"For years I bought Bo's heartworm and flea chews one month at a time at the counter. Same box, same chew, and I'd been paying about a hundred and ten dollars a year extra for the pleasure of buying it twelve times."
About $110 a year, by asking one questionBy Gus Whitfield · The Dog Savings Handbook
A healthier dog costs less to keep.
The Well-Kept Dog shows you 40 simple habits for a longer, healthier life for your dog. You'll skip the vet bills that didn't need to happen and keep more money in your pocket, without loving your dog one bit less.
Instant PDF download · 147 illustrated pages · printables included
40simple habits
147illustrated pages
10+printable sheets
$0to start most habits
Where the money goes
Most of us overpay for our dogs in the same few places.
Not on purpose. We grab the bag that looks like a deal, scoop by eye, pay at the counter one month at a time and nod along in the exam room. Gus did too, for years, until he sat down at the kitchen table with a pile of receipts.
Better food that costs less per day
Price every food per meal, not per bag. The "cheap" bag often runs out weeks sooner.
Problems caught while they're small
A 10-minute monthly check teaches you what normal looks like, so small problems get small bills.
More care for every vet dollar
Five polite questions, written estimates and prescriptions filled for less. Never skipping the vet.
A year of small fixes
Examples worked through in the book
Dog food, priced per dayHabit 2 · same dog, richer food$412$391
Level scoop, not heapingHabit 3 · on top of the above$515$412
Parasite preventionHabit 18 · 12-month pack + rebate$288$180
Nail trims at homeHabit 15 · clippers last years$260$20
Salon groomingHabit 26 · a medium-size dog$560$90
100 treatsHabit 6 · frozen green beans$12.00$1.80
The book$19
Example US prices from the book. Your store, region and dog will change them, which is why every habit shows you how to work out your own numbers.
Look inside
Warm, clear, and made to be used, not just read.
Every page is designed like a good field guide, with charts, worked examples, tick-box checklists and illustrated stories about Bo. Tap any page to see it up close.
How every habit works
Same simple pattern, forty times over.
You don't read it front to back. Open to any habit and you'll know exactly where to look.
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Three boxes up topWhat it saves, what it costs to start and how long it takes. The realistic payoff, before you begin.
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Gus's WayPlain step-by-step instructions, with charts, drawings, tables and printable worksheets.
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Gus's Safety NoteWhen to stop and call your vet instead. The most important lines in the book.
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A Story from BoHow the habit actually played out at Gus's house, with his twelve-year-old golden retriever.
Habit two
Price Per Meal, Not Price Per Bag
The most useful question in this book takes five minutes to answer.
What it saves
$50–$250
a year, by dog size
Cost to start
$0
a pen and a calculator
Time needed
5 min
one evening
Try Habit 2 right now
Which bag is really cheaper?
Pre-filled with the worked example from page 17. Change the numbers to match the bags in your pantry.
Bag A · cost per year$412
Bag B · cost per year$391
Bag B costs $10 more at the register but $21 less over a year.
Uses the book's rule of thumb: about 4 cups per pound of dry kibble. Always check "complete and balanced" on the label and switch foods slowly.
What's inside
Seven parts. Forty habits. From the store shelf to the quiet years.
Plus a First-30-Days Road Map that picks the habits that pay back fastest, so you know exactly where to start.
Part OneThe Dog Kitchen10 habits · Food is the biggest bill, and the easiest to cut
- 1Read the Back, Not the Front
- 2Price Per Meal, Not Price Per Bag
- 3Feed the Dog, Not the Bowl
- 4Buy Big, Store Smart
- 5The Sunday Topper
- 6Treats from the Fridge
- 7The Never List
- 8Bake Your Own Biscuits
- 9Chews That Won't Break a Tooth
- 10Home-Cooked Meals, Done Right
Part TwoThe Monthly Home Check6 habits · Ten minutes a month, caught small
- 11The 10-Minute Nose-to-Tail Check
- 12The Monthly Weigh-In
- 13A Look at the Teeth
- 14Ears, Eyes and Skin
- 15Paws, Pads and Nails
- 16The Health Journal
Part ThreeSmarter Vet Spending9 habits · More care for every dollar
- 17Prevention Costs Less
- 18Parasite Prevention for Less
- 19Five Questions Before You Pay
- 20Get It in Writing
- 21Prescriptions for Less
- 22Low-Cost Care Options
- 23Insurance or a Savings Fund?
