Too Many Dogs? How Many IS Too Many?
The answer to that question lies in the eye of the beholder, so to speak. Two is too many for some households, ten is too few for others. My own personal best number feels happiest at four. I cannot tell you why I feel that way. That is just when solid peace and contentment fully seem to set in. (at this time of editing, I only have two but one is 160# so he counts for more!) But truthfully, that is only because I am the sole human in residence at the moment. There is only so much one person can do, in my opinion. There would be more if I had more help!
I used to think I was the oddball when having four dogs raised so many eyebrows. Having run a rescue for thirteen odd years, four was the fewest residence most of the time. I once had nine here, five of them being puppies. That was a hectic time! I have had eight adult dogs at once, with four being either boarders or temporary fosters on their way somewhere else. Again, hectic!
Not too many dogs for this home. Photo courtesy of Katharine Weber.
Not being a fan of hectic, I have since learned to pace myself. Someday, when I have more room, both inside and outside and possibly another human to assist, I want more dogs as the status quo, but until that day comes, I will stick with a maximum of four permanent canine residents.
The reasons for this will shortly become clear. I have a check-list of minimum requirements for a multiple dog household. My own personal check list includes the basics, of course, such as appropriate affectionate attention to all, exercise (both physical and mental) sufficient to maintain canine (and human!) sanity, extra curricular dog activities when appropriate and cash flow sufficient to properly feed and vet all. Vetting, for me, also includes a monthly pet insurance payment, which actually makes the actual sickness and illness vetting process much easier. Peace of mind does have a price after all!
Your mileage may vary. But my own preferences aside, providing for physical and mental needs is important. Remember, your crew must trust that you can take care of their baseline needs in order to FULLY trust you, so this forms the basis of that trust. Do not take that need lightly.
Space is important as far as how many dogs you actually have room for in your home. Indoor space is important, but breed types can determine how important your indoor and outdoor space is. For example, if you have multiple Great Danes, although large, in general, they are not in need of a lot of exercise and running room so a large yard is not necessary. They are also known for liking to lounge around the house so again, as long as you have the space to accommodate such lounging, your house need not be large.
On the other side of the equation, having multiple true to type herding breeds such as Border Collies, will make you wish that you not only have a large fenced yard but a few sheep to herd as well! Know your breed preference requirements when deciding on a happy number for your household!
Multiples mean more work such as laundry, vacuuming, poop scooping, training, walking but also more fun, more laughs, more kisses and love. You have to decide what your own limit it.
One other caveat that is of vital importance: everyone should get along. No one should have to live with permanent barriers between dogs who get along so badly that that there are safety concerns. Mistakes WILL happen. Eventually. So if there’s no fixing the problem, consider re-homing the most recently added crew member who is part of the problem.
Now that I have covered all the high points of how many is appropriate, take the time to tell me in the spaces below, what your crew consists of and why if there is a why? Join me in celebrating a household of multiples!
Great blog…although i have never owned a multiple dog household i have cared for so many and I believe it’s hard for some owners to realuze that each dog has their on unique needs and play. Especially when introducing a new dog/puppy to the home, even if it’s the same breed. Owner seems to always compare.
My husband, 14 year old son and I have a total of 10 dogs (8 adopted shelter dogs, 1 stay and one from a neighbor as a puppy) and a green wing macaw parrot. Sometimes the one parrot is more work and noise than the 10 dogs put together. We have a large house (aprox 6000 sq ft), about 3 acres with about 1 acres fenced in back yard. We own our own business, so we never take a vacation anyways, whether we had pets or not. We do a lot of volunteer and pro-bono work for a local human society. They are all larger dogs, harder to place dogs and they all get along, eat next to each other, play with each other and are completely safe with people and kids. They all have the run of the house and the back yard. We have a cleaning person come in once a week to clean the house and we do daily pick up of the house and yard. We can easily afford feeding, vet and care for the 10 dogs and they all get enough of our time and affection. We bought a large truck with a topper so we can load the dogs in the back and take them to the woods or farms of friends once or twice a week and let them get a good loose run. My husband is a coon hunter and during coon season, he takes the two coon dogs and takes turn taking the other dogs out almost nightly with his hunting friends and their dogs. Some dogs sleep in our bedroom and some sleep in our son’s bedroom. Our dogs are part of our family and we could not imagine our lives without them now. The only problem we see for us is that we have to constantly take roll call to make sure everyone is accounted for. And if it came down to life or death for a good dog at a shelter, I can see us adopting another one.
Great article. I think 4 or 5 is going to be my magic number. I am currently at 8. I did rehome one that was having trouble getting along, and she was the younger of the two. She is now an Emotional Support Dog for a wonderful man with Parkinson’s, and the Therapy Dog for the assisted living residence he lives in.
I had two chihuahua’s for nearly eleven years with no litters, life was great but they both passed on. So after the grief process I bought another pair. I got attached to the off springs but now have too many and they just keep on, keeping on. I’m past my limit. Too much work. What to do as I only want to keep two.
