# Cohesive Environment: Benefit for each dog



## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

This is a thread where people can justify and explain why they chose to have the number of dogs they own.
Weather it is one, two, three or more.

This is not a hypocritical thread of anyone else. Not for comments on other people's posts.

Just post in as much detail as possible *why you chose to have each and every dog you own in your current household.*
The reasoning for each addition.

Maybe some challenges of owning just one or multiple dogs and responsibilities you have to each pet.

The intention of this thread is for thread readers to understand what it means to have multiple dogs.

And even how much time some owners put into just having a single dog.

It is for education purposes for thread readers to get an understanding of all the work and time that goes into owning just one or multiple single well kept dogs.

For those willing to share their experiences this would be an invaluable resource for people deciding to add more pets to their household.


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## Jax08 (Feb 13, 2009)

Mine is a long convoluted story on why we have so many dogs. Someone remind me to post it tonight after work!


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## Lark (Jan 27, 2014)

I had a yellow lab that was not in good health, and decided to get a puppy because I knew I would be losing my lab. I really wanted a German Shepherd. They are my favorite breed and have been for years. I came on this website and lurked, and found a good breeder in Michigan based on recommendations here. I really wanted a black and red male, so I went with WGSL. I put my deposit on my puppy before his mom was even bred. I picked him out of a small group of puppies that were suitable for me. I am not experienced at training a dog so I had tons of help with both personal training and classes with my dog.

My husband was lonely and wanted a dog. He wanted a Yorkie because they are small and don't shed. He wanted a blond one, so he had to wait a few litters until one was born. 

We married, so now we have the two. The biggest challenge initially was fear that mine would accidently hurt his, but that didn't happen. His dog seemed a bit miserable initially at having mine around. Now they get along well.

The biggest challenge for me is his dog does not seem able to be housebroken. He was allowed to use pads for a long time, and I think that really messed up training. I am not used to little dogs, and many people say they just cannot hold it like a big dog. 

My two definitely insist on getting pretty equal attention. When I get home from work I have to sit on the ground so I can pet both at the same time. His dog resource guards with toys, and also food. Another challenge I am having is that I do not play near as much with the little dog, and he really deserves a chance to chase the ball and play. I feel alot of guilt over that issue. There is limited time in the day because I work and so I tend to want to tire my dog out because he is higher energy. I also have to remind myself to pet him because he is just so little and not as pushy as my dog so I kind of forget him sometimes. 

The biggest challenge for my husband by far is my dog's constant shedding. He really hates dog hair all over, and that was why he picked his dog. I

I think for us it is similar to when I had kids in the house- our resources are not unlimited and we have to always figure out who gets what as far as time and expense. For me there is quite a bit of feeling guilty. I would love to get another big dog, but I would be too afraid that it might hurt the little one and I can't expose him to danger. He is under 10 pounds so one bite would finish him off. I would feel terrible if he were hurt and it was my fault.


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## LoveEcho (Mar 4, 2011)

I have two, a 4.5 year old male and a 1.5 year old female. My male (Echo) has very weak nerves and is very fearful... it makes training difficult, and it makes bringing him places where there's a lot of sensory stuff going on very difficult. I wanted to get involved in sport, so I got my female who is much "easier." 

It has been a bit difficult- they don't always get along swimmingly. One word of warning I have to folks looking to get a second dog is just because your first dog is good with other dogs (or even loves other dogs, as in my case), doesn't mean they will do well with having another dog in their household. Working through resource guarding issues with Echo (and Delta having a very strong "Queen Bee" personality making her an obnoxious teenager) has required a bit of management. They need to be separated at feeding time, and have separate play time if toys are involved. It's gotten progressively better as we deal with Echo's RG issues and get better/easier management techniques down.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Lykoz said:


> This is a thread where people can justify and explain why they chose to have the number of dogs they own.
> Weather it is one, two, three or more.


I have five dogs at them moment, because I'm all grown up and don't have to justify my decisions to anyone.


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## WateryTart (Sep 25, 2013)

This is an awesome topic! In a perfect world, I'd have a second GSD in a few years, but I am not banking on that working out. I'm really interested in reading about how others manage multiple dogs - it will be great perspective.

For us...

