Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Introducing Mr. Oliver Fluffy Pants (and a great option for low-cost vet care!)

Meet Oliver.  He is a sweet, sweet, 8 week old Bichon Frise puppy.  We adore him and he adores us.
Chris' sweet parents knew we had been looking for a dog for our family and decided to really bless us by helping us get a puppy!!!   He's super smart and already potty-trained on the hardwood floors!  (The carpet is another story... apparently the texture is confusing because it's so close to grass??)  He just loves the kids and I think he will be a great member of our family for years to come.  =)  

Doggy on the Budget
We had held off on a dog for a while because we didn't want to add another big expense to our monthly budget.  However, I made a few discoveries lately that have instead made him a minor addition to the budget!

First, the vet bill.  A mobile vet comes to Master Made Feeds in Grapevine 3 times a week.  He charged me $18 for a well puppy check!   Rabies shots are $9 with no office fee!!  He sells liquid heartworm too - $16 for a 6 month supply for up to 25lbs and $21.75 for up to 50lbs!   It's definitely a no-frills clinic - they took him into the RV and I stood outside while they worked on him.  But spending $18 compared to $75 or so for just a well-puppy check is definitely worth a little no-frills to me!!  Let me know if you want their information - they come to Lewisville and Denton too.  

And the food.  Apparently the dog food on the shelves at Walmart and the like is basically junk.  The expensive stuff from the vet isn't much better.  BUT, Costco sells a big bag of 4 star quality dog food for $23!  That will last us!  

If I've gotten you excited about getting a dog...  I'll close by sharing the most challenging part: he has to go potty in the middle of the night!!  We're crate training him so he doesn't go in the house, and so I was up at 12:30 walking him.  Thankfully, he's fast at 'doing his thing' and he now goes back to sleep after his potty break.  The first couple of nights, he barked and whined a lot!   So, if you get a puppy, prepare to lose some sleep the first bit, but I'm expecting it to get better soon!  

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