I’m here in the USA raising several lab pups that will travel back to my home overseas. The pups can’t travel until they are 9 months old. I’m staying 6 months and then have a friend watch them the last few months while I return home to get things ready for them. The pups are going to be trained in Search and Rescue and/or therapy dog work. I initially thought 2 pups but that has grown to 4 pups and in all honesty, there are 2 additional pups that I truly want to buy but EVERYONE (my family in the USA, my kids, and even my husband) are beginning to think i’ve lost my mind. I LOVE the pups and they have brought me such joy. Each is different and unique in their own way. I just marvel at them. I feed the best feed and am training them in basic obedience as well as socializing them and exposing them to all sorts of things so they learn to take it all in stride. I’m adamant about good health and have had more than my fair share of runs to the doggie ER (just to make sure a pup was fine). I found this article because I googled “how many dogs is too many”. I appreciate the read because with everyone around me saying I’m crazy, I’m happy to hear that there are others far “crazier” than I am! Oh, I did forget to add that we are currently living in a 2 bedroom apartment (myself and my two kids) with the pups. But that is only temporary. We have a large home overseas on 20 acres.
I did rescue for over 15 years, and some of my dogs are ones that came into rescue and can’t be adopted. All together, I have eight dogs: it used to be 9, but I recently lost my Butch, a Lhasa Apso who I delivered and owned his entire 16 1/2 years until he died of insulmnia. Right now, I own an almost 14 year old Lhasa named Dancr (I got her when she was 10 weeks old), her daughter Teagan (13 years), Sparkle (8-10 year old Pomeranial, rescue), Kal and Lex, twin Min Pin/Chihuahua/Terrier (7 year old rescue), Avalon (5 year, PomChi), Annie (1 1/2 Chihuahua cross, rescue), Shay 1/2 Shepard cross.
Eventually, I’d like to get down to four dogs, but that will be when my geriatric group passes on. Until then, I will continue to get them to the vet as needed, feed them good food (Call of the Wild, no grain) and love them as my babies
We currently have 4 dogs (plus other animals), and I actually found your page because we are considering a fifth. The least we will do is re-home the dog from it’s current situation where the owner is moving and cannot take the dog(s).
Our dog family consists of Rascal (rat terrier/chihuahua) who is almost 3 1/2, Avery (Yorkshire terrier) who is 1, Dusty (Great Dane) who is 7 mos, and Barrett (Great Dane) who is 8 mos. The order is how we have acquired them. We got all dogs as puppies, except Barrett. We fostered him for a local rescue group and wound up adopting him because he fit in perfectly. My concern is Rascal because he is very timid and very much at the bottom of the pack, but overall the dogs get along great. The large and small ones tend to gravitate their size!
We were approached about another Great Dane that is 3 and needs a home due to the person moving. They have two but we are only interested in the fixed female, so hoping they will owner surrender the male to the rescue group for re-homing. I’m not sure if 5 is too many, because I love my 4. But more Danes is just fine with me – I love that breed most! But we also travel a lot with the dogs, so not sure how another large one would fit it.
People already think we’re crazy with 4, so what’s one more right?! It really is in the eye of the beholder!
This was a really great read. I have been struggling with a decision lately of whether to adopt 2 puppies we have been fostering for over 2 months. We already had a dog and a cat for the past 5 years, but just recently moved into a house (3 months ago). We happened to go to a PetCo when there was an adoption event outside and fell in love with 2 little puppies who were brother and sister…both Jack Chi. We decided to do foster to adopt because both our dog and cat are not fond of other animals and we were not sure how it would go. It was a hard road, but finally the dogs get along and our cat has come around though I know she would prefer for them to not be around. Our dog is hard to read. Sometimes he seems to enjoy playing but you can also tell he misses being the center of attention. Out dog and cat mean the world to us so we kept them available for adoption in hopes of someone wanting both…I could not handle separating them. Right when we were going to take the plunge, applications came in and now I am torn. We are attached to the puppies and the puppies are attached to us, but how do I know that everyone will be happy in the long run? I do not my dog and cat of 5 years to feel neglected after being the center of attention for so long. I’d appreciate any comments. One of the applications is from a woman who recently lost her dog of 10 years, but has no outdoor space and these puppies sure do love to run. So confused!
We have two male 13 year old rescue dogs, a large min pin and a pug-chihuahua. The two have never played together, tho the min pin would like to play. The “chug” hates puppies and other male dogs. I had been thinking of adopting a senior third dog, but I am concerned that the chug will make her life miserable. Therefore, I have decided to wait until the chug goes to his eternal rest, and then get another dog.
Interesting article. Very timely for me. I have 4 dogs and am making the decision this weekend whether or not to get a 5th. Intellectually, I know that 4 is ideal but I am leaning toward rescuing just one more. There are so many dogs in need of a loving home. This has given me more things to think about. Certainly, the more dogs one has, the less time available for one-on-one time with each. I do wonder if individual time outweighs the risk of one less dog being rescued. Thanks for an article just at the right moment for me.
