When I first adopted Miss M I was overwhelmed by some of the things I thought I needed: stuff for her to eat from, stuff for her to sleep on, and stuff just to hold her stuff.
And I was overwhelemed by how much some things cost.
I quickly realized that some things were much more expensive because they were made specifically for dogs. Since then, I've learned how to save money by buying human things and using them for the dogs. Here are some things that have worked for us:
Using Serving Bowls as Dog Bowls:
We wanted to find a large sturdy bowl that wouldn't move when they ate, but all of the cute ceramic dog bowls I found were really expensive. It was only after a visit to CB2 that I realized we could just use one of their serving bowls as a dog bowl. Plus, they were only $7! We have the older version, but
the Frank Serve bowl seems similar to the ones we've been using.
Using Floor Pillows as Dog Beds:
I was shocked to see how much cute dog beds cost, but seeing that our big pups naturally loved curling themselves up into tiny pittie balls I realized they were fine with 20 inch floor pillows. We've been able to pick up some inexpensive floor pillows from Ikea and we have them scattered around the house so they always have a place to sit. We've also realized how sometimes our pups
actually prefer the $15 floor over their more expensive dog beds.
Storage Canisters as a Dog Treat Bar:
We've seen a lot of fancy and expensive dog treat canisters made just for dogs. Though we were able to buy three canisters for the price of one dog-specific canisters. Which is good news for Miss M because we were able to
make a home dog-treat bar we wrote about here.
Child's Puffy Vest as Mr. B's Coat:
We had been searching for a dog coat with a furry hood (because that's what all the 'cool kids' in Chicago have), but we couldn't find anything to fit our large dogs. We saw a child's Columbia puffy vest on super-sale, and we realized the kids' size 10/12 fit Mr. B perfectly. We did have to make a slight alteration, pinning up the bottom so he wouldn't pee on himself, but it fit him perfectly otherwise. The hat was also bought from the Kids' Department at Old Navy.
What are some other ways you've been able to use 'people products' for your pups?
Also:
Mr B's (cheap!) personalized toy bin
Getting 5 looks from one dog coat
Sharing.
13 comments:
When I had a garden I became obsessed with canning my own vegetables so I had a bunch of Ball Jars and Mason Jars. Now that I don't have a garden and don't can, I use those jars for dog treats, etc.
Ray also prefers to lay on blankets so we usually just have some old comforters folded on the floor for mats for him.
Good advice!
Edison broke Tesla's water dish a while ago and she's been using a travel dish in its place. I've been on the lookout for something cute (since her dishes are in the kitchen), but yes! it's expensive. I'm loving the serving dish idea!
We have dog beds in the basement, but wanted to get something for the pooches in the bedroom since Ed has graduated out of his crate at night. I found Euro pillows on sale at Bed Bath & Beyond (with a coupon) for practically nothing. My next goal is to make a cute cover.
Also, I love Mr B's outfit in that picture - he is great! I have used a kids sweatshirt on Tess, but never thought of a vest. Great ideas!!
Great ideas... especially the puffy coat for Mr. B.
We also use mason jars for dog treats. We also use human blankets instead of dog blankets. We often put bandanas on the dogs when we take them places - why pay $10 for a dog bandana that will only fit small/medium dogs when I can cut a $1 bandana in half and have two that will fit even larger dogs?
Awesome suggestions! We use many of the same things (mason jars, serving dishes) and also found that baby mattresses make great beds for senior dogs! Same goes for daybed mattresses at Ikea, dogs love them and you can find cute and affordable sheets to cover them with. :)
Any dog supplement that I have seen says not fit for human consumption and that makes me wonder why. I figure that human supplements are better regulated and cheaper than those made specifically for dogs. I buy human grade glucosamine supplements and fish oil for the dogs.
Kids Old Navy hats work too
Benny & Lily
Elka has a fleece vest from the Gap, via Salvation Army ($3!); it's an adult small, and only just fits her.
I have never hear of this "floor pillow" of which you speak. I'm going to investigate!
I use baby tearless shampoo and kids tearless conditioner for my dogs.
I use an old vintage mixing bowl for a water dish.
Target has cute little seasonal melamine bowls that are perfect size for smaller dogs.
I use washable bed pillows and pillowcases that can be thrown into the wash every other day or so.
I've gotten trendy kids sweaters from Goodwill and altered them into "coats".
A friend uses those absorbent mats that you put under kitchen dishracks as a mat in her old dogs kennel to wisk away moisture if he has an accident.
that human kid's puffer vest is a brilliant idea!! :) back before doggie clothes were made for doggies my dad used to dress his rough collie X in his shirts... much cheaper lol
Great cost saving ideas, without sacrificing dog style!
Wyatt
Iggy has a winter coat but it doesn't cover her belly or legs when it's 5 degrees out. A $3 toddler t-shirt from the Gap outlet up the street does, though. The unicorn print on it didn't hurt either.
Izzy wears clothes from the children section at Goodwill. She has a lot of cute little T shirts that only cost me $1. We use kitchen bowls for food also, and fleece throws around the house...on couches, beds and floor.
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