Collars on the Cheap

I like love buying new collars for the pups.  In fact, I enjoy this so much that I buy one at least once a month.  I am a collar junkie.  The only downfall, the crazy price of collars and leashes!  Sometimes I walk away having spent $24.00 on a pretty pair.

Then I remembered a post I saw on Think Crafts Blog.  I could make a dog collar and a matching leash out of ribbon and nylon webbing!?  Deal!  So I headed to my local craft store and gathered my supplies, but by the time I got to the register I was at a whopping $17.00 (still cheaper than the store bought, but too much for me).  Then it occurred to me, I could reuse old collar parts to skip buying all the new hardware! 

I came home and measured my pups neck and added six inches to the measurement.  I then cut the nylon webbing and the ribbon and burned the edges so that they didn’t fray.

 

Next, I evenly pinned the ribbon to the webbing.

 

The next step is sewing your ribbon to your webbing.  This part is pretty simple and strait forward, but I had a hard time taking a picture…. so there is none.

As far as attaching the hardware goes, that part is very difficult to describe and I found that the other blogs had a hard time describing it as well.  My recommendation, look at a collar that you already have and copy the construction.  You can do it!

 

Another final tip: Use coupons to buy your webbing and ribbon.  My final price on this leash/collar combo $6.00.

Affordable Training Treats

Okay, confession….. I LOVE training our pups, pretty much obsessively.  No, seriously, it’s to the point that it annoys my significant other who just can’t watch every new trick I teach the dogs every ten minutes.  It’s pretty bad…..

Teaching so many tricks means we end up using quite a lot of training treats.  I was going out and buying them all the time.  When I was out the other day I heard people talking about hot dog training treats and I remembered seeing them on Pinterest before so I picked up some $.89 hot dogs on the way home.

The idea is pretty simple, you take a hot dog and cut it into either halves or quarters (length wise) and then you slice your pieces into many smaller pieces (I know there is a better way to say this).  I chose to cut mine into quarters so that they would last longer (and because we use so many it is healthier for the dogs to eat less).

Once you cut up all your little pieces you stick them in the microwave on high for about four or so minutes.  I sprinkled my pieces onto a paper towel and continued to layer paper towels until I had all my pieces in the microwave.

When they are done they are dry on the outside and still a bit moist on the inside.  They smell pretty darn delicious too (if you are into the fried bologna kind of thing).  I sealed mine in a Tupperware and left them on the counter.

The dogs LOVED them and eight hot dogs makes a lot.  Pictured is only 2 hot dogs.  I had a “hot dog stalker” following me around for some time after this.

 

 

 

Edible Delights?

Alright, I’ll say it.  I have been very absent from this blog.  I don’t have many words of consolation, other than I have not had much time.  I intend to be much more involved in the upcoming weeks.  I really do….

Our youngest pup has been the inspiration for this current post.  She has allergies and a lot of other fun things going on (sarcasm included).  I started doing A LOT  of research and decided to try homemade dog food.  Then, I realized I was in way over my head.  I have no idea how much each of the homemade dog food recipes include vitamins and minerals at proper levels for our pooches.

BUT, I wasn’t ready to give up.  I made my own recipe based off of some of the recipes and ingredients I found online.  It looked NASTY.

Don’t say I didn’t warn you…..

 

All in all, the dogs love it.  My recipe included turkey, spinach, asparagus, blueberries, and eggs.  The whole thing cost me about $10.00 to make and has lasted about two weeks for a 50 pound dog.   If you chose to make homemade meals you should consult with your veterinarian to decide what is appropriate for your dog as not all dogs should be eating certain ingredients.  I should also note that my “creation” is not by any means approved to provide all the nutrients appropriate for a pups dietary needs and we still keep her on some kibble.

Does anyone else try homemade meals and have any they would like to share?

 

Lily’s Peanut Butter Apple Treats

Monday this week started like any other Monday with the dogs.  I got a morning wakeup lick (or ten), let the dogs outside, and filled their dog bowls. 

Later, we decided to run some errands.  So our normal routine started again.  Find the dogs, lock the dog gate, get a treat…. And that was when it all started.  We had no treats.  How the heck was I suppose to lock Lily in her crate without my bargaining chip? 

Needless to say, I was forced to send her in and walk away empty-handed.  We made sure that our errands included stopping by a doggy treat bar so that this wouldn’t happen again.  And at that doggy bar, full of treats that looked homemade, my wheels started turning.  I could do this, couldn’t I?

So, I spent a few minutes at home doing research.  What are some good ingredients?  How much should I add of each item?  What did I already have at home?  And Voila, Lily’s Peanut Butter Apple Treats were made.

This recipe makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Whole Wheat Flour (substitutes can be found if your dog has a wheat allergy)

3/4 cup peanut butter

1/3 cup whole wheat oats (again, substitute for wheat allergies)

1/2 cup water

1/4 cup sliced apple bits (I recommend dehydrating your apple bits prior to adding them by putting your sliced apple in the oven at 160 until dry)

Add all the above ingredients together and stir until a think paste/dough is formed.

Form your dough into whatever your heart desires (I chose hearts) and place them on a greased cookie sheet.

Bake your cookies at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.

These are what mine looked like when all was said and done.

I would never eat them…. but the dogs sure do love them!

It’s a Dogs Life

A blog…..

How did I get here?

Well, my love for animals has been alive and well since both my mother and I can remember.  I assume it should have been obvious when my first word was “dog” but if it wasn’t then, it is now.  I used to be the “neighborhood animal rescuer” and became a well known figure at the local bird rescue around ten years old.  From there, I investigated how my love for animals could work into a career.  I explored many options and still have hopes to one day open my own Animal Rescue Organization. 

Until that distant day arrives I fill my days with two fur friends whom I couldn’t imagine life without, Lily and Tigger.  Often times I show my love for the furchildren through the showering of gifts… which of course costs money.  So, on my off time I can be found scouring the Pet Stores for local discounts, coming up with DIY ideas, and trying to save money while doing what I love most…. showering my dogs with love.

So here I am, on my own little adventure, working to help us all discover a way to spoil our furchildren without putting a hole in our wallet….