It depends on what you can handle as well as your financial and marital status. Those who have young children prefer to have one small dog at the most if any so they can spend their energy on child rearing. Others who are single, alone, and elderly may benefit from having several dogs because they can fill in the void of not having anybody in the home. I think in the average household with children it’s a decision that should not be taken lightly. The children should be a little older and more mature (ages 10-12+) both parents should be at a state where they are in good physical and mental health to take care of a dog or dogs. I would say in that respect two dogs are good, one big like a golden retriever or German shepherd and one small one like a pug or a yorkie. Maybe have them go to obedience school so they can learn to modify their behavior in different contexts.
I’m sooo glad I found this. I’m a single mother of 1 teenage human boy and 3 furkids. I have a 13 year old pit bull mix (who is the SWEETEST girl EVER), a 12 year old male basset hound/ lab mix (yes he looks funny but I love him) and a 7 year old male AKC basset hound. I’ve recently been thinking about taking on a new dog. I lost my husky 14 years ago and every time I see one, I want to bring it home. I know someone who has one that needs a home and I’m not sure how I could ever say no. People already think I’m insane for having 3 medium sized dogs. My house is always furry! I rarely go out anymore other than for work. I’ve officially become the crazy dog lady. lol Thanks for making me realize that I’ve got enough love to go around.
It does depend on your overall situation and the dogs themselves I would think…. Like, If you take on several, untrained dogs at once, things will go bad realllll quick… buuut If you are able to properly train the dogs and keep the house free from TOO MANY accidents, then you’re doing it right. That’s just basic cleanliness, I mean, animal hoarding becomes apparent when your house is falling apart and not sanitary. If your house is clean, then you have time for them in my opinion. You also have to be able to care for & financially support x number of dogs. There’s a lot of factors that play into that equation that determine the answer to the question.
Personally I have 4 dogs & with a baby on the way, that’s my limit. (I’m married & live with my husband)
We have a female chihuahua, zoey, 6 years. Almost zero maintenance. Just requires food and snuggles. Sleeps in my bed every single night.
Female beautiful pit bull, makita, year and a half. Resilient watch dog and ultra loyal. Always happy
Male black lab with a dash of pit, Boozer, 8 months. Protective & sweet. Great cuddle buddy. Loves kisses! Loves the dog park. Loves other dogs! Mouthy sometimes, but always in a playful happy way.
And a male German shepherd pup, major, 16 weeks. Precious and outrageously smart. Got him 3 days before finding out I was pregnant… :p oops!! Dads fault though. He LOVES LOVES LOVES people. I’ve never met a dog who loves people so much! I would like to train him to work at nursing homes or something. Amazing dog. Still in his floppy, goofy puppy stage.
I’m fortunate to have been able to spend a lot of time with my dogs and be by their side to teach them how to behave. 3 out of 4 dogs are 100% house trained. The shepherd pup being the one still having accidents, mostly excited pees though. We moved to the country recently and that had made his potty training much easier.
Boozer, the second youngest made life easier because for some reason, he was already potty trained at 8 weeks. Must be the lab? We got lucky with him.
Zoey is perfect. She’s fully trained, I don’t even use a leash with her. I trust her 100%
We have a clean house, a giant yard, sufficient funds for vet care and food costs & plenty of love. Will a baby make that challenging? Of course. But I’m willing to take on that Challenge and raise my kid with my dogs as a family, and I know I’ll be glad I did
Oh, and no one will ever break into my house with that crew around
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Hello
I currently have a 3 dog household and 2 pits and a pug. I recently rescued a 3 month old pit puppy. My ? Is do all of u live in the country with multiple dogs or city? Do you have ordinences in your city or dog limits? Did u have to a kennel liscense. My problem is this I live on city limits and their limit is 5 pets total but no more than 3 dogs my house is 2500 sq feet I have 2000 sq feet fenced in in back they run in and out. All are appropriately vetted fixed. And fed and taken care of well. They all have a huge kennel of their own if I’m gone for a few hours but I’m generally home. I don’t have the heart to get rid of this little pup she’s adorable and this is her third home she has had it rough. My 2 pit girls love her they are 2 and 4 yrs old and she gets along great with the pack. What do I do? Help!!
Hi, I have four soon to be five. We have two Akitas and two min/med Australian labradoodles. Two, one and five month old siblings. I also have a cockapoo grand pup, two yorkie grand pups that visit often. As the doodles have gotten older Kamii, two year old, doesn’t tell them to go sit Down and stop all that jumping quite as much and will play tag with them from time to time. Kota is just a big old pup right now vying for dominance with Kamii right now. They have all had some level of formal training and are well socialized. We are now breeding the doodles. While the older two roam the house at night the doodles are always crated. All get walked ever day and can run around our yard as well. Everybody has their own things, everybody gets plenty of affection from everyone, and the doodles and other small dogs grands are never left alone with the big guys. Doing our best to make sure our babies, both big and small are well taken care of.
