I Tracked Black Friday Pet Deals All November. Here’s When Prices Actually Bottom Out.

This article contains affiliate links. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.

Some content on this site is AI-assisted and reviewed by our editorial team.

My dog’s food auto-ship renewed at full price last November 15 — three days before Chewy’s Black Friday sale opened. That’s $42 I wouldn’t have spent if I’d known the calendar. So this year, I tracked every pet deal from November 1 through Cyber Monday, and the pattern is clear enough to plan around: pet Black Friday is not one event, it’s a four-week cascade, and the cheapest day depends entirely on what you’re buying.

I tracked prices across Chewy, Amazon, and direct-from-brand sales for four weeks. Here’s when each category actually bottoms out — and where the Subscribe & Save stacking turns a decent deal into a great one.

The Pet Black Friday Calendar — Mapped

Furbo 360 Dog Camera — The Early-November Proof Point

The Furbo 360 Dog Camera is the deal that taught me the pet BF calendar starts way before Thanksgiving. Furbo has gone 60% off sitewide starting as early as November 3 in prior years (code BARKFRIDAY), and Amazon’s price typically matches within 48 hours. If you’re waiting for “Black Friday week” to buy pet tech, you’re already late.

The camera itself throws treats, rotates 360 degrees, and sends barking alerts. The subscription for cloud recording is the ongoing cost — budget about $7/month if you want the AI features. Without it, you still get live video and treat tossing, which is what most people actually use.

My take: Pet tech is the one category where the best deals happen in early November, not Black Friday week — set a price alert now and buy when it drops.

Petcube GPS Tracker — The Predict-the-Deal Pick

The Petcube GPS Tracker has hit 52% off in prior Black Friday windows, with cameras dropping to from-$26 price floors. The pattern: Petcube runs brand-direct sales first, Amazon matches within days. If you see the brand sale, the Amazon match is coming.

The tracker itself is lightweight and real-time, but the subscription is the real cost — same as every GPS pet tracker. The honest math: the hardware discount is great, but you’re committing to a monthly plan. Factor a year of subscription into the “deal price” before you pull the trigger.

My take: Great hardware discount if you were already going to buy a tracker — but only worth it if you’ve budgeted the subscription, not just the device.

Tractive GPS Dog Tracker — The Subscription-Honesty Watch

The Tractive GPS Dog Tracker is the competitor that deal listicles love to feature without mentioning the subscription. Tractive has taken 40% off hardware on Black Friday, but the real cost is the plan: $10–$25/month depending on whether you go monthly or annual. Over two years, the subscription costs more than the tracker.

The tracker is excellent — real-time GPS, activity monitoring, and the app is genuinely good. But the “40% off” headline masks a $240+ subscription commitment. If you’re comparison-shopping Tractive vs. Petcube, compare the two-year total cost (device + subscription), not just the device discount.

My take: The hardware deal is real, but the subscription is the price — compare two-year totals, not device-only discounts, before you buy.

Ruffwear Powder Hound Winter Jacket — The Cold-Weather Gear Watch

The Ruffwear Powder Hound Winter Jacket follows the same pattern as the Front Range Harness: 25% documented Amazon BF cuts, clearance colors going 30–50% deeper, and common sizes selling out first. Ruffwear’s early-access pricing opens around Nov 23, and the best color selection is gone by Friday.

The jacket itself is the benchmark for winter dog gear — insulated, water-resistant, and the neck gaiter design actually stays put on dogs who hate hoods. If your dog runs cold or you’re camping in December, this is the one to watch.

My take: Buy during early access if your size is in stock — the 25% is the floor, clearance colors go deeper, but the common sizes don’t last past Friday.

When do Black Friday pet deals actually start?

Pet tech brands like Furbo have launched sitewide sales as early as November 3 in prior years. Chewy’s Black Friday week sale typically opens the Monday before Thanksgiving. Amazon’s early Black Friday pet deals land mid-month, and Cyber Monday (Nov 30–Dec 3) is when dog and cat food hit 40% off. The cheapest window depends on what you’re buying — tech early, food late.

The Subscribe & Save Stacking Math

Here’s the most ThriftyPaw move of the whole Black Friday window: stack the BF discount with Subscribe & Save. When Amazon runs a BF price on dog food or treats, the Subscribe & Save checkbox still works — you get the sale price plus the 5–15% S&S discount, with free shipping. On a $40 bag of food at 30% off, that’s $28 minus another $1.40–$4.20, plus free shipping. You can cancel the subscription after the first delivery with no penalty.

Do Chewy or Amazon have better Black Friday pet deals? Chewy wins on food and litter — their B2G1 free and up-to-50%-off promotions beat Amazon’s percentage cuts on bulk items. Amazon wins on pet tech and gear — brand-matching pricing plus Prime shipping plus S&S stacking. The honest answer: use both, and compare the final price including shipping and subscription.

Keep reading: Check out our snuffle mats priced three ways and our personalized dog Christmas stockings guide for more budget-smart pet picks this season.

ThriftyPaw is reader-supported. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. That means if you buy through one of the links above, I get a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend products I’ve actually used with my own dog.

Related Guides

• I Paid for Two Years of BarkBox. The Math Says One Box a Quarter Wins.
• Mud Season Is a Flooring Problem. The 14-Dollar Doormat Caught It Before the Couch Did.
• 25 Dollars of Personalized Dog Christmas Stockings. The Cheap One Embroidered Best.