I know not everybody has the kind of money it takes to get professional training done. So, here’s some tips on home-training your puppy on a budget!

Always remember, the #1 motivator for a puppy’s behavior is food, and the #2 motivator is play. Dogs love food, and they love to play. They learn by rewards, not by punishments/consequences. By using these two rewards strategically, you can encourage certain behaviors and discourage others, without incurring the cost of a big professional lesson.

Some places can charge upwards of $80 for an hour of training with your dog!! (I know, it’s insane.) Meanwhile, a good $15 bag of treats can last you several days if you’re clever with it. Make the most of every bite and you’ll be able to keep the bag going much longer than you’d expect!

Hershey suddenly wouldn’t put any weight on her leg this morning, scared the crap out of me. (Don’t worry, she ended up being fine! Just has to rest up a bit.) It turns out, our local animal clinic WAS still open and even accepting walk-ins! We just pulled our car up to the curb and called them, and within a few minutes, someone came out and talked to us, taking Hershey straight from the backseat. All simple and convenient! They seemed 

Now, here’s the tricky part. The total (with X-Ray) ended up being $183... so yeah. Not exactly a shallow price point. I’m curious if any charges were added based on the necessity to stay safe and the use of medical equipment (the man who came out to our car was wearing an entire plastic face shield outside of his mask!) 

So, as much as I love Hershey, walking her can be a nightmare sometimes. She’s just so big and hyper, it’s hard to control her whatsoever. I’m sure all you X-Large Breed owners out there can relate!

I asked my local PetSupermarket about what I can do and the woman working there – who was super sweet and helpful – let me know that the collar was the problem. I was using a chain intertwined with soft leather, which I thought gave me greater control over her without hurting her throat or anything. Apparently, that’s not the case, and I actually could’ve seriously injured Hershey’s throat doing that!! Yikes! (Don’t fret, my vet confirmed that luckily, her throat is perfectly healthy so far.)

The PetSupermarket set me up with the Easy Walk Harness. I’ll be honest, at $27.99, I was a little hesitant to make the purchase, but she talked me into it. And it works like a charm!! Hershey has been SO much more well-behaved on walks, and I’ve been able to keep her away from all the bones and sticks along the way. Getting it on and off can be a tad bit annoying, as you can’t just leave the harness on when the dog is inside (she’ll chew through it), but it’s perfect for walks and dog park visits.