We have one female GSD, 10 months old. She is the result of a careful search for the right breeder who could take everything they knew about us and what we wanted and find us the right pup. I wanted a healthy, stable dog with a known genetic history; my husband wanted a puppy that we could raise to not eat the cats (and an 8 lb cat will not fit comfortably inside an 8 week old puppy ). We wanted an active but calm dog who would want to go places with us and hang out and be able to roll with that. Being confident and good with people - especially kids - was a nonnegotiable because there are small children in the extended family and I don't see their parents being super forgiving of a fearful or impatient dog. Therapy work or competition in obedience or rally are still on the table for the future as well. All that to say we were looking for something relatively specific.

We also have multiple cats (not the same as having additional dogs, but they do figure into the household budget and time/attention resources).

I think we will probably continue to only have one dog. We spend a huge amount of time with her. The cats do have a somewhat lesser quality of life than what they received before because they are very social cats, and the dog needs a lot. She doesn't need as much structured mental and physical exercise as she did even a few months ago, in order to settle well, but she still wants a lot of engagement and attention and we feel we owe that to her after the hours we work. Every evening involves lots of play, at least 3 short training sessions between the two of us, and walks or outdoor play as weather permits.

She's very expensive to own. Now...does she have more things than she needs? Absolutely. Making her an expensive dog to own is partially by our own choice. But her food and vet care, the training classes we do weekly and the gas to get there, the bully sticks and puzzle toys, occasional grooming and the trips to the self-serve dog wash in between, basically everything she needs to have and everything we like to do with her adds up. We haven't boarded her yet but that will run into money when we get to that point. 

And getting into travel: Traveling with one large dog can be challenging in a small car or SUV with limited backseat and trunk space, so I'm guessing two would be harder.

To top that all off, we live in the city and have a smaller home. We work hard to compensate for that with our girl, but from a simple physical space standpoint, we might feel a bit crowded if we added a second large dog.

Thinking about everything we put into her every day, and not just the monetary aspects, it is hard to think about doubling that or even multiplying it by 1.5. I'd love to have a second dog someday (and it wouldn't have to be a GSD), but I don't see it being practical.


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Lilie said:


> I have five dogs at them moment, because I'm all grown up and don't have to justify my decisions to anyone.


I like this answer. It's what I tell my father, lol.

Anyway, I'll play. I have 3 GSDs and 2 Siamese. 


I got Carly, because I lost my 14 year old Doberman, and really missed having a big dog. I had 2 elderly Italian Greyhounds at the time. I wasn't planning on getting a show dog, but it just worked out that way. My breeder friend offered me her pick puppy. I showed her to her AKC championship. She's a dominant, pushy girl but oh so sweet, and very very smart. She turned 5 years old last month.


I got Sage when Carly was about 7 months old. I didn't want another puppy, or another dog for that matter. BUT my very favorite bitch that belonged to my breeder friend had puppies, and she wanted me to take the pick puppy. I had to think about it for a couple of weeks before I said yes. I was bitten by the show bug, so went ahead and got the puppy. Sage is a more submissive girl, quirky and funny. She is my heart. :wub: Sage will be 5 in May.


Then there's Russell. His birthday is today. He's 2. We bred Carly after she finished her championship, and Russ was the only male. My boyfriend fell in love with him, so here he is. I don't know if we'll show him or not (okay, probably yes, since he's kinda spectacular). He's a dominant boy. And goofy, and incredibly full of life. 

It takes some planning to make it work with these three. They are all intact. If Russell can go to his breeder's house when one of the girls is in heat, then it's easy. If I have to have them _all_ here, then there's lots of "crate and rotate", and Russell goes to work with me every day. 

As for getting along, Carly and Russell are just alike, and are as thick as thieves. They can be bullies to Sage though, which is annoying, but I keep on top of it. It's nice though that Carly and Russell play together constantly. Sage is more of a loner, and would be fine as an only dog. 

Then there are the cats. Sage's prey drive is crazy, and I don't trust her to be around the cats unless I am practically sitting on top of her. So I have a cat room, that we named The Kitty Lounge. Cat tree, retro loveseat, mid century modern coffee table, HDTV with an Apple TV. Yeah, it's pretty cool. 


I wanted a Siamese cat from a show breeder. So I bought one. Mimi will be 3 in April. She is the most beautiful, perfect cat I've ever been around. When my elderly Italian Greyhound died last year, Mimi grieved. Cried and cried and cried. I finally decided to get my cat a cat.


So enter Pi. She's from the same Siamese breeder as Mimi. She's a hoot. Gorgeous and very busy. She'll be a year old in May.

