:

To an extent, yes. What I dislike about the Easy Walk is that it has a martingale closure in the front which tightens when the dog pulls. If you set the harness tight enough so it doesn’t sag, it compresses the dog’s shoulders and chest, which I think is both uncomfortable and potentially damaging. If you set the harness loose enough that it doesn’t compress the dog’s shoulders when it tightens, it sags and hits their legs when they walk normally and changes the angle of leash attachment. (When the dog pulls, the excess fabric from the martingale slips sideways, so it’s easier for the dog to pull than it would be if the leash were attached directly to the front.) It probably wouldn’t make a big difference on large or giant breed dogs, but having used both the Easy Walk and Sense-Ation on Maulkin and frequently seeing both in puppy classes, the martingale really makes the Easy Walk less effective on small and medium dogs.

I don’t know much about Horowitz. I think I’ve seen videos of her discussing her lab’s work, and I’ve definitely read about her research and may have even read a few primary articles. (All extremely interesting!) If she’s written anything on dog training in particular, I haven’t read it but would be very interested in seeing what she has to say.

Has anyone else read Inside of a Dog? Is it insightful, easy to understand, scientifically accurate, and inspirational? Should I put off buying dog toys to get a copy?!

You can work around some of the Easy Walk harness’ shortcomings by flipping the harness upside down and attaching a light weight carabiner from the D clip to a dog’s collar. (Alternately, clip the leash to both the D ring and the dog collar).

The former helps with proper adjustment. The latter allows you to negate the martingale (to an extent) while keeping the front strap from sagging.

I still don’t recommend the Easy Walk, but if it’s all you have access to it’s better than nothing! :)

fightingforanimals-deactivated2:

I’m poor as hell too! Here are some staple foods I always recommend to others - they last a long time and are nutritious (full of protein, carbs, etc)!

• tinned beans and dried pulses of various kinds
• vegetables (particularly seasonal ones) - can be tinned or frozen
• potatoes
• pasta and noodles - dry lasts longer
• rice - again, dry :)
• bread (wholemeal is best from a health point of view) - can be frozen
• dried herbs and spices (if you enjoy a kick or extra flavour)
• seasonal fruit 
• soya mince

These ingredients may not sound hugely exciting on their own but can be used to make a wide variety of dishes such as chillies, curries, stir fries, wraps, pasta dishes and so on, so it’s possible to have plenty of variety too.

Staples such as soya milk and vegan-suitable margarine are similar prices to their dairy equivalents, particularly if you go for supermarket own-brand soya milk (which is often cheaper than the equivalent cow’s milk). I am not a fan of soya milk myself and instead buy rice milk for its creamier taste, but again the prices are similar or cheaper than milk is anyway. Frozen veggie burgers and sausages are often fairly inexpensive, particularly supermarket own-brand products (check the labels before buying though as not all ‘veggie’ products are vegan). For example, Tesco and Asda do their own meat free ranges, and do a yummy selection of veggie burgers (tesco are actually amazing for vegans now all of a sudden, and I haven’t struggled to find cheap sausages, veggie burgers, and other mock products - they are usually on sale too such as buy one get one half price, and they just stay in my freezer for ages.

Here is a (hopefully you’ll find) positive testimony about going vegan on a budget too - for example, a vegan university student wrote an article here about how she saved a lot of money compared to her omnivorous friends (around £10 a week).

She says:

“But make no mistake: vegans can live healthily shopping only at supermarkets. A number of supermarkets now have vegan product lists and most label their food accordingly. With lactose free and meat free products on the rise, I can make Thai curries, pasta bakes, greasy burgers and nutty risottos. Even cheesecakes are doable.”

She also adds that you’re not alone if your family and friends fail to understand your ‘sudden’ life choice. However if you can find a budget and a good meal plan for you, veganism is a fantastic lifestyle. It is certainly not just a diet, but I appreciate that expenses and worries about where to get foods are very real.

• There are more expensive ‘specialist’ products such as vegan cheese, vegan meat equivalents etc, but they’re not a necessary part of a vegan diet.  Health-wise it’s better to view these as occasional additions to your diet rather than staple foods.This doesn’t mean that a vegan diet is ‘expensive’ – if you based a non-vegan diet on expensive cheeses and cuts of meat, the cost would soon add up too!
• If you have access to a freezer, you can make up several portions of a curry, chilli or casserole with a big bag of supermarket ‘basics’ vegetables or potatoes and freeze some.  This is much cheaper than buying ready meals and is also convenient in that you can just reheat a meal in the microwave if you don’t have time to cook.
• Frozen vegetables can sometimes be cheaper than fresh, for example frozen peppers, broccoli or spinach, and taste just as good.  They also keep for longer, meaning you don’t end up throwing any away. 

There are a lot of resources on here thankfully for going vegan on a budget - I’ll bring up some links <3

Vegan-on-a-budget blog with categories about different types of food/recipes

Cheap meal ideas

More cheap meal ideas and tips on saving money

Cheap vegan on tumblr!

And if you’re REALLY stuck for cash, there’s a book for that!

EAT VEGAN FOR $4 A DAY!

Good luck and I hope this is helps! xx

There’s a page on Facebook called “Plant based on a Budget.”

Also, you can make plant milk at home, saving money. Lots of free Vegan recipes if you search for them. :)