I live in D.C. and have three dogs. I have a decent income so care is not a problem., I also like to take them out for multiple walks each day and I have a midday dog walker when I work. They have free run of my apt (which I own). The dogs tend to be slugs at home except for the younger one. I take her out for an extra solo walk when possible. It works. I am considering adopting another dog who was abandoned under terrible circumstances. I have a number of acquaintances who seem to think it’s a terrible idea. Really? Happy well cared for dogs versus possible euthanasia? I also have heard comments about the money I spend. So what? It’s my money!
Well, my two daughters and I house 8….great dane, boxer mix, lab mix, Catahoula mix, two heelers (one old, one puppy), boston terrier, poodle mix…yep. All heartwormed, flea protected, all fixed but one, all off the street from somewhere.
This is their home, two under a year old, very few accidents, good yard to play in and the holes, oh the holes. Here I sit at the computer and 5 of them are surrounding me. Is it embarrassing to admit…yes. People think we are crazy, yes. But they will all get in the kennel when told, sit and lay when told, walk on a leash (some better than others). I can handle 4 at one time on a walk, the neighbors dogs are more of a problem than ours. Do I want more, absolutely not. They will live forever because they are fenced, housed, cared for, fed and loved. And they know it. And they are here with my children when I am not…..let someone try to come in my house. The barks alone are intimidating. Having them here it’s a love/hate thing. lol
Thank you for your post, I currently have Two lab mixes one female mix black lab (15 yrs) male mix yellow lab (11yrs) and an Australian Sheppard (4yr), this has been helpful we are considering another Sheppard/Blue Healer mix to be a suitable play mate for the other one. So my older dogs can be lazy and live out their years quietly. Although the oldest likes to challenge herself try to keep up with our pup, we can tell there are days as it is getting hotter, that she really like to lay inside in the AC. Thank you to everyone’s comments, I was scared tat 4 was to many.
Hi I have a sanctuary for large breed special need dogs-14 pooches about 1200lbs total weight. How many dogs I should have? Was a question I asked myself but I knew that I would know when the number was right. My last rescue was chained to a tree for 5 years and he had (and still does) a difficult time assimilating with the pack. His unbalanced personality and my dwindling funds (about 16k out of pocket a year) told me that 14 enough. Thought that I would share a few of the most common questions I receive 1.How much does it cost to feed them all? currently I buy about 500lb of Kibble, 20lbs of moist food , 30 cans of wet food and 6 boxes of cookies every month. 2. Where do they sleep? Wherever they want, there are always at least 3 on the bed with me. 3. How many will you give away? None, all my dogs now have a forever home with me. 4. Have you lost your mind (I get this one frequently from my family)? Perhaps a little
5. How do you keep your house clean? Well the first thing I did was lower my standards (a little fur on the floor is ok). My other strategy was to decorate my new home in “Shabby Chic” and “Early Kennel” in tones of dirt brown. I do have to vacuum every day, dust twice a week and touch up painting on the walls and doors every three months. Let’s not even discuss the back yard. 6. “What will you do now that you have established your pack?” I have made a presentation about Compassion, Care and Bite Prevention for dogs and share with children whenever I can . 7. “Which dog is your favorite?” Whomever I’m lovin on at the moment is my favorite. 8. “What do you do in your spare time?” Ha, very funny! 9. “How much dog hair do you eat annually?” I reckon it’s a few pounds. When I had my recent surgery one of my fears was they would find a big fur ball in my stomach. 10. Do you accept donations any time?” Heck yes, one of my favorite things is to go to the mailbox expecting big bills but finding a small donation!
We have 7 now..2 bordeauxs 2 jacks ( mom and daughter) a yorkie and a 15 year old chihuahua and a one eyed blind 11 year old shih tzu. I have been fostering 2 Maltese babies…they are 6 and 5 and came from a kennel. Im debating on ro keep them or finding homes for them. Glad i got to read this artical and comments. ..I can make my decision without thinking I’m going crazy ones out there.
I have 6 and am about to add 2 more!!! 4 Australian shepherds, 1 yorkie, a Keeshond and soon 2 border collie puppies. The Aussies are a blast… Clowns of the canine world. Amazingly everyone gets along with minor arguments here and there but that’s because they have a structure and rules and I keep their minds and bodies BUSY. We train, run, compete, bike, and I may train them to pull a sled this winter. Every day is an adventure.
We have 4 currently, a basset mix, a chihuahua mix, a Bernese mountain dog and a corgi puppy, we will be adding a borzoi puppy next week. My limit financially, emotionally, space and time wise is 5. I also have 2 children who are 6&8, the dogs have given them a great sense of responsibility, as well as respecting the dogs, and knowing how to keep the alpha role in the pack, I hope they will take their love of animals well into adult hood and make a positive difference. I love each and every one of my dogs. I will not add another and these 5 will live happily with my family for the rest of their life
I currently have three great pomeranians and a husband. We lost our senior adoptee a little over a week ago. I am thinking about aquiring another to bring it back to 4. I am wondering why do I need to do this? Isn’t three enough? Am I crazy? Lonely? Bored? Maybe a little of all? I think I am scared that I may lose my other senior as he has health issues also.The other two are ages 3 and 6. Reading this made me realize that everyone has different reasons, all personal, non right or wrong.
