I can't even remember what it's like to have just one dog. I can remember having only two, about 23 years ago, but ever since dogs have outnumbered humans in the Williams pack.
I still get the occasional dismayed look from people here and there when I tell them how many dogs I have. Granted, it's usually from a person who is having difficulty managing one dog, but I can only imagine what images they must be conjuring. I guess they picture dogs running amok all through the house, jumping on counters, laying all over the furniture, excessive barking, fighting, and just generally causing havok. Well the truth is, I must have the laziest dogs on the planet because they spend the majority of their day sleeping. They know that outside is for acting a fool, inside is for acting like they have some sense. Even the young ones, who my husband has dubbed, "the wild boys," know that running through the house is a big no no.
There is very little barking. I have neighbors who have one dog that I hear barking far more than all mine put together. My barkiest is little 3lb. Geoffrey, and truthfully his bark sounds more like an annoying chirp. Yes, they do lay all over the furniture, but the operative word is lay. They are calm, still, sleeping, and most importantly, they get off immediately when told. As far as dog fights - there are none. There is an occasional hissy fit here and there, all talk, and they cease and desist immediately when told. Not a drop of blood has ever been drawn.
I guess you could say that they get it. They understand the hierarchy and structure in this pack - I'm top dog, alpha bitch. Next in line is probably Mo Mo, my Standard Poodle. The rest of them fluctuate from position to position depending on what's going on. Tucker is off to the side, or should I say, is on a pedestal. I don't let any of the others mess with him. He is the prince, mommy's Golden Boy, and they know it. If it were up to Geoffrey, I can tell from his vocalizations and posture that he'd be King of the Dogs. Of course the others find this both odd and amusing. When he is jumping at them attempting to discipline, they just stand their in awe until I pick him up and plop him on the couch for his own protection. Mike, well, he doesn't really fit in the pack either. He's just their love bug.
Do I have too many dogs? Some might say so, but I disagree. I do feel guilty at times when I can't give each of them all the attention I'd like to but then I look at their lives. They are all happy dogs and quite frankly I don't think anyone on this planet would take better care of them than I do. They have a wonderful home with us, and just like a family with multiple human kids, we love them all, perhaps differently, but each one has his/her place. I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Ahh, here's a blog topic I can relate to. As most of you know, there are 4 cavaliers in my household as well as two cats. One of the great things about Cavaliers, is that they all get along just fine. Most of the time, you can't even tell who is the boss, and who that might be sometimes varies from activity to activity. Although Tory is generally the boss dog, the old gal Miranda always gets to eat all of her dinner whereas, if I left them all to their own devices, Harley and Benny wouldn't get any dinner, Tory would eat it all (but not Miranda's). Go figure. She is quite at the bottom of the pack otherwise as she is getting old and weaker and I have to keep the young boys from picking on her and ganging up on her.
Pack life here seems to be pretty quiet. I'm not always sure I manage to stay the alpha, but from time to time, when someone starts to get too uppity, I reassert myself and we return to an equilibrium. Harley is my little princess, she gets favors and special treatment much of the time. No one messes with her, though she is quite content to be a follower. She lets the boys lead the way most of the time. She has been known to get a little shot in once in a while, nipping and nudging Benny just to irk him.
Luckily, the alpha business is not too difficult with Cavaliers, since many of them are shy and retiring. Even Tory who is the top dog at home, is very shy and submissive when I take him out in public and around other dogs. I have to admit, I might have trouble with a more assertive breed of dog, since I am a little lax about some of the things that the 'experts' say you should be consistent about. Cavaliers are so easy going about thngs.
My biggest issue with having multiple pets is the sheer expense of it all. If money wasn't a problem, I'd probably end up with more than I have--and other breeds as well. As it is, we tend to go through spells when everyone seems to need $400 dollar trips to the vet--all in one month. How do some of you manage it?
The next biggest issue, is that I can't possibly give them all an equal amount of attention and training, I sometimes find that frustrating as I would really like to keep all of them active. Poor Tory gets left behind a lot because I got him at a time when I was unable to give him much training and attention and he tends to be shyer in public. Luckily, Miranda is happy to be just a 'dog' and is pleased to hang around the house. Benny and Harley are kept pretty busy with one thing or another.