Would it be easier to just have ONE dog? Of course it would.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

dogfaeries said:


> I like this answer. It's what I tell my father, lol.


I just feel it's a silly question. 

The OP seems to be looking for hard facts as to how a person can justify their decision to have more than one dog. If he/she wanted to know how we decided to choose a specific breed, then I can understand the curiosity. But "Cohesive Environment : Benefit Each Dog" makes the assumption that all dogs within the same environment will get along, therefore serving some sort of illogical benefit.


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

Lillie please respect the thread. Its not to bounce off of each others opinions or critique it.

It is a non-judgemental post of experience on our own dogs.
If you feel that a previous dog plays no role in you getting subsequent dogs you can say so.

Nobody has to engage if they don't want to.
I private messaged you specifically about this.

In your comments about your own dogs you can write anything you like, including how my thread parameters don't apply to you, and you can post your own experience if you care to, any way you like.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Lykoz said:


> In your comments about your own dogs you can write anything you like, including how my thread parameters don't apply to you, and you can post your own experience if you care to, any way you like.


Gee, thought I just did.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Coke: Neutered male mutt, got from a local rescue in Nov 2007. He was 1.5 years old. Got him as a family pet.

Nikon: Intact male GSD, got from a breeder at 8 weeks. I wanted a purebred GSD I could train, show, and compete with. I used to train and go to shows with his breeder and loved his dam. Originally I was interested in agility but soon dropped that in favor of Schutzhund. He is now breed surveyed, V-rated, SchH titled, over 25 other sport titles in other sports.

Indy: Spayed female pit mix, got from a "private party" as a rescue in May 2013. Indy was a stray dog that ended up in a shelter and was on the euth list for being too mouthy. She was pulled, fostered, and offered for adoption by someone who has a soft spot for pits and pit mixes, especially ones that show potential for sports. Willy on this forum is a friend of mine and alerted me to her, as he knew I wanted a smaller dog (smaller than my GSDs, to me a 35lbs dog is small!), short hair, low maintenance, for flyball and agility. I wanted to rescue if possible and didn't want a puppy. Indy was about a year old when I got her. She is currently training and competing in flyball. She loves my younger sister so I "share" her with my sister (she sometimes lives with sister and spends time up north camping or running around their cabin).

Legend: Legend is from my Nikon's Oct 2013 litter. I originally had no intention of getting another puppy and wasn't all that into the dam or her pedigree, but changed my mind and decided to give a puppy a try, so I returned the stud fee and the breeder sent me two males that she thought could match what I was looking for. The other male is Danielle's Patton who is doing a lot of sports with Danielle (dock diving and disc, I think she has also been working on IPO style obedience). I chose Legend as the "pet prospect" of the two, not sure I could commit to another dog like Nikon or have the time to train and title another dog as extensively. Legend has already done dock diving, lure coursing, and flyball competitions and is now in training for agility. He will be my pet/sport dog. I will probably not do Schutzhund with him like I did with Nikon because the lack of local training is difficult for me, so we have fun doing flyball and agility instead. I wanted to show Legend (I like dabbling in UKC conformation, it is fun and there are tons of events around here) but he is missing a tooth.

For the most part, my dogs all get along. They are not separated while I'm home; all four have full run of the house and/or yard unless I'm training and need to block off an area to work one-on-one. Nikon and Legend had a few spats but we've worked that out. They may need to be separated in the future, only time will tell. Indy and Legend are best buds. Legend and Coke also play together a lot. When he was a puppy, Nikon was always playing with Coke but now they pretty much ignore each other. Indy is also largely ignored by Nikon and Coke. During the day, Legend is crated in the den on the main level because he is still somewhat destructive. Indy and Nikon are gated in the basement because they think it's funny to stand in front of Legend's crate and bark at him while he's in there and I won't have that. Coke has the run of the main level and upstairs. If I take Legend to work with me as I often do, Coke, Nikon, and Indy all have the full run of the house and are not separated. Legend and Indy sleep in our bedroom. Lately Coke and Nikon prefer to sleep in the basement but previously, all four dogs slept loose in our bedroom.

I would say the biggest change in dynamics is going from 2 to 3 dogs. Our lives were a lot quieter with just Coke and Nikon! 

Indy, Coke, Legend, Nikon







http://www.germanshepherds.com//www.pinterest.com/pin/create/extension/


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Oh my goodness! I can't believe how gorgeous Legend had gotten! Where did the puppy go???


