Yes, You Can Save On All of Your Dog’s Stuff
Your dog may not require much of anything that involves money but it doesn’t make owning one any less expensive. It has been found that dog owners spend an average of $1,500 on their dogs per year and that’s if the dog remains healthy for most of its life.
The good news, however, is that it’s not impossible to save money on your dog. Here are some easy ways as to how.
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Adoption
1. Adopt from a shelter rather than a breeder or pet store. Shelter dogs tend to be more up to date with their health needs, including already being spayed and neutered. As a result, they tend to be much healthier. Also, not all breeders are well-intended. Some breed for-profit and are edgy. Puppy mills are far worse as those breeders basically make breeding slaves out of female dogs. They cage them, often don’t even adequately feed or nurture them or take care of their health needs. In fact, they are often trying to play on your urges to pity for their profits. Puppy mills are also illegal in most places so if you see one, instead of giving them your business, notify Animal Control and perhaps also the police.
2. Don’t hesitate to use your networking resources. We mean both your social media and your co-workers, neighbors, etc. Chances are, someone in or near your area either will or will know someone who has a litter of puppies or one on the way or maybe even an adult dog that needs a loving and proper home.
Food
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3. This is probably the most expensive part of owning a dog because that’s the thing that you will need to keep re-stocking on the most. However, one little secret here is that many dog owners mistakenly assume that they’re giving their dog a high-quality food just because the package says “premium”. The best thing to do is to check the ingredients and be careful to get the one with the least filler because fillers don’t have any actual nutritional value. If you’re not sure which ingredients are right for your dog, you can always check with a local veterinarian.4. In the long run, it’s easiest to buy in bulk and on wholesale. When you need to load up on your dog’s food only twice a year instead of monthly, this can add up in your bank account in the long run. If you don’t have the storage space for it, however, it’s recommended to get one large bag over several small ones at a time. Small ones may be easier to carry but in the end, you’re just spending more for the packaging. 5. Don’t worry, you don’t have to scoop roadkill to provide free food to your dog. However, some stores do offer incentives such as a free bag for every five or ten that you buy.
Toys
6. You don’t have to invest much in toys for dogs. Just a couple to a few should be enough to keep your dog occupied until it wears out. However, when you first get your dog, you may have to play around with toys that it likes best if it doesn’t easily take to certain types. Once you do find them, all you need to do is stick with them and then replace them with the exact same one or something very familiar once it wears out. 7. Especially if you’re into making crafts, one thing you can do is make your own toys for your dog. For example, you can stuff an empty water bottle into a sock or stuff a store-bought stuffed animal with cotton balls or scraps of old clothes from your rag bin. There are plenty of ideas out there. If in doubt, you can always stick to the old fashioned tennis balls. 8.If you’re not into crafts, dollar stores, flea markets, thrift stores or garage sales may have something that’s high quality for a fraction of what you’d be spending at a pet store. However, be sure to check for potential dangers such as choking hazards or paint that’s chipping off. Cheap is not always better for either you or your dog’s health.
House Training
9. Housetraining does not mean simply waiting at the door to be let out so that they don’t go to the bathroom in the house. It also means training your dog not to do things like chew on the furniture, unnecessarily bark at strangers and curbing aggression. Books are a good start. If you want to ultrasave on books, your local library should have something about dog training.10. Do an Internet search. After all, what’s the Internet for? However, do use your critical thinking skills and intuition. The Internet has just as much right to free speech as the next news media source. That means that there are a lot of scams, unverified stuff and just plain bad advice out there. As a result, it’s always best to go with what you feel is right. 11. You can also hire a virtual trainer for a monthly fee or watch videos on social media like Youtube. Especially if you’re a visual person, this shows you the techniques in action. At this time, there is no state or federal license required to become a trainer, however, some programs are available. As a result, the best thing you can do there is check for recommendations and/or reviews.
Grooming
12. All it takes is a one-time investment of a $20-$40 trimmer to keep your dog’s nails short. (Just be careful not to cut to the quick!). To keep it clean, all it takes is a little dog shampoo, conditioner, and maybe an oatmeal scrub in a bath- or washtub.
As many people have found especially during Covid-19 you can save yourself some money by trimming your dog’s fur at home. There’s plenty of resources out there to help you find great sets of grooming shears for dogs as well as instructional videos.
Gear
13. Do your research and don’t be afraid to compare prices, wait for sales, etc. Thrift stores may have some fairly good stuff but their selection is often limited since they run on donations. Giant companies like Amazon also often have good deals.
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Conclusion
Depending on your choice and availability you can save on your without being too much frugal. But the fact remains that you have to use wise ideas, not to spend even if you have the means. Because if you start spending on your dog as it is your best pal, a time comes when you want the best for your furry friend but find that the wallet has become thin. Then you are hurt more than the dog. And you are the one who suffers more than the dog because you are at a loss and feel it more as a human being. Under such circumstances, the dog can bear with minimum stuff because it has no choice. So while it licks and chews the old shoes your heart bleeds.
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