From

Crystal Collins

Founder, Starfish to the Sea Animal Rescue

Many Dogs covers a surprising wealth of organized topics that will help you in both preparation and ownership of a multiple dog home. Each info-packed chapter is indexed in a quirky and fun manner in the Table of Contents, making it possible to quickly and easily return to a section if you have trouble down the road. There is a comprehensive list of resources in the back of the book listing websites and books that will help you further your understanding of dog care, training and daily life. Truly a complete resource, How Many Dogs is like a handbook for every phase of multiple dog ownership from preparing for a new dog and how to find a compatible match for your “crew” to coping with loss as a group.

Having six to nine dogs in our home at any point in time, my husband and I have had a crash course in living with multiple dogs. It has been nearly six years that I have been operating a foster-based animal rescue, primarily out of my own home, and we’ve run the gamut of inter-dog hardships. Oh, how I wish I’d had this book available to me in the beginning; it may have helped us avoid some of the more trying times. Even the seemingly simple things, like body language, are hugely important when you have new dogs cycling through your home and this book teaches you what you need to know. There is even a large section giving a how-to of positive reinforcement training for basic behaviors and issues and how to make sure your whole furry family gets the training they need.

Though the book is written to benefit the multiple dog owner in general, I think that rescue volunteers with foster dogs will really enjoy this book as I did. There are parts of the book dedicated to the special dynamic that foster homes have to deal with, especially during feeding and bedtime. Concerns that potential fosterers have, such as how to exercise multiple dogs and how to manage dogs at feeding times seem less impossible with McMullen’s instructions. I think that our multi-dog foster homes will all receive a copy!

Unlike some other dog books that read more like a behavior journal, How Many Dogs is written in a conversational tone that makes it easy for anyone to understand. You don’t have to be any kind of expert in order to read and apply the information here. When reading the book, it feels like you are receiving a private lesson from trainer and author Debby McMullen. While she doesn’t sugar coat problem areas, like when you might have to consider rehoming a dog in order to keep the peace, she offers several solutions and different approaches to help you make the choices that you are most comfortable with. Foster homes and rescue people will benefit from learning how to be versatile in their work with all sorts of dog personalities.

I highly recommend this book to rescuers and dog owners alike. You won’t regret having such a valuable resource and reference tool in your library.

Crystal Collins
Founder, Starfish to the Sea Animal Rescue