Taking care of the doggie economy-style

Scorp and I are getting by on one salary at the moment and Aschiuta is a third (albeit smaller) mouth to feed in our little room. We often have to cut down on costs as much as possible. And it's not hard to take care of a dog economically while also providing for all its needs.
 

Of course, some things can't be found at lower prices and good quality, such as some medicine or vaccines, but for the rest of the stuff, you don't have to spend a lot of money.

Food

The big issue for everyone. After trying a lot of options, we've realised a few important things:

• Cooked food can be cheaper than commercial dog food, but doesn't last as long and it might not cover all the necessary nutrients. As a compromise, we also give Aschiuta other things, like chicken, raw bone, cheese or sour cream (the occasional milk is ok too, but can cause stomach problems) and some fruits and vegetables (carrots, peppers and apples are her favourites). We give her a little of the food we eat if it's something that will be ok for her. Rice, oven roast chicken and soup are quite ok. You can find good recipes for homemade dog food and treats all over the internet; I'll recommend Doggy Dessert Chef (the writer is very careful about what a dog shouldn't eat).
• The cheapest dog food isn't always the best. There are some good cheap brands too though (our vet recommended a few brands to us) and we've found out that we can afford to buy relatively good quality food (stuff like Acana, Pro Pac etc.)

Bedding

We used to try and make a small bed for Aschiuta from a cardboard box and some old clothes. Aschiuta though had other plans. Once she grew old (and bold) enough, she started sleeping in bed with us or on the couch.

A wooden crate and old clothes (you can even make a pillow out of them) can be a good solution, depending on the size of the dog. Aschiuta kept outgrowing her carton beds.

Bowls for food and water

Scorp bought a plastic food bowl from the pet store, which we used for water. Other than that, we used big plastic ice cream boxes. Talk about recycling, right? My mom keeps all of those boxes, so I thought I'd put them to good use.
 

Unfortunately, Aschiuta chews on plastic things, so after a few of the makeshift bowls and the pet store one being chewed to pieces, we decided to not leave them within her reach. She has learned to ask for water too.

Bath

I'm still using a sulfur soap for doggie baths, since the vet advised me to give Aschiuta baths with sulfur soap and apple vinegar rinse when she had her skin problems. We don't use the vinegar anymore, but the sulfur soap does its job well. It's not expensive and it doesn't smell appealing enough for her to try to eat any of it. In fact, Scorp claims it smells too bad and Aschiuta's docile manner during bath time might be because she also hates the smell.

Toys

Another hot topic. Well, here we've improvised a lot. We have the famous old socks that she loves to play with.

Aschiuta helping the sock do some stretching exercises.

The two things we bought were a rope toy and tennis balls. But if you can find a sturdy rope, you can make a toy for your dog too. I've also read a lot of interesting ideas for makeshift treat dispensers. All you have to do is use your imagination.

Ever since she was a puppy, she's always loved her tennis ball.

Clothes

Not all dogs need clothes, but for the short-haired ones, it is a good idea to have a jacket on during the winter. Aschiuta's jacket was made out of one of my old t-shirts.
 

Not quite in fashion, but still necessary (saved us from red spots all over the place).

 
There are a lot of ideas out there about reusing old clothes to make jackets (or other clothes) for your dog. At Sew DoggyStyle, you can find some interesting ideas about making doggie clothes and accessories.

And, Aschiuta was lucky and got a nice winter coat from Scorp's mom for Christmas. Bought, but we're planning on getting the design idea, buying material and making others ourselves.

Spaying or neutering

There are programs for free or low-price cat or dog spaying or neutering. All you need to do is get informed. Consult your vet too for the best possibilities. We are waiting until spring and will spay Aschiuta.

Well, these are the tips I can offer for keeping your dog healthy and happy without emptying your pocket.

My personal leg warmer... a bit squirmy though

Did you know that there are dogs that have been bred specifically to keep the owner warm? Introducing lap dogs and even sleeve dogs!

Now, Aschiuta is too big to be a sleeve dog, although the name would suit her if we thought of all the tugging going on. But could she be a lap dog?
 

The human doggie carrier

We got Aschiuta when she was just a month or two old and she was an adorable little fur ball. Also, since we weren't allowed to let her outside without her vaccines done, I carried her to the vet. Needless to say, we were a strange sight and people turned their heads to look at the strange girl carrying a puppy.

I didn't mind much, since she was small, but it was summer and very hot and since a puppy's normal temperature is pretty high, we were both panting by the time we got to the vet.

However, when she grew older (and heavier), it was harder to carry her around and I was happy when we gave her those shots and Scorpio bought Aschiuta her first harness and leash: both a hot red.

Nowadays, I still pick Aschiuta up and carry her inside the room when she runs out or when we are outside and the stray dogs get too close.

Aschiuta, the lap puppy

Being so used to carrying Aschiuta, I really enjoyed holding her in my arms while sitting down. As a puppy, she would calm down, hide her nose in my arm and doze off.

When we were able to take her out, we would go out to an open terrace bar and have a couple of beers. When the pooch started squirming too much, we would run off with her outside in the parking lot for a bit. But when I wanted to make her sit still, I'd pick her up and she would sit tight.
 

"You're getting smaller. I used to fit perfectly here."

Now, Aschiuta has grown up and can't fit my lap too well. She also has unrestricted access to the bed and couch, so why sit on my legs when she could stretch in bed? I do take her in my arms and pet her, but she leaves quickly.

Sometimes though, she surprises me. She comes to me while I'm sitting on my chair at the laptop table and climb up in my lap. Climbing is the best way I can describe the way she heaves herself on her front paws and tries to get a leverage point with one of her hind paws, blindly waving it at the edge of the chair. I often push her bottom up and with an "upsy-daisy", she's up in my lap, sniffing my treats pocket. More on the magical pocket later on.
 

"I think my butt is slipping off. Hold me better!"

 
She even stays for a pet or two. When she feels exceptionally affectionate, she would try to roll in a comfortable position and let me pet her. Her long legs would often slip off and, after shifting around a lot, she would eventually jump down.

Well, at least for a few moments, she was my little lap dog.

Snapping shots of the Sleeping Beauty

Today I saw a post at House of Carnivores, Argos in Repose, where you can find two nice pictures of the Greyhound Argos sleeping and a hint that there is a little sleeping doggie contest and giveaway at CowSpotDog.

I will admit, I have my camera on the table, waiting patiently for Aschiuta to fall asleep in one of her funny positions so I can snap a picture. Unfortunately for me, my camera flashes a red light while focusing the image, so the chances are my Sleeping Beauty would wake up and I'd miss the moment.

These are some of the few lucky shots that I got, showing a napping doggie. Enjoy!

Her favourite position is usually "bottoms up".

Snore snore on one side.

Snore snore in black and white too.

The missed picture... She just opened her eyes a second before the photo was taken.

What a nice way of sleeping in. Have a great weekend!