I believe that having a dog is the greatest blessing one can have in his life. Dogs are such pure, innocent, and loyal creatures that may be the only ones that can love us unconditionally. But as great and amazing as the connection we have with our dogs, they also came with a lot of responsibilities.
From making sure that they spend enough time outside to live a happy life and to get used to going to the bathroom outside, to teaching them essential commands so you will never have problems with him, to making sure that his health is always on point.
But besides the responsibilities that come with every dog no matter their size and breed, there are others concerning their behavior that can end up consuming a lot of your money.
In order to help you save your money, in today’s post, we’re presenting our top 8 hacks every dog owner should know.
Dog Beds and Toys
As lovely as our dogs can be, we have to understand that they are still dogs and they should have their own place to sleep, especially if your dog weighs as much or more than you! Now, even if your dog is really small, he should still have his own bed or place to stay.
But dog beds can be really expensive and sometime we, the owners, waste so much money on them to find out that they don’t like it or that they destroy it while we’re not at home. Therefore, the best solution would be to make a bed for your furry friend on your own.
It can turn up into a fun, relaxing activity and this way you only lose a bit of time. All you’ll need is an old large t-shirt and something to stuff it and you have a perfectly cozy bed for your dog.
The same works for toys. They can be really expensive and easy to destroy and to get lost, so take an old t-shirt, cut it into strips and tie them all together and braid 3 sections together and you’ll have a perfect rope for your dog to play with.
Children Clothes
When our dogs suffer an injury or they have to go through surgery, they tend to lick their wounds – some more obsessive than others. And this behavior might not help the recovery process as much as you think.
We all know that there’s that special dog collar that prevents licking, but some dogs might end up terrorized by it. The best solution, in this case, is using baby or children's clothes to prevent licking.
Tough on Fleas
When you have a dog, it is almost inevitable to not have to deal with fleas, as they are very easy to get if your dog isn’t protected. Once your dog gets them it can be a real struggle to get rid of them, a struggle that will burn your pockets.
The best way to get rid of them is by giving your dog a bath with dish soap as it can be really tough on fleas and it isn’t toxic for your dog’s skin. While it does the job, you shouldn’t allow such a thing to happen again, so you should contact your vet, make an appointment and choose the best type of flea prevention for your dog.
Bad Breath
No one likes bad breath, especially from their beloved dog who loves to show his affection by kissing you. If the bad breath is not a medical condition, it's something perfectly normal for the dog.
Brushing your dog’s teeth might be a good solution but not every dog enjoys it and the drops you can find at the vet to put in your dog’s water can be really expensive. Therefore, a great way to deal with bad breath is to give your dog fresh parsley to eat.
How to Handle Accidents
No matter how well we train our dogs, accidents can still happen, which is totally normal but it can become a really stinky problem if you don’t clean the accident properly from the carpet, advises Assignment Help experts.
You can find a good solution in pet shops, but the best and cheaper one is already in your house – baking soda and vinegar eliminate the stain perfectly and the smell will be non-existent.
Rubber Gloves
Fur is also a problem that we have to deal when we have dogs, but there are some breeds that can save you from this trouble. But if your dog happens to leave his fur all over the place, the best solution to take off the fur is with rubber gloves – they do a terrific job and one pair can last longer than you can imagine.
Muffin Tin Feeding
Some dogs absolutely love to eat and no quantity of food will be enough for them. These type of dogs tend to eat their food way too fast; so fast that they don’t even chew it, which is not healthy. Therefore, you have to find a way to fix this problem.
The easiest way to solve it is by slowing him down with a puzzle bowl, which can be pretty expensive. But there is an equally efficient option that does the same job – a muffin tin.
Destructive Player
Some dogs love to play with their toys and some dogs don’t play at all, but some dogs can be really destructive players and no toy will exist in their mouth for more than several minutes.
Continuing to buy him new toys isn’t a good solution, but you can always do is to make a toy that he can never destroy. `For instance, you can buy a ball with holes and empty on the inside and feel it with old pieces of clothing ad every time he tries to destroy it he won’t actually as you’ll keep refilling it` - says Ron Smith, the HR management software specialist from the toy company.
Conclusion
Our dogs are worth everything in this world, but if there are more effective ways that happen to be also cheaper, why not leverage them? Above are 8 hacks that will come in very handy whenever you bump in any of those situations, but even if you don’t, is good to be able to help a friend in need, isn’t it?