This app-powered home security camera turned me into an overbearing dog dad

Matt Weinberger/Business Insider

Not only did my girlfriend and I just buy a new house — we also brought her pet poodle Wookiee to live with us. 

Now, we want to make sure we protect both. 

So when we heard about the Canary — a $199 smart home camera billed as the "all-in-one home security system you control from your phone" — we were eager to give it a try.

That's doubly true since homeowners' insurance companies like State Farm are apparently also willing to give you a break on your rate.

The verdict: The Canary is pretty good, and makes us feel a little safer about leaving our puppy home alone. But it also drove us a little crazy, in the end.

Here's how the Canary sings. 

This is Wookiee. He's living with us in San Francisco now, but for the last few years, he's been living out in the countryside. We were worried about how he was adjusting.

Enter the Canary. Born from a wildly successful IndieGoGo campaign, the Canary is supposed to combine a strong design sense with everything you need to keep your home safe.

Also important to know: Canary has optional-but-not-really plans that limit how much video you can store. When you first get it, it comes with a free 7-day trial of the most expensive plan, but after that, you have to pay. You can still use Canary without it, but you lose a lot of video storage functionality.