Living La Vida Thrifty

Adventures with your dog needn’t be expensive or grand — a simple outing can be thrifty and joyful.

There’s no doubt that life with canine companions can get expensive and that many people are facing economic uncertainty lately. While I can’t lay claim to the legendary frugality of a born Vermonter, I’m always trying to help myself, as well as clients, figure out how to save some money on everyday life with a dog.

Here are my suggestions — I’d love to hear yours!

Enrichment items

Toys aren’t just fun/cute for your dog to have. They fulfill a need for play (like adult humans and some other species, adult dogs engage in play) as well as let your dogs engage in species-specific behaviors. Enrichment items can ward off a host of behavior issues that can be time-consuming and expensive for a trainer like me to help with.

Yes, squeaky toys get shredded — most of them are designed to be de-stuffed and shredded, which taps into your dog’s inherent prey drive. It’s a great energy burner for your dog’s body and brain.

A stuffed llama (we think) that I got in a toy swap with a neighbor.

Daisy and Petey love this toy and finally tore it apart after a year of tugging and fetch, so I’ll sew it up with yarn for continued play.

I’ve sewn up many a stuffed toy using a large darning needle and yarn, which tends to buy a few more rounds of play with our dogs.

Got a digger in your life? Build a backyard digging pit by enclosing an area with stones or bricks (perhaps a neighbor has extras), loosening the soil, and burying some special treats for them to find.

Chew items

Dogs need to chew, and I’m a fan of Nylabone-type items rather than items like antlers and bully sticks, which some dogs can get growly around. Another benefit of Nylabones is that the sharp edges can be carefully filed down with either a belt sander, hand sander, or a rasp file. I scrape off the sharp edges with a rasp file until the bones are too small and a swallowing danger.

Thrifty training treats

• Most dogs go bonkers for tuna fudge, which can be batch-baked, diced into cubes, and frozen until needed. Check out the recipe at Food.com.

• Baked or air-fried sweet potatoes are also excellent high-value treats. I dice them into about ½” pieces and bake them in the air fryer until they’re pretty dried out, then I store them in a container at room temperature. They don’t keep well but are great while they last.

“Biscuits” for special diets

Petey eats hydrolyzed protein food because of his skin itchiness, and rather than buy expensive special diet treats I make them.

I turn his kibble into a dough/thick paste by softening it with water, spreading it on a baking sheet, cutting into rectangles, and baking at 325℉ until dry (this can take up to an hour). Since Petey can’t have regular dog biscuits, it’s nice for us to be able to give him something different at evening cookie time. (Yes, this is purely for us! He is happy with a handful of his special kibble at evening cookie time.)

You can also turn special diet canned food into dry treats by removing the entire can of food (manufacturers call it a “loaf”) from the can by opening it at both ends, then slicing some or all of it into ½” pieces and baking at low heat. These become high-value treats for training. Warning: Your kitchen may smell quite … well, stinky.

Other sources for free/low-cost dog supplies

• Local Buy Nothing groups and online bulletin boards (I received a huge bag of dog toys this way which I used in my training classes last year)

• Swapping gear with friends, especially as puppies grow up

• Toy swaps — dogs have preferences and you can trade with a friend

• Yard sales

• Used rubber-backed bath mats from thrift stores for matwork (teaching your dog to stay on a “Place”)

“Buy once and buy well”

It’s classic thrifty advice for a reason. My favorite leashes are Biothane and I have had them for almost ten years; I get them made by CSJ Creations on Etsy. If you like giving your dog room to roam on a walk (which I highly recommend) buy one of these instead of a retractable leash, which is less safe because you have less control over the leash itself, and the retracting mechanism can break.

Petey used to tear up stuffed dog beds (such as the nice bed on the left which we got free from a neighbor … you can see it didn’t last long) but hasn’t since we switched to Molly Mutts “duvet covers.” These are heavy canvas covers that you stuff with old pillows, towels, etc. We’ve had these for at least 8 years. There may be other brands now, but we’ve stuck with Molly Mutts — in fact, they’re so durable, I haven’t bought one in 3 years, and that was just to have an extra on hand to rotate when washing them … and when I do buy them, I buy whatever pattern is on sale 😁.

We take the dogs’ Molly Mutt beds on vacation, as in the picture, to give them a cozy spot to hang out.

Yes, training is a thrifty investment in life with your dog

Teaching your dog good manners and getting them off to the right start pays off in the long run. 

When we work together, in our last session we always talk about how to keep the good manners going when behaviors get rusty, when your puppy reaches canine adolescence and starts tuning you out, or when changes in the household (a new baby, for instance) call for a manners brush up. While I’m always available for additional sessions, most clients find they can pick up where we left off by pulling out their training plans, dropping back a few steps in the plan, and practicing those hard-earned good manners.

Got a thrifty tip? I’d love to share it — let me know!