I have 3, and 3 puppies. My poodle just had a litter of pups (I will be getting her spayed in about 8 weeks) My oldest is an 8 1/2 year old Lhasa she is very independent loves to go out and wander, well behaved and she is mine. Her personality is exactly like mine. Only problem is she doesn’t like to go out in the rain, we live in Washington so rain is a frequent occurance; she is very moody when sleeping in the bed with us, God forbid we should move our feet. She will snip at out feet and she is constantly licking her paws. Then we have our toy poodle (Sitka), just over 2 years old; she is my daughters, very smart, but she is a constant licker. Then we have our little Ewok, (Buddy) he is 1/2 pomeranian and 1/2 havanese just over a year old, he belongs to the husband and is the only one that sheds. All of them get a long wonderfully. Sitka and Buddy just had a litter of puppies 8 days ago and I really want to keep one. I don’t know what it is but I just LOVE dogs. So is 4 to many? IDK, guess I will have to see if one of them will bond with me.
Three dogs and four cats. The dog is a new rescue although I’m extremely familiar with him since I work in the home of the person who had to give him up. So far, so good. I don’t think I want anymore but then this whole thing started with just “one cat” so just because I’m not looking for another family member doesn’t mean I won’t find one. We are in the midst of winter rains so our floor is in dire need of cleaning but otherwise life isn’t overly difficult. Each family and each person is vastly different and how many is too many varies. Years ago if someone has asked “How many pets is too many?”, the answer would’ve been ” Two. ” Now apparently the answer is “One more, clearly.”
We have 3 at the moment, a german shepherd/boxer and 2 terrier crosses. Today will be our second time meeting the greyhound we are hopefully going to adopt. He gets along great with our 3 and is very easygoing (as greyhounds are!) but we are still trying to figure out if 4 is too much for our financial situation. Hopefully we can take him because he’s a lovely boy and has been in foster for 9 months.
Hello! I love your article its so honest!!! I currently, have 7 dogs, which includes 4-7 week old Bull terrier puppies, and 2 cats. My great Pyrenees we rescued 4 years ago and is a 85 Ibs behemoth, then we have the momma of the puppies she’s about 45-50Ibs, and finally little Charley who is a 12-15Ibs rescue. We are keeping a male puppy for sure. But, I’ve also fallen in the love with a little girl and I really am worried 5 dogs would be way to many.
Oh my god. Loved your blog. I have four dogs which have followed me through one divorce and another relationship. I love all 4 of my dogs and I found your article and got a complete laugh out of what you wrote because having multiple dogs can be a lot of work for one person. I have four large pit bulls all of which love to cuddle and love to give kisses and they all need their individual attention. Everyday letting them run in the backyard is like having your own personal dog park. My ex husband never understood why I needed so many dogs but I just had too much love to give. There are still little disagreements I need to break up sometimes when one wants the rope and doesn’t want to give it up but all in all my little dog pack is pretty balanced and i exercise them at least two to three times a week on the bike individually and then I try to every Sunday walk them as a pack. For a little bit there while I was still with my ex husband they were all getting into dogfights. and it seems now that I’m happier theyre just equally as happy. Now I have had my dogs about one to two years apart. Balloo is about 5 years old Lila my second dog is three or four Angel is almost 3 and my last dog Jasmine is almost two. I don’t really pay for pet insurance because I found this vet that once you get their yearly vaccines as long as you come back before that date every year then you can get free vaccines for life so that’s convenient so the only thing I have to worry about is if they ever get sick or hurt which is something that outweighs the option of insurance because I have so many. They all have their individual crate because without them they would all jump up at night with me and get in the way of my leg room and I can’t stand my dog laying in my leg room. Once you hit four dogs its not so easy for them to sleep in the bed all night like it was managable at 2 so they have their individual crates. They are also sweet but sometimes I feel as if the last two, Angel and Jasmine are looking for my affection more than the first two. It definitely seems like sometimes there might be a seniority battle with just how I study their body language although they don’t get into dogfights there still is that stance about them. I feel like I have to feed them in order of seniority for there to be less of a chance of a dogfight. Some people recommend feeding the dogs once you have multiples in order of their energy, but I felt that the best course of action was to feed them in order of seniority.
Anyway just wanted to share my thoughts and I thought it was hilarious when you said that you’re comfortable number of dogs in your home was four and I also had four dogs.
I am in a situation right now; to take one more dog or not to.
Currently my wife and I have 5 dogs.
I love them all and I dont think we have too many.
My friend recently had a child an she asked if we would take her dog.
He is very well trained and they are going to get him up to date on all of his shots, give us his kennel and all his toys if we take him.
So, I am thinking, YES! Because I know this dog’s training and hes free.
Would 6 dogs be too many?
Please help!!!! =)
I loved this article. I currently have 3 long haired Chihuahuas, a Rat Terrier/Chihuahua mix, and a Golden Retriever puppy. The ages are 11 years,10 years, 7 years and 6 years old. The puppy is 12 weeks. The 4 older dogs have been together for years and are all female. They are a sweet little senior pack. The puppy was a gift to my son who has always wanted a big dog. We also have 4 great cats. I love my fur family. I was glad to hear that there are other people out there like me.
