Budgeting your Pet Expenses—Every Shopper’s Guide to Dog Accessories

It’s easy to go overboard with unnecessary things when you’re shopping for dog accessories. Once you step into a pet shop, unless you’ve a strong will, you’re bound to overspend on cute but unnecessary things for your pooch. Here are a few tips on how to keep the dog accessory damage to a minimum.

Keep a list and start with the bare necessities

Before even buying or adopting a dog, take note of the breed that you want to own. The basic “starter dog accessories” of a puppy are feeding tools, beddings, a kennel, and chew toys. You don’t need to worry about collars and leashes first if your puppy is still very young. Usually, owners just use a “starter collar” or a piece of yarn that serves as a collar. Puppy necks are very frail, and real leather collars can pose as chocking hazards.

Worry about leashes and collars when you’re already training your dog to walk outdoors with you. Before buying specific collars, ask your vet for recommendations first. Always choose dog accessories for their functions.

If you want to keep a tight hold on your budget, don’t purchase dog accessories based on their appearance or cuteness. You can still buy decorative dog accessories in the future but only if you have extra money at hand.

Know what each accessory actually does before buying into it

It’s alright for you to buy dog clothes if the weather’s cold, and your pet actually needs the added clothing. However, if you live in a tropical country, and the dog garments are just decorative, think again. Put your pet’s health first before anything else, and prioritize on dog accessories that will actually make him/her more comfortable. If the accessories are merely decorative, and they can even pose as an inconvenience for your pooch, cross them off of your list and buy something more useful.

Purchase reasonable sizes

Big isn’t always everything. Every dog accessory down to your pet’s water dish is designed for his/her use. If you have a small dog, there’s no reason for you to buy a large dish for him/her. Stick to the reasonable sizes even if the bigger sized ones seem like the better deal. Water dish sizes are actually important things to think about. Remember, your pooch needs fresh water all throughout the day. If you purchase a water dish that’s too big for him/her, the water would just end up getting stale and murky. Never spend more beyond your pet’s needs if you want to keep your pet expenses small and manageable.

Shopping for chew toys

Chew toys are efficient and cute ways to keep your pooch amused while s/he is left alone in the kennel. For puppies and small dogs that are alone, this can be a good way for them to lose the extra energy. Chew toys are great ways for you to keep them off the couch or your bags or your new pair of Jimmy Choos.

However, these chew toys are useless if they resemble the very things you’re trying to wean your adorable pooch from. Even if they come cheap, don’t ever make the mistake of buying chew toys that look like shoes or slippers. Also, make sure that your chew toys aren’t choke hazards. Puppies are like infants, and they don’t really know what’s edible from what’s not.