4 ways to save money if you’re a new puppy parent (and common mistakes to avoid) 

Wondering how you can save money as a new puppy parent? And avoid making mistakes when parting with your hard earned cash? 

After 13 years of living with dogs and 5 years as a puppy trainer I’ve learned tips and tricks that’ll help to reduce outgoing costs and know when money is thrown down the drain or an investment and worth every penny. 

In this blog post we’ll share the 4 ways to save money as a new puppy parent and how to avoid mistakes when spending money on caring for, raising and training your new puppy. 

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If you prefer to consume content by watching and listening, please click on the video below. Otherwise, scroll down to read the full article.

1. Buy the right puppy products

It’s absolutely overwhelming shopping for your new puppy. 

Your local pet store is rammed with items that are seriously tempting and shopping online, well the choice is just too much. 

You don’t know what your new puppy will need to keep them happy and safe or which product is best. 

Here’s a quick list of 10 shopping list essentials for your new puppy with links to items I recommend: 

And if you want more recommended products, including information about food and grooming supplies, click here to read my full blog – 10 shopping list essentials for your new puppy.

Mistakes to avoid and what to do instead when buying puppy products: 

2. Buy second hand puppy products

You don’t need to buy everything right out of the box. Use the shopping list above to buy a few items second hand. 

You can find good quality, cheaper items on local sell and seek Facebook pages, eBay, gumtree and preloved pets. Crates and puppy play pens are good examples here and can be wiped down easily to look brand new. 

Your local animal rescue might have a shop, selling second hand items. A browse here could bag you a bargain and help to raise money for dogs in their rescue centre. Look at the fantastic range from Animal Rescue Cumbria – Preloved for Pets Shop in the photo below.

And don’t forget to speak to family and friends with dogs. I’ve certainly passed on puppy toys, harnesses and leads in the past for free, thrilled to be able to help. 

Mistakes to avoid and what to do instead when buying second hand puppy products: 

3. DIY puppy projects

DIY puppy projects can be immensely rewarding if you have the time and motivation. 

There’s plenty of ideas online from making your own puppy treats to enrichment items. 

Here’s 3 of my favourites: 

And check out the amazing snuffle mat my client Tracy made for her puppy Louie in the image below!

And you might like my blog post – 5 DIY sniffing games for puppies – from bouncy to calm

Mistakes to avoid and what to do instead when making DIY puppy projects:

4. Invest early in puppy training

Yup, investing early in puppy training can save you a huge amount of money long term. And I’m talking about training advice from a force free professional. Not Joe Bloggs from work or Dr Google. 

This is so important! 

Do your research around any dog trainer you choose to take advice from. Here’s a great article from Aileen Stevenson at The Perfect Puppy Company in Glasgow that will help you distinguish the ‘red flags’ from the ‘green flags’ in the world of dog training. 

To illustrate my point, let’s take a look at this possible scenario. 

Puppy parent A as been told to let her new puppy to ‘cry it out’ when leaving them alone. They invest early in puppy training and ask the question, “where should puppies sleep at night? And what should I do?” 

The trainer advises not letting the puppy “cry it out” and to be there for them instead. Help them to feel safe.

Puppy parent A follows the trainer’s advice, teaching her new puppy that she is to be trusted. Sure there are kinks in the road, but their relationship blossoms and the pup feels ok about being alone. 

Puppy parent B is told the same thing and leaves her new puppy to cry in their crate at night and whilst they’re out at work. 

The puppy isn’t made to feel safe from the moment they arrive in their forever home. 

They call a behaviourist when the dog is 9 months old and report issues with toileting in the house, anxiety and aggression towards strangers and dogs. 

How to save money on professional support as a new puppy parent

Based on our prices here at Landing On Your Paws:

A single session with a behaviourist will cost you around £200 and I can say with great certainty that several sessions will be required to help the dog feel less anxious, happier and confident. The cost here could run into thousands of pounds. 

Not only is the monetary cost for puppy parent B significantly higher than puppy parent A in our scenario above, the emotional cost to both the human and the dog is sky high! 

There’s a lot of guilt and sadness for puppy parent B about letting down their 4-legged friend, compared to the peace of mind, clarity and confidence puppy parent A achieves. 

I’m not saying the result for puppy parent A or B is down to the single factor described above or puppies are blank slates when we bring them home. 

But puppy parents A and B adopted entirely different approaches to all aspects of raising and training their puppies because one had expert advice and support from the very beginning to set them up for success and the other waited and waited before reaching out for help. Resulting in a significant behaviour problem. 

If you have a question or challenge right now, I’m currently offering FREE 30-minute TURBO CALLS. Click the button below to book yours!

Mistakes to avoid and what to do instead when investing in early puppy training:

In this blog post we’ve shared 4 ways to save money as a new puppy parent and how to avoid mistakes when spending money on caring for, raising and training your new puppy. 

The biggest takeaway for you as a new puppy parent is that spending money on early puppy training should be factored into your budget so you find life with your new puppy enjoyable and not stressful or confusing. 

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