Most of my life I have had pets. As a young child I rescued birds, bunnies, and brought home kittens and watched puppies being born. But now my family views me as being weird if not crazy because I love multiple pets. I have three rescued cats and at the moment 4 dogs of which only one was not rescued. They all get along and I have decided to get another dog. The worst thing is feeling guilty and like I have to hide my pets. I keep my dogs groomed, neutered/spayed, and current in vaccinations and rabies shots. All my pets are neutered. Yeah, it is hard work and I have to clean constantly, though I put my foot down on vacuuming often (well I have hard floors so brooding works). It sure feels nice to know that there are others out there with similar habits.
I have 11 happy healthy dogs. My husband doesn’t help much but I’m w/them all day. Yes, we have too many but I wouldn’t change it for the world. I keep the house and yard spotless ( if someone comes over the 1st thing they say is how do you keep it so clean). I sweep and mop daily, pick up poop daily and everyone is potty trained. Ours range from 17yrs to 1 yr. 2 American BD/Pit mixes, a Sheltie, 2 Cocker Spaniels, 2 Wiener dogs, a Snuazer/Yorkie mix, and 3 Chis 15,8, & 3 lbs. they all get along great except our 11yr old male dacshound. He’s our problem child so we have to watch him as he gets moody. I cook for them and buy quality natural dry food, they have a fancy wardrobe, lots of toys, we have a fenced acre and a guest house w/ crates for those moments I need my space. They all sleep in the house w/ us, well trained and it’s a regular for us to go vacationing w/ ALL of them. Hiking, swimming, fetch, food puzzles, soccer, ect are their favs. I will admit that w/ 11 one on one time isn’t a norm. But I manage to make time to do so in rotation and they are all happy babies. It’s not all sunshine and rainbows all the time but what household is? I have no human children so they are my children. Most people would be crazy to take on so many but for me it just seems right
So glad I found this blog! I too struggle with how many dogs are too many. We have 6 at the current time – a 13 year old Pekingnese mix, a 11 year old mini dachshund, a 6 year old Bichon/Brussels mix, a 2 year old Beagle, 2 year old Yorkie mix and a 4 mos. old Boxer mix. The Beagle, Yorkie and Boxer are all rescues that we either saved from a kill shelter or the streets. They came to us as fosters and never left. Our little rescue Yorkie is the smallest of the bunch at 10 pounds and has the most difficulty getting along with others. She would like to have all the humans to herself. All in all, they get along well and we have a large home with a privacy fenced back yard for day long exercise. We keep them vetted and well cared for . . . they receive much attention from both my husband and myself along with our 3 young boys. Unfortunately, our local govt says 4 dogs per household so I am in constant worry that we will be forced to give 2 up at some time in the future. Although all but one are very small, house dogs with 2 being quite senior (who rarely go out or make much noise) so I’m hoping it will go unnoticed. Does anyone else worry about zoning regulations and violating ordinances with multiple dogs?
I have 3 at the moment, but my husband and I have agreed that 2 is our comfortable median. One Belgian Tervuren, one Australian Shepherd, and one Great Dane. We started with the Belgian, who was picked up from a shelter in southern Ohio back in ’09. He was on the walk. You know the one. He’s been my right hand man since. The second was a sorely abused Aussie with serious trust issues. She’s since turned into ruler of the roost, and attached herself to me leg as a permanent fixture. She and the Belgian are pals. We tried a few others between them an now, but found that the Aussie simply didn’t take to anyone else. She is far too attached to me and becomes aggressive. She even bit my husbands best friend, a police officer, who was thankfully understanding. The Dane was last. She’s actually a gift for my sister, but was adopted from a terrible life in a puppy mill. The cost of removing the tumor on her left ankle was outrageous. Not to mention weight gain supplements and other vetting. The Aussie warmed to her eventually but it was tough. I think two is out happy place. We could afford more, but with work schedules and military life I feel that the two I have take all of my attention as is. Though I eventually want to start a shelter when I have the means to do so. Bless you all for the stories I’ve read here in the comments about adopting and rescue. I’m glad to see there are still kind souls in the world. I’ve seen to many peddle animals for cash, fights, or worse.
Evelyn, mother to Lucy Lou, Little Brother (Malikye), Daisy Mae, and Beans (our thoroughly spoiled cat).
I started with a female catahoula/basenji. Of course she got all my love and attention and free time. But no matter how i tried, i just couldn’t run fast enough or tug hard enough to be a good “partner” for her – so for her 1st birthday i got her a male catahoula puppy. They have always done well together. In the interest of safety i keep them in their crates when i’m not home – but when i’m home they’re free to roam indoors and out. I fostered a catahoula mix puppy for 6 months and i found that addition to be too much. They’re high energy dogs, they can play rough..with two it’s a fair sparring match. with three one always felt ‘picked on’ and the dog on bottom would too often come out swinging.. we had one accident that resulted in constant crate rotations. I was losing sleep trying to keep all three dogs satisfied, exercised, happy and healthy. If i wasn’t gone 10 hours a day, if i had a second human to help, i might consider adding to my pack, but for now – two is ideal.