Brandy
Ahhh, yes, the expense. I don't ever attempt to add up all the $$$ I spend on my dogs. I really spare no expense when it comes to them. They eat the best food and get the best vet care. My husband and I refinanced our house 7 years ago and were eagerly awaiting a small check, after all bills were consolidated and paid, that we could use to buy something nice for ourselves, take a small vacation, whatever "frill" we could think of. Lo and behold, Tucker tore his cruciate and all the extra money went toward his surgery. Neither of us batted an eye. It was a done deal and without question. Recently MoMo underwent surgery to remove a tumor (her second surgery) and again, we just took her in and paid it, no questions asked. If I was not willing or able to do that, I wouldn't have them. And trust me, we are not rich!!!!! We are struggling new business owners!!!! Which is why I don't always have a lot of sympathy for people with one dog who say they can't afford to pay for shots, good food, etc. My answer to them is, then you can't afford a dog, period. Providing a home for a dog, or any living, breathing pet for that matter, is not a "right" it's a privilege and most importantly a responsibility, no different than a human child, IMO.
I'm echoing your comment, Laurie. "Ahhh, yes, the expense." I hadn't done this before, but I just added up the cost of Daisy's medications for the past 4 1/2 years. Her meds alone to treat the Addison's have come to $4,125... and I'm grateful to pay it out because it means she's still with us - and she's doing just fine.
Life is full of choices. I choose to live a life with multiple dogs. Their well-being is the priority in this household... Yep, I've gone without a few things along the way, but the joy of their company is so much better than any material reward.
I have a friend who ended up having to place all four of her dogs in new homes because she could no longer care for them properly. It was truly a heart-breaker. It was not an easy decision for her to make, but by placing them, she did the best thing she could for them.
I can't imagine being in that position.
First, if I die I want to come back as a dog and live with Laurie's family :)
As a general rule, being military, we try to only keep 2 dogs and 2 cats at any one time. But currently we have 1 cat and 3 dogs, I blame Laurie for the addition of Logan... since we will only be here 2 more years I wanted to take advantage of having access to PNI.
Copper, she's 12, rules the house. She mostly relaxes and hangs out in her crate (with the door open) but if she wants your toy she gets it. If the other two are rough housing with each other too much then she lets them know.
Foster is the easy going, love everyone, type. He is happy to play with anyone and has welcomed the puppy into the house with no problems. He is learning to assert himself when he has had enough or is trying to get the best spot underneath the highchair.
Logan, I'm not sure were he'll end up in the order. I have a feeling he may end up top dog down the road as he demonstrates some dominate behavior already (10 weeks old). But he seems to be reserved and leary of new or scary things.
I like to think I am top dog, I will frequently take their food away while they are eating to remind them it's really 'mine' and I'm letting them have some. I also reinforce the pecking order by handing out treats oldest to youngest. I'm sure they view the kids as siblings and my husband as a free handout if they beg long enough -which doesn't take long and I'm always getting on him about it.
I agree with Brandy about expense. Just between food, heart worm prevention and bug control each month it's a commitment to my budget. I do have their annual shots spaced out so I'm not paying one big bill at once each year. Then there is the training fees and trail fees and don't forget grooming! I don't get to as many trials as I would like and I hate smelly dog so I always have to see what I have left after paying my regular bills.
As for unexpected big vet bills, we have a 'case by case' policy. I can't predict what I'd do. It really depends on what I can afford and if the effort would make a difference in the end. You can't budget for "what if's" but I can plan to do the best I can for each animal. (I can say I keep putting money into a Suburban that hates me and I keep thinking "what else could it possibly need next, this has got to be the last thing" and it doesn't love me like my dogs!)
I love the saying "Lord help me to be the person my dog thinks I am"
:)Janet
LOL Janet, I've been blamed for a lot worse than being the inspiration for a new puppy!!! :) Logan is absolutely precious. You know, one of the best perks about creating PNI is that I get to have my puppy fix every night of the week without having to take one home with me!
Right now there are no "new puppy/dog plans" on the horizon for me, but you never know what the future holds. Out of my last 3, only one was actually planned, Ramesses my Pharoah. The other two just kinda happened for one reason or another. If the right dog came along for the right reasons, ya never know!!!
Right now I have plans for the ones I do have. I'd like to get Ram's show career going. I'd like to get at least RN/RL1 Rally titles on MoMo, Leo and Arthur. And Sunday MoMo takes her TDI test. Wish us luck! :)
One of the things that I have found about having multiple dogs in the household, is that it eases the pain and transition when one of them (or someone) passes to the
next plane. Although I'm heartbroken when I lose one of my 4 footed family members, having the rest of them who need to be loved and cared for gets me out of the doldrums pretty quickly.
In the same vein, as many of you know, I lost my husband a couple of years ago. Because I had my little furry family who relied on me, I had to pick myself up and keep on going. It really helped me get a grip and they were, of course, a great comfort.
