Spoiled Dog Finds: Why My Cavapoo Shops Retail and My Son Shops Goodwill
I want to address something before we go any further.
My seven year old son wears Vineyard Vines shirts I found at Goodwill for $3. His Nike shorts came from a thrift store. His entire wardrobe is a testament to the fact that wealthy people donate extraordinary things and I am not too proud to benefit from that.
My dog, Gizmo, shops retail.
I know how this looks. I am not apologizing for it.
Here is the thing about Gizmo — she is a seven year old Cavapoo who has never once questioned her worth, her value, or her right to the finest things in life. She moves through the world with the confidence of someone who has never seen a sale rack and never intends to. She deserves only the best and she communicates this clearly through eye contact alone.
My son is very loved and also very well dressed for a fraction of the price. Everyone wins.
The Love Life of Gizmo
Before we talk about what to look for when thrifting for your dog — and yes, thrifting for your dog is absolutely a thing — I need to tell you about Gizmo’s romantic history.
It started with Lamb Chop.
If you grew up in the 90s you know Lamb Chop — Shari Lewis’s beloved sock puppet, the star of her own television show, an icon of children’s entertainment. Gizmo found a Lamb Chop stuffed toy and immediately claimed her as a lover. This is just what Gizmo does. Any stuffy that enters this house becomes her lover. She carries them around. She sleeps with them. She has a whole thing.
After Lamb Chop came Francois.
Francois was a pig. A stuffed pig with what I can only describe as distinguished energy. Gizmo was devoted to Francois in a way that made the whole family slightly emotional. Francois the pig was loved completely and without reservation.
And then came Yoshi.
Yoshi — yes, the Nintendo character, yes, the green dinosaur — entered Gizmo’s life via a Whatnot sale. For those unfamiliar, Whatnot is a live selling app where people auction off collectibles, toys, and various treasures in real time. I found Yoshi there at a bargain price and brought him home.
Gizmo took one look at Yoshi and decided he was the one.
So I suppose even Gizmo bargain shops occasionally. She just does it with more dignity than the rest of us.
What to Look For When Thrifting for Your Dog
Here is where I will save you some money — because while Gizmo may shop retail, the rest of us do not have to.
Stuffed toys and plush animals
Thrift stores are full of stuffed animals in excellent condition. People donate them constantly — outgrown toys, impulse purchases, holiday gifts that never found a home. For a dog who treats every stuffy as a potential life partner, the thrift store stuffed animal section is basically a dating app.
What to look for: No small parts that can be chewed off and swallowed. No button eyes. No loose stuffing. Firm seams. Machine washable is a bonus.
What to avoid: Anything with batteries, electronic components, or music boxes inside. Hard plastic parts. Anything that looks like it has been loved quite hard by a previous child owner.
Dog beds and blankets
Pet beds retail for anywhere from $30 to $300. I have seen perfectly good dog beds at thrift stores for $4. Wash them thoroughly — a hot wash cycle handles everything — and your dog will never know the difference.
Gizmo has a yellow bed that she loves completely. She does not know what it cost. She does not care. She just knows it is hers and she will be on it whenever possible.
Leashes and harnesses
Check the hardware carefully — clasps and clips need to be fully functional and secure. But a gently used leash or harness in good condition from a thrift store is a completely reasonable find. Dogs do not have opinions about whether their leash is new.
Gizmo has opinions about everything except this.
What I Always Pay Full Price For
In the interest of full transparency — here is what I do not thrift for Gizmo:
Food. Always quality, always the good stuff, always full price. Her stomach and her coat are not negotiable.
Vet care. Obviously.
Lamb Chop. Some things are worth paying for.
The Bottom Line
My son is thriving in thrifted Vineyard Vines. Gizmo is thriving in retail everything with a rotating cast of stuffed lovers including one pig named Francois and one Nintendo dinosaur acquired at a discount on a live selling app.
Balance, as I always say, is everything.
“Sorry I’m trustworthy and it’s easy to be in love with me.”
— Gizmo, probably, to Yoshi
