GoGetMe's subscription dog box arrived in a striking and sturdy yellow tube, topped with a thick rope handle. The side of the tube lists suggestions for the use of the box, including playing tug, storing dog treats and storing human things. I'm not sure I'd want to store human things in a box that smells faintly of dog treats, but GoGetMe is all about trying new things.

Waggly Club’s subscription dog boxes are an exercise in quality over quantity, and are the best we've come across at taking a theme and running with it.

The baby of the bunch, subscription dog box service Golden Swag was founded last year by Rebecca Lindsay, and is run with help from her dogs Malley and Moose. Located on the Gold Coast, it is the only subscription dog box specifically curated for one particular breed – golden retrievers. Of course, this doesn’t stop other medium to large dogs from enjoying it as well.

I was mildly sceptical of this box when I first heard of it. Founded last year, run by one person, and specialised toward a single breed? It seemed like a venture too small and specialised to last. But upon receiving the box, I was happily surprised by its presentation and quality.

“Dog happiness equals your happiness,” a man on the train station platform read off the side of my PetObsessed subscription dog box. He looked at me quizzically. I shrugged, hefting the large white package in my arms. “I just really love my dog.”

The So Fetch subscription dog box feels like an op-shop of canine bric-a-brac. There are a couple of real gems hidden in there, but you have to do some digging to get to them.

If you're looking up subscription box services targeted at dog owners, chances are Olly's Box is the first one you’ll find. Based in Brisbane, Olly's Box was founded in 2013, making it one of the oldest such services in Australia, as well as one of the largest. It is like the Woolworths of subscription dog box services – the big, well-known standard.

Over the last decade, the software business has undergone a revolution. In the past, companies like Microsoft and Adobe would charge hundreds or thousands of dollars for their software. Add every two or three years, the software would be updated and we'd fork out hundreds more to upgrade. Now, we pay a few dollars - perhaps the cost of a two or three decent coffees made by the local hipster barista - for access to software each month. But are we better off?