I would find it difficult to have only one or no dogs in my life--at least as long as I'm healthy and able to care properly for all of them. There is also an adage among Cavalier owners -- you can't have just one! I certainly found that to be true for me even though I grumble at times about the cost of boarding, or the hassle of making sure someone comes by to let them out if I need to be away all day.
Have the rest of you discovered that your circle of friends has become increasing composed of strictly dog friendly folk? I know I have--its just so much easier. I have to really make an effort to keep cultivating people outside of that circle because--well--its good to have balance. But, on the other hand, those folks that are allergic or unfriendly towards dogs have fallen by the wayside. LOL I'm sure I'm not the only one who has tried to explain agility trials and rules to the uninitiated (Substitute, obedience, rally, tracking etc) and been met with blank looks. I have to laugh at myself sometimes. DO you all do the same?
Brandy, gosh, I totally understand. Had I not had my dogs when my son was ill I don't know what I would have done. My husband and I took turns sleeping at the hospital, so returning home on those nights all alone would have been unbearable if they hadn't been there waiting for me. There would have been nothing worse than a dark empty house. Instead, what I came back to was a group of tail wagging, excited dogs who were happy to see me! These furry beings literally saved our lives.... all of us.
I also agree with you about the circle of friends. You tend to gravitate toward people who understand you when you say and do something as opposed to people who look at you like you are from the planet Mars. Only dog people truly get it when we talk about the expense, the time, and how much we depend on our babies. The same thing happened when I was in law enforcement. Jackie, are you listening? I began surrounding myself only with other law enforcement professionals. They understood the hours I kept, they understood the pressure, the stress, and shared my opinion on the general public - no comment! ;-) And again that's what happened when I was a fitness professional. I hung out with other personal trainers, exercise instructors and basically, gym rats. That's just a natural progression of things, I guess. It just becomes exhaustive trying to explain yourself to people who don't get it.
I think the biggest thing in balancing a multi-dog home, is the other 2 legged family members, I find myself being torn between the two. For myself it's a decision that is becomming increasingly harder, but I know in my heart of hearts, that I can't give up any of it, a part of me would cease to exsist. It does get hard trying to get other people to understand the love and desire/need of doing what we all do.
As far as pecking order I am the lead so really no problems. I love having the 4 dogs that I have. They are all different sizes and personalities. Herbie thinks that he is ruling the roost with the others, and tends to get a little bent out of shape when anybody starts getting squirrley. (LOL), I just pick him up or put him on the floors, and he stops right away.
As far as expenses go,I would agree with what Janet had to say, regarding cost and effect. I have to count my lucky stars, that I have had no major medical issues. They all do get the best foods and will, should the need arise the best medical care I can provide for them.
I wish there was someway we could set up an emergency fund, so if one of us needs fast money for medical TX we would be able to access it. And that we could do dog care while someone is out of town instead of boarding our crews. Which as Brandy said can be very costly.
As Laurie and Brandy both said, they do give us a reason to get up in the morning.
Circle of friends, hmmm...
I do have a distinct circle of dog friends. I also have a circle of Air Force friends and Mommy friends. There are probably only one or two people that fit in all three circles. When I have a dog brag and I go thru my email list and only about 10 people out of 50 get sent the 'Brag' and there are some 'dog circle' people that I do not send 'mommy' stuff to.
I can say that our dogs are welcomed in almost all my 'friends' homes because they know that they are well trained/behaved and they come with their kennel. There are one or two I would never ask to stay with because they just don't like dogs but if there is a show near a friends house I'm not shy about asking for a room to 'rent' and I've rarely been turned down.
I currently don't have any close friends who don't have dogs. People who don't have, and especially don't like dogs are just weird. I don't have time for them.
If you can't provide proper care and love to all your non-humane family members, then yes, you have too many. Everyone's definition of proper care is different. Like Laurie and others on this list, I do what is necessary and worry about how to pay for it later. I find that I sacrafice myself to provide for my critters.
I recently added a puppy to my clan. I now have 2 dogs, a puppy and 4 cats.
Vet bills - oh yeah, I've got those. Thank goodness for Care Credit! Raven just underwent arthroscopic surgery on her shoulder. In December, Winston had a rhinoscopy. And of course, Ricochet gets puppy shots every few weeks - I'll be so happy when those are done. Some of the cats have issues too and make several trips to the vet each year. Yup, they are very expensive, but I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Food bills, yup I've got those. My dogs eat raw, mostly because of Winston's allergies. I wouldn't doubt that I spend more than $2k on dog food and cat food each year.