- 24The Budget First-Aid Kit
- 25A Safer Home
Part FourGrooming at Home6 habits · The back porch beats the salon
- 26The Home Grooming Kit
- 27Brushing by Coat Type
- 28Bath Day Without the Mess
- 29Clean Ears, Fewer Infections
- 30Brushing Teeth at Home
- 31When a Groomer Is Worth It
Part FiveBehavior and Training6 habits · A calmer dog costs a whole lot less
- 32Reading Your Dog
- 33Five Cues That Prevent Accidents
- 34Loose-Lead Walking
- 35Stop Paying for Chewed Shoes
- 36When They Panic Alone
- 37Busy Brains for Free
Part SixSupplies and Home2 habits · Spend on what lasts
- 38Buy Once, Buy Right
- 39Homemade Toys and Beds
Part SevenThe Old Dog1 habit · Comfort in the quiet years
- 40The Quiet Years
Printables included
Pages made for the fridge door.
Print them for personal use as often as you like, and keep them where the whole family can see them.
Never in the Bowl12 dangerous foods with both 24-hour poison hotlines
Five Questions Before You PayA card to take into the exam room
Price-per-meal worksheetCompare your food against two others
Nose-to-tail checklistTen stops, twelve months, one box to tick
Monthly weight chartOne dot a month, with your target band
Your Dog's ProfileVaccines, chip number and who to call
The True Cost of a DogWhat you spend now, and six months later
Emergency SheetWhen to go now, and what to bring
Gus's 12 RulesThe whole book on one page
Savings Ledger & Wins LogWatch the savings add up, month by month
Meet your guide
Pull up a chair.
I grew up on a Missouri farm where my father raised herding dogs, and I've spent the better part of my life since with dogs of every kind: farm collies, nervous rescues, and the old golden retriever snoring at my feet as I write this. His name is Bo.
Most of what I know about keeping a dog well, I learned the hard way, at the kitchen table with a pile of receipts. This book is everything I wish somebody had told me over the fence.
None of it means loving your dog any less. A healthier dog happens to be a cheaper one.
Gus Whitfieldand Bo, who says hello
Stories from Bo
Every habit was learned the hard way first.
"A fellow at the feed store once gave Bo a deer antler. Three weeks later the vet found a slab broken off his big upper molar. The extraction cost more than I'd spent on chews in his whole life."
Now: a $15 rubber toy, stuffed and frozen"When Bo started limping at ten, the first plan was X-rays and bloodwork. I asked if we could try rest and pain relief first. A week later he was sound again."
About $400, from one polite questionIs it for you?
Written for everyday dog people.
You'll love it if…
- You want your dog to live longer and feel better, and you'd like to stop overpaying along the way
- You like plain steps, real numbers and worksheets you can fill in with a pencil
- You have a new puppy, a middle-aged couch dog or an old friend going grey
- You'd rather ask your vet good questions than skip the vet
It isn't…
- Veterinary advice, or a replacement for your vet. Every habit says when to call yours
- A guide to cutting corners on care. Better food and prevention come first
- A training program for serious fear or aggression. Those need a qualified professional
Questions
Good to know
What exactly do I get?
A 147-page, fully illustrated PDF: 40 habits in seven parts, a welcome from Gus, a First-30-Days Road Map, and a set of printable worksheets, checklists and fridge cards. You can download it right after purchase.
Can I read it on my phone or tablet?
Yes. It's a standard PDF that opens on any phone, tablet or computer, and it prints nicely on regular letter-size paper.
Is this veterinary advice?
No. Gus isn't a vet, and the book says so plainly. It shares general, practical habits for everyday dog care, and every habit includes a Safety Note on when to stop and call your vet instead.
Will the savings be the same for me?
Probably not exactly. Prices in the book are examples based on typical US prices, and your store, region and dog will change them. That's why most habits show you how to work out your own numbers.
My dog is a puppy (or a senior). Is it still useful?
Yes. The book covers growing puppies, including teething, the vaccine series and large-breed growth, and has a whole part on the old dog: comfort, footing, pain and saying goodbye.
Can I print the worksheets?
Yes. The printable pages may be printed for your own personal use as often as you like.
Start with one habit this week
Bo's on the porch. Come on up.
For less than a bag of dog food, you get forty habits that can pay for themselves at the first trip to the store.
$19one-time
instant PDF download
instant PDF download
147 pages · 40 habits · printables included