Does anyone make their own dog food and does it save them any money? I know you have to have the right percentages of meat, etc., but do you have any ideas how to make it cheaper, versus buying it?

I would first research (from your vet primarily) the proper amounts and types of food you would feed (which meats, which veggies, which nutrients/supplements) and then comparison shop just like you do for your own food.

If you get the Food Network, I suggest watching this show. http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/show_sp/episode/0,,FOOD_9994_55840,00.html I watched it last night and it was very informative on what to feed and how. Good Luck!

A good treat that I give my dog is when I make chicken cutlets, I take all of the trim that I have taken off the cutlets and I boil it. I give it to the dog. He loves them.

that's one thing I don't even buy generic on. most things i have read say that this is the one product you generally get what you pay for. Our Vet told us to stay away from generics and home made.

Rachel ray has a show about home made dog food. I have yet to watch it but when I do, I'll post anything interesting I saw on it.

I feed my dog homemade food. Here is what he gets
2 heads of cabbage (shredded in food processor)
1 large carton cottage cheese
5 pounds of chicken breasts or ground chicken baked and deboned
1 medium bag of frozen veggies
A dozen eggs with shells
2 packages of chicken liver
One small carton of instant oatmeal (only a little of this 10% of total)
I mix up this concoction and freeze it in 2 cup containers and he gets one cup daily. I also give him a multivitamin, garlic tablets with brewers yeast and a tablespoon of vinegar daily.
He is in excellent health. I decided to switch to the homemade diet when my dog developed an eye infection which my veternarian attributed to seasonal allergies however since switching to the homemade diet the allergies are gone. I was worried that my vet might want to put him on injections. I have also been able to control his weight better and he does not have any skin issues or that doggy smell. :cheergrl:

larabelle - what size and breed is your dog?

I am thankful DH brings home our dog food every month from his plant. Yep, DH is a supervisor of a dog food manufacturing plant. We know all the ingredients that go in the food.