Behavior issues, yeah I've got those. Winston is a resource guarder - once she decides something is hers, don't challenge her. Thank goodness she loves the game of "trade" - she has to bring me the object I don't want her to have and we trade it in for a treat - after I have possession. Raven is my anchor - the most stable minded being in my household. I'm hoping Ric takes after his Aunt!!
Providing time for each dog is challenging. I spend way more time in the car driving to training facilities than I like. But, I find it an evil necessity. Why can't Fredericksburg and Beltsville be closer to Charlotte Hall??? Poor Winston is the one who is typically left out for training. Since she loves to go for rides, she gets to come with me to the dump each week to throw out the trash. You grab quality 1 on 1 time however you can!
I have a motorhome - my license plate says "DOG HSE". Yup, it was purchased a few years ago for the dogs - it's their mobile house when we go to trials or on vacation. And all of my vacations are geared toward the dogs - we attend Dog Scout Camp almost every year. (we missed last year because of Agility camp).
Funny, Laurie's dogs don't run through the house. HA! That's where I get all my entertainment and how the puppy sleeps through the night! Winston & Ricochet run back and forth through the family room into the kitchen and back.
Being a single homeowner in a multi dog household, the dogs take priority. Eventually the carpets get vacuumed and the laundry gets washed. It certainly is a challenge, but I can't imagine how bored I must have been before I had a dog. There was a lot of tv watching, book reading and gardening done in those days.
Like you all, I don't think I'd ever have less than 2 dogs. I don't know if my numbers will grow from the 3 I have. I'll just have to see what happens.
LOL Sandy your post made me laugh. When your dog family grows, so does everything that comes along with dogs like vet bills, food bills, and yes, behavior issues. Our lives revolve around our dogs. That's just the way it is and frankly, I really don't know (or remember) how to live any other way because we've been doing it so long. Our last vacation was 2 years ago. We went to NYC for New Year's and we took the three Maltese with us!!! They were a huge hit at the extremely dog friendly Sheraton Hotel where we stayed. The bellhop brought velvet dog beds to our room for each of the dogs and gave them each a "goody bag" full of gourmet treats and poop bags, lol. I did get a little nervous when the housekeeping staff started knocking on our door asking to see "the teeny tiny one." But it was a fun trip. NYC is an exremely dog friendly place.
Every other trip we've gone on was dog-related. We went to some APDT rally trials up in the Catskills a couple of years ago and it was beautiful. I definitely see a mobile home in our future some day. In fact, ever since we were married Mike and I have fantasized about the day we can retire and travel around the country in our motor home, with our babies, going to dog shows.
I know Debbie O is probably laughing picturing me in a motor home, but I'm talking about the limousine of all motor homes with every single amenity there is. A luxury hotel on wheels. Do the make those?
Haha. Laurie, yes they do make those! The rockstars all travel in them :) I know, I'm finally back to post yay!
Where to start...ah yes. I must say, Laurie had a big part in my decision to take on Phoenix. As most of you have met, seen,(or even heard) Cote, I had a big decision to make. I knew it wasn't going to be easy in the slightest but that blue eye just staring up at me from the kennel melted my heart and it still does. I can't stay angry with her even when she does decide that mommy's shoes are chew toys. Had I not met Laurie and taken a very progressive attitude towards changing not only the relationship I had with Cote, but also some of his behavior problems, Phoenix wouldn't be living with me. I would have kept her long enough to place her because is just the love of my life. Think Tucker or Harley. He sleeps in the bed with me, he rides in the car when there are errands to run, he's the reason I enjoy doing what I do. But lo and behold she's become the second in command. I do see myself as the alpha but have more trouble than I'd like with my two legged family members. Mom has the mentality "dogs are cute" They get away with everything with her. Dad isn't around enough and my brother would rather we only had Phoenix.
As for the running in the house, I must agree with Sandy. When Phoenix gets that look in her eye, you're in for a good laugh. She'll run from every piece of furniture in the house and do fly-bys on Cote. Outside they run like crazy dogs, and thats fine. But there is play in the house that if it gets out of hand I'll put an end to.
