

The trio said entering the Den was a "scary experience".

"The nerves are jangling all day before you go in, and once the lights and the cameras are on you feel extremely nervous," Liam said.

"By the time we were almost finished though, we didn’t want to leave, the nerves gave way to optimism and then excitement. It’s a great experience and would make you able to face any fear in the future."

Dragon Barry O'Sullivan got on board, offering €20k for 10% of the company. Gavin Duffy also made an offer - however, Gavin ultimately decided against working with Barry and the guys.

Image: RTÉ

Giving back

ScoobyBox is also about charity - the team has worked with dog charities in the past such as the DSPCA.

Just before Christmas, the company teamed up with Dell Team Ireland and delivered ScoobyBoxes to their rehoming shelter for dogs without a home for the holidays.