Puppy Prep

So I’ve mentioned before that I can be crafty when I want to be. And cheap. Have I mentioned that I can be cheap?

I like to bake and sew, but baking too much means eating too many baked goods. And that ain’t good. For my cheap ass. It gets bigger.

This ties into our dog, I swear.

Golden Retrievers are a long-haired dog breed. Let’s face it; I’ll probably never wear black again without Harlow-hair being a unique accessory. Something about the dogs long hair, and the oils that make their coat shiny, can stain carpet if the dog lays in the same spot over a long period of time. So a dog bed was in order.

I’ve mentioned the idea for the dog bed. Molly’s Mutts dog bed duvets. The stuff sacks were $15, and the duvets $50. Yesh! I can spring for a $15 stuff sack, but 50 bucks for two yards of fabric? Hmm… I mentioned I can (kinda) sew.

Sew (ha!) I ordered a stuff sack, and bought two yards of fabric in a “terrarium” print (yeah I have no idea what that is), and went to work. And voila! A doggy duvet, that is lined (I had extra liner fabric from the curtains project, and totally washable!

As a side note, I couldn’t figure out how to use my sewing machine to properly attach buttons. I even dragged out the manual (which I’ve never read through, after 5+ years of machine ownership). I only had two buttons, and they didn’t come out terribly, so I’ll take it, but I should figure that out.

See the little brown dot of excess string in the middle? That's the back of the button. How do I make it less... stringy?

In reading the manual, I did find out how to sew a buttonhole with my machine. Imagine that, learning from the manual… what what?

The buttons were sewn on to button to the inside, so that little Harlow has less of a temptation to chew on them. When the whole thing is closed up, you don’t see the buttons at all. Sleek, trim, and puppy proof (?)

The buttons can be un-done, and the stuff sack slides out. Everything in the dog-bed is washable, so when she inevitably pees on it, into the wash it goes!

We’ve been rounding up other puppy supplies too. DJ opened a checking account, and apparently qualified for the free “gift” of a stuffed pony. Creepier yet is that it came in a vacuum-sealed plastic bag! DJ also purchased squeaky toys and balls, as well as a KONG chew toy that you hide a treat in for the puppy to get out.

And, the crate came. DJ’s immediate reaction? “Court, she better not outgrow this thing!”

It has a divider in the middle; to make sure she doesn’t feel overwhelmed in it, and to aid in crate-training/ housebreaking (pups don’t like to soil their living spaces). I also bought some fabric to make a cover for it, as some dogs don’t like to sleep with their back “exposed.” The crate won’t stay in this location forever; but it’s a good place for now since it’s close to the front door, yet in an area we’re in much of the time so she can see us.

What’s left to procure for puppy? Probably more stuffed animals, more toys, food and water bowls, actual food and treats… and that’s all I can think of right now! Any other suggestions?

PS: We'll be taking the area rugs up this weekend. No need to tempt her to pee on them when we can store them in the garage for a while :)

Edited to add my dog bed cost break down

$15 for the stuff sack
$5 shipping
$13.98 for the fabric
$2.49 for the thread
$1.60 for the buttons
$0 for the liner since I already had it

Total: $38.07; not bad since it would have cost me $65+ shipping to order the whole setup online!