Got Pets?

Sometimes, when browsing the Internet, I run across stories of people wanting financial assistance because they cannot afford their pets. There are some who would treat their animals better than they would care to treat themselves. I believe that the best thing that one can do is to take care of themselves before worrying about a pet. With that being said, I have to admit that there are now three dogs living in our home. My wife picked up our first dog in January 2003. I was working 60 hours a week and had just begun my MBA studies, so I understood that she wanted something there to keep her company. It wasn't until Zena began to get cataracts and develop total blindness that a search was underway for a companion for Zena (or, a replacement, if you will). Since Zena is blind, my wife looked to adopt a blind puppy and we lucked out when she found, after much searching, Avari. Zena began to get a little more life (although she is permanently blind) and Avari needed a playmate. Carmen is one day older than Avari and is of the same Australian shepherd breed, but Carmen is fully sighted (which gives her a distinct advantage at treat time) over the other two dogs in the house. In order to keep our costs low and the dogs happy, we make our own dog treats. We make both pumpkin treats and dehydrate meat (usually chicken). We probably spend $30 a month making our treats instead of paying $200+ purchasing them already made. If you are wanting to have a pet but not spend a fortune, look into making your own treats and giving them baths instead of always paying somebody else to do it for you. Have a great day!

Saving Money With Dogs

I realize that having a pet is an expense, but since my wife and I rarely go to movies or go out to eat much, having a pet is an expense that we chose. We first had a Australian cattle dog-mix (still going) about 8 years ago. She has developed cataracts and a bit of neuritis in the last few years and we decided to adopt a blind, high-energy Australian Shepherd who is about as opposite as you can get. The older dog tolerates her fairly well, but the puppy seems a bit incomplete (our perception) as she loves to play.

We solved that dilemma last week when we drove 200 miles to adopt another Australian Shepherd who is nearly twice the size of our youngest despite being just one day older.

Dogs can be expensive, but we have discovered a way to be frugal with dogs. This is a challenge because we reward our dogs (through obedience training) with treats. We don't buy the commercially made ones, we make them ourselves.

Our treats are one of two types: chicken or pumpkin. Both are fairly easy to make. You can find the pumpkin recipe here or we use an inexpensive dehydrator, buy chicken breasts in bulk, chop the chicken into tiny (about your pinkie nail size) pieces and make a load of treats for a fraction of the cost of purchasing commercially made ones).