How to Keep Your Dog from Eating You Out of House and Home

For this article, I will outline a few very simple calulations that show how much money making your own natural ground chuck treats costing $1.99/lb at home will save you versus store-bought Value Size Snausages In a Blanket for $3.50 per 12 oz. bag.

How many times a day do you reward your dog with treats for good behavior? Let's say you spend ten minutes with your dog in the evening, getting him to sit, speak, roll over, and whatever other amazing tricks you've taught your dog to perform. You do this five times and he gets five treats. Have you ever thought about the costs of teaching him those tricks, the monetary one as well as a lifetime of filling your dog's tummy with preservatives and by-products?

The five treats a day comes out to costing $109 a year if you buy a 12 oz. value pack of Snausages In a Blanket. Now let's say you pick up a pound of ground chuck at the grocery store, take it home, cook the meat in 5 minutes in a pan, and stick half in the fridge and half in the freezer for later. That's only $49.52 a year plus a whopping two whole hours a year cooking up some beef. Plus, if you're feeding a puppy up to ten months of age, you can save the grease and heat up a dab to sprinkle over his daily meal. The grease will help strengthen his coat and skin, clearing up any dry skin or dull hair he may have. Older dogs can have grease, too, but in much smaller ammounts due to a decrease in metabolism.

Now, when it's treat time, see how your dog reacts to real meat morsels. I know that our Lab spazzes whenever we give him anything that goes in his mouth, but if your dog has been accustomed to store-bought treats, sadly he may initially refuse the healthier snack in favor of the addictive flavor of his favorite bagged snack. Don't give in, he'll eventually realize that's what he's gonna get and his taste buds will once again change to savor the taste of his hard-earned treats.

Maybe a difference of $59.48 for dog treats doesn't mean much to you, but consider this: if your dog lives to be 15 years old, you will save $892.20 in treats alone! $892.20 can get something really awesome for your pet, a top-notch obedience class, a luxury outdoor dog house, or that money could even be put into getting man's best friend another friend with whom to share his time. Not to mention how much you'll save on vet bills due to complications of a less-than-perfect diet.

So you don't care about saving money, but you do care about the health of your pet and you want him to live the fullest, longest life he can. Given the recent dog food scare, I'd say many of you are aware of what kinds of things go into what our pets eat. Put it this way, would you feed your children processed hot dogs every day when giving them tasty, balanced nutrition costs less?