(i didn’t ditch the foster, we managed until she found her forever home)
We have 10 little Dogs. Before this pack we had 7 big dogs and one little. When we had the larger Dogs I would say to myself how nice and easier it would be to have all small Dogs. I was wrong. I think 10 is too many for our family. It dose get hectic here at times. But, we love them all and would never re home them. I think they have it good. They all get along. We have a half a acre fenced in for them. They do make us laugh and sometimes they make us yell. Especially when they bark too much. One thing I don’t get about small Dogs. Is why is it so hard to housebreak them. The boys like to lift their legs in the house. So, I’m constantly cleaning. Moping, laundry, poop scooping…. Good thing I’m home all day.
I have had 5 dogs, the two oldest (18 and 17 passed away a year ago). I currently have 3. My husband and I were jogging in the park with some friends and passed a dog by a park table. He was looking sad. We waited, and a man who is frequently in the park said the dog had been there a couple of days. It appears someone left the dog at the park and the dog never left the area. He was covered in fleas and ticks. In short, we took him to the Humane Society. No microchip. He is in holding, and if things work out, we will have 4 dogs!
Some people wouldn’t understand. I know it’s a lot of work with multiple dogs. Multiple personalities, cleaning up and the vet costs. Walking the dogs can be a challenge…but I’m ready to do my best. Too many dogs and cats at the Shelters. I know I have room for one more dog. Glad I found this blog!
We currently have three dogs. Two spayed bitches and one neutered male.
The oldest is a jack Russell cross at around 16 years, the middle one is a cross Labrador around 15 years and a saluki/greyhound around 5 years. All are rescued dogs so we are not exactly sure of their ages. We also have an 18 year old cat who tolerates all the dogs. We are thinking about adopting another neutered 7 year old greyhound whose present family are emigrating to Canada and cannot take him with them but we are concerned that he may not get on with the 5 year old male.
We live with 6. 5 of them herding dogs and an old Retriever cross. I love life with my dogs. A lot of work, sometimes a lot of stress, a lot of time spend with the dogs, time I haven’t got to socialize but that’s how I want it. 4 dogs is probably my ideal number but… I’m waiting for number 7 to turn up soon
We have 7 dogs soon to be 8. Five cocker spaniels, two Saint Bernards and are getting a rottweiler puppy next week. They all get regular vet care, high quality food ( fromm pork and applesauce), and every day I walk 2 to 3 miles one day with the big ones the next with the small. I have a housekeeper come once a week to clean and keep the house picked up during the week. My oldest cocker is almost 14 and our current youngest is almost 4, the rottie pup next week will be 10 wks. I have often questioned if it’s right having this many dogs but my friends always say how happy my dogs are because all their needs are met. Personally my goal is to get down to 2 or 3 dogs but that’s a couple yrs away. I’m home all day with them so spend my day taking care of them giving them love and attention and playing with them. If I had to work I couldn’t have this many I would go nuts.
Great Read!!! we currently have 4 golden retrievers and one yellow lab. for a short period I thought we were totally insane for having 5! I needed the little reassurance. thanks!
Hi, Great artical and I agree with all you have said. I’m 22 and live in a beautiful countryside village in England. I am a children’s author and illustrator so I am at home most of the time. I have a sweet cottage with a large back and front yard and own eight amazing dogs. They are my life and my schedule revolves around them. I have four girls and four boys. Loki, my adorable Beverly Hills Chihuahua, I’ve had her since I was 12 and my Mum has her brother Gideon! Jax a Husky/Retriver mix who I rescued as a puppy. Archie (or as my Mum calls him ‘Maya’s Shadow’) a blonde Lhasa Apso. Heather my three year old Chihuahua/Corgi mix. Hector my whippet who was the first dog I paid for out of my own pocket, Florence his sister, is also my Mum’s dog. Josie my 1 year old pug. Shai my fawn Chinese Crested and Ruskin my Apricot miniature Cockapoo. They all get on fantastically and we are one big family. As my Mum has no grandchildren yet, they are the closes thing she has and loves to ‘dog sit’ them as she is only a ten minute drive away. My sister Annie, lives in London with her fiancé and they have a beautiful red setter called Bacon (my sister is an artist so she named him after Francis Bacon) who loves to come and visit him cousins at the weekend. I realise eight dogs may be considered extreme but they go through countryside walks twice a day, have the best quality dog food, are healthy and visit the vets every 6 months, are played with constantly and cuddled and loved. In my mind that is all that matters x
This blog just made my ENTIRE night! My husband and I were just talking today about how many is too many! We adopted (rescued) our 4th fur baby today! We have a 5 year old male pit/boxer mix, a 4 year old female GS mix, a 2.5 year old male pit/lab mix and now a 1year old female pit (who’s an absolute love bug) and is already warming up to the pack! I should also mention that we have 4 human babies ages 15 to 3! All of our dogs are fully vetted, house broken and love kids! Clearly! Our newest addition will be spayed next week (guess we’ll find out about the housebroken part) Reading these post made me feel sane in an otherwise insane world. I know it’s a lot of work but I hate the number of homeless pets in our country. Just trying to help a few 😊
Hello, fellow crazy dog people! My husband and I currently have an 11 yr old pit bull, and 3 Australian Cattle Dogs ranging from 4 months to 3 yrs. I never imagined having this many, I remember saying 3 would be the limit. My husband wasn’t raised around dogs, and wasn’t crazy about them at all at first. He absolutely loves the cattle dogs, so much so that he talked me into taking on another young one who needs a home. So we will have 5, and I’m a bit embarrassed to tell anyone…lol! His current owner took him in as a stray and has done an awesome job with him, but she is a single mom with 2 young kids in an apartment, and getting ready to move to one that doesn’t allow pets. We are empty nesters, both work, but close enough to home that we can run home at lunch time and let everyone out. We live in town, have a large fenced in yard on a double lot. I’m a bit nervous about introducing an adult dog to the pack. I plan on taking it slow, and keeping them separate as long as necessary.