Not to be a copycat but "ah the expenses" and I don't even pay for half as much as you all do! Granted I am pretty much the resident dog keeper. I make sure the dogs all eat top quality and pay for shots on all three (Pepper is my old girl who is much happier just living the retired life). Phoenix definately taught me to balance my expenses. Sandy put it right when she said "I do what needs to be done and figure out how to pay for it later." With Cote's old man years approaching and his cancer progressing slowly I see some hard decisions in my future, but i'll cross those bridges when I get there. I hope that by having a youngin around, he'll age less quickly. But I can't imagine my life any differently. I will always have atleast one, I wouldn't be able to cope otherwise!
oooh!! the luxury motor home. How I dream of those. I was at a big dog show last year doing a freestyle demo. There was this motorhome company there showing off their primo dog show motorhome. Man oh man was that the ritz. It had kennels, and dogwashing facilities. It opened up in the back end like a deck and you could sit outside, but still be up and sheltered by the canopy. The rest of it was really fabulous too. Sigh. I could just about live in one of those. The design of course was slanted towards the pro handler and carrying around multiple/multiple dogs. Well its a dream. LOL
Does anyone else use PetMeds or know of another discount source for heart worm prevention and flea control? I just spent $326 for a 6 month supply for three dog for both meds. I don't think that is a bad price but I'd like to know if there are other options.
Sandy, you mentioned using pet medical insurance. Can you give me/us more information about that?
I'd love a motor home too! The delux model with built in cages sounds heavenly, no dragging my cages in and out of the house every time I want to go to a show. Or packing and unpacking for each show. Oh, and I can see Laurie and Mike tooling around the country in one with the Maltese sitting on the velvet cushions!
:)
Care Credit isn't insurance, it's a credit card where doctors (human & veterinary) are members. You have to find out if your doctor or vet is a member. You can get the 6 month payment plan with 0% interest, so I can take 6 months to pay off Raven's surgery without incurring any other costs. If you don't make the monthly payments, you are automatically put into the "interest" payment plan. You can check it out at www.carecredit.com.
Just a few words on pet insurance. There's a girl at work who has (had) VPI for her cats. One of her cats had to have a limb amputated because of cancer. VPI only paid a few hundred bucks - she didn't even get her monthly premiums out of it. There are other insurance companies who pay a percentage of your bill - much better than VPI who has a set price for each type of issue. They are a bit more expensive, but they pay out more too.
Pet Insurance is a tough call. The premiums do add up. I'm considering it for Ricochet, but I haven't done enough research to make a final decision.
Sandy, I'm with you on Care Credit
It has really helped us out with emergency vet costs on several occasions. Back in '02 Tucker became ill with a nasty case of pancreatitis when we were visiting Bryan at school in KY. He was severely dehydrated and would have died if we'd tried to make the 10 hour drive back home so we ended up staying an additional 2 days in KY for him to be hospitalized and received IV fluids. Anyway, we ended up leaving Old Kentucky with a $1000 vet bill. Fortunately we'd just opened up the Care Credit account the month before. Most recently we used it for Mo Mo's $800 tumor removal. I highly recommend this, far more than the pet health insurance. As Sandy said, I've heard they don't cover a lot of things. Care Credit is a credit card to use for your entire bill, and the best part is if you don't need it, you don't use it. Pet insurance requires you to make regular payments whether you use it or not.
It's nice to see so many people with multiple well cared for pets. I also have a multi-dog household 2 Papillions and one mutt. Along with 5 rescued cats.
Vet visits are definitely expensive so I try to space them out so the expense is not too noticeable.
I think the key to being a successful multi-dog owner besides having the means is to be the pack leader. Something I am finding easier said than done.
I don't have trouble with fighting dogs but I do have trouble walking my dogs as a pack. My 2 little ones have lots of energy and seem to need a walk even though they go to day care. Things just seem calmer around the house if they all get lots of exercise. However my walks are a nightmare. I have a dominate male and I feel I am constantly reminding him I'm pack leader. He will not walk beside me he constantly tries to walk in front. He never relaxes on the leash and our walks are more like a pulling match. (Although I must say I'm beginning to see my biceps.) Oh and heaven forbid we walk by another living creature. Let's just say it's not a pretty picture. How do you all provide exercise and walk all your dogs? I'm at the point now I am just going to walk one at a time.
I like that Laurie doesn't allow rambunctious play inside the house. That is something I would like to try.
Hi Jill,
Welcome!!! I have to be honest in that I really don't do group walks, especially with my little ones, mainly because there are too many loose dogs that run in my neighborhood. I think most people have difficulty walking 2 or more dogs at a time. It's pretty common for dogs to jockey for position and to try to be in front, and as a result of their competition, they end up pulling you right along with them!
Hopefully we will be able to make some progress with Rascal's walking within the coming months. It sure will be fun trying!! :)
Your right working with him will be fun. I need to remember it's the journey not the destination that counts. :)
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