Love his blog ! My fiancé and I have two rescue Pit Bulls ( one is a female bat eared pit and the other a male lab/pit ) and a male shitzu/chiwawa. We have achieved a great balance in the house and both pit bulls deals with the little guys attitude perfectly. Today we went to the humane society and spca to donate and couldn’t help but want to take another dog home with us. Finances aren’t a concern and in our home it’s just the two of us with a fenced in yard … My concerns are that the dogs we have now require a lot of attention and the worry that a new dog will throw the balance we worked so hard to achieve. Also my family who already thinks we are crazy for having two pit bulls is strongly against another bull terrier in the house :/
I have 13 currently yhat I care for by myself. My 15yr old Yorkie is my only purebred. In the past five years I have rescued 12 mix breeds. Shepard/Terrier, Poodle/Wheaton, Spaniel/Lab, Border Collie mix, Lab/Shepard, Lab/Pit, Boxer/Chi, Chihauhai/Mini pin, Maltese/Chi, Terrier mix, Mini Pin/Chi and a Beagle/Jack Russle. Some were from shelters, some were abandoned and one from a bean field (after momma dog was killed). I also have 6 cats and 2 horses. 21 souls total rely on me and I still want more. If my vehicle would hold more, I would probably rescue another. For others it may be to many, but for me it’s just the way it should be. 10 + acres is what we live on, so we have lots of room to play.
Currently I have 4 dogs. One who we have had since a pup. He is 9. Half Golden/Half Irish Setter. The second one is adopted from a Golden rescue at 1.5 yrs, he is also 9. Female: exact age unknown, possible 11-12 yrs. Foster fail from the Golden rescue (deformed paws but that does not stop her). Another female foster fail (with health issues) from the same rescue, about 5-6 years. We have a good sized home but a tiny back yard. Dogs are walked EVERY morning and evening (unless severe weather – we will walk them in light rain). They also go swimming once a week (again weather permitting). Long story short. I can’t get out my head this 7 year old female Irish Setter who is up for adoption. Gorgeous! I thought she would have been snagged right up and I was hoping so that I could move on. She has not been adopted. She has health issues. Foster mom says she is wonderful. We do have property in Tennessee (26 acres) but it will be a couple of years or so before we move there (and the house will be smaller). I keep wondering if I am meant to have her since no one has spoken up for her yet? My heart says YES but my sensibility questions that decision.
I have 8
Small dogs ..plenty of room but they bark. Too much..i had 3 of my own The others i just found..lots of work but i love them!💃
I’m still figuring out my limit.
I still live with my mom, and her limit is 3, but we have a full house with 5, soon 6, dogs on it.
We have my low maintenance, well behaved Shih Tzu/Shar Pei mix (very interesting looking). She’s got no issues, completely potty trained, eats little, sleeps most of the time and has very good manners. Has 100% won every single person she’s met.
My mother bought my brothers puppies as an early Christmas present. We have Shorkie mixes, one 5 week old and one 9 week old. Both females. Have all puppy problems, of course, not potty trained, loud, make messes all over, blah blah. I don’t have to take care of these two, but they are a part of the house and make up my moms limit.
My sister lives with us, and she has a noisy, smelly, dirty (yet gorgeous) Golden Retriever. I love him to death but my mom doesn’t. (;
I have a business where I get payed to babysit dogs for extended periods of time. I currently have a 6-7 month old lab mix puppy named George. He isn’t that much of a trouble but he is a puppy .
I have someone who saw my ad and wants me to watch their low maintenance 9 year old Pom for 3 months. Haven’t gotten him yet but soon.
In addition to this I am wanting another dog of my own (the Shih Tzu mix is mine) that I can use for dog sports and my mothers roomie wants her own companion pup. We also have 2 cats.
When I get my own place I am 100% intent on buying 5-6 dogs for myself. (Don’t think that’s grammatically correct but I am very tired).
I have 7 dogs they are wonderful I cannot imagen life without them and one female has just had 2 adorable babies