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## dogfaeries (Feb 22, 2010)

Lilie said:


> Oh my goodness! I can't believe how gorgeous Legend had gotten! Where did the puppy go???


No kidding! He's a DOG.


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## Ruger Monster (Jan 29, 2015)

I like Lilie's answer, but I'll ramble (A LOT) on  

We have 3 dogs in our house right now:

11 year old Rottweiler - Jasmine
3 year old Boston Terrier - Gnat
14 week old GSD - Ruger

Plus 2 cats:

Nero
Neko

It IS a lot of work. 

The Rottweiler was the BF's dog since she was born - his dad had her parents, and she was the runt puppy that the mother had left in the yard. He even removed the sac from her, and raised her into a pretty great dog. She had her heck-on-wheels stages, but I came around long after that - she was about 8 years old when we got together. She is a lot more energetic now that we have her full time though (she lived with his brother for a few years while we were in apartments and couldn't have her with us due to breed-restrictions). The BF didn't think she'd make it past 9, she seemed like an old creaky girl, but now she's 11 and will still chase a tennis ball and run circles around the living room. She didn't get much exercise or play when she lived there I don't think. I love her like I've had her since birth too, and dread the day she leaves us. She is our "guard dog" and barks at the window if anyone comes up the driveway or the doorbell rings (even a TV doorbell  )

The Boston Terrier we adopted from the shelter in summer 2012. I wanted a dog, bad. I certainly never saw myself with a BT, as I'm not much for smaller breed dogs, but she's definitely got a personality and makes me laugh. Even though there's a house offering/begging to take her from us (BF's mom), I'd never give her up. I was having doggy desire big time ... the last one I'd had was the family GSD growing up, who passed when I was 12. My mom never wanted another dog, and my ex said we couldn't have dogs until I was retired... even though we had a total of 5 acres between our house & his parents' house for one to run and play, and my hours at my old job at the time were much more flexible (now the jerk has a Pittie, his now-wife brought to the relationship). Gnat probably had bad experiences with females in her last home, she is 100% daddy's girl. She will cuddle with me at times, but she gets super excited when the BF gets home, and she will actually submissively pee if I raise my voice. She's gotten better with it lately, but she was really bad with it last year.

Ruger was all me. I have wanted a GSD since as long as I can remember since my Ulli passed. I pestered the BF for one since the beginning. We didn't get one first because we needed an "apartment sized dog" for our 1000sqft apartment (which then we moved to a 700sqft 3rd floor apartment for a year also). He wasn't really sold on the idea of a GSD either at first, he'd always ask me why I didn't want a nice Labrador or Weimaraner or German Shorthaired Pointer. I stuck hard to GSD. For Christmas he gave me a leash, collar, and puppy book, and told me to go ahead and pick a pup. I picked Ruger out the following day, and brought him home in January on our way back from a trip, since it was semi-on the way home. I do not regret my decision one bit to get Ruger, and am SO happy having him in my life - he makes my heart flutter when I look at his handsome face. I follow many GSD rescues on Facebook, but my BF wanted to be sure we raised an "aggressive-breed" dog from early on, especially with two cats in the house. For someone who was "eh" about getting a GSD, he *adores* Ruger. He has joked about what I would take if we broke up, and "pouts" when I say Ruger would be going with me. 

The cats have been my babies since 2008 & 2009. They're both going to be 7 this year ( my babes will be seniors!) I had 3, but my ex kept one in our split 3+ years ago. I've had Nero since 3 months old and Neko since he was 1½ years old, both black cats adopted from shelters. I've always had cats in my life. They're my sweet boys. Nero is dog saavy, Neko tolerates them to a point. 

As for the 3 dogs getting along - it's a challenge some days, other days not so much. Jasmine and Gnat have had "jealousy" issues in the past since we brought them together in the same home back in November (when we moved into our house). They're both used to being Daddy's Girls, but after some quick correction, they fell into a tolerance/acceptance of each other. Jasmine will still get in Gnat's face to stare at her while she's on the couch with the BF, or follow her around the house, but there's been no aggression toward each other anymore. 

Gnat has been incredibly playful with the BF's mom's BT, and she is actually the more aggressive player of the two, but with Ruger, she freezes. He wants to play with her so badly, and she just stands there while he tries getting her attention. We've had to separate them a few times because he would get more insistent, and she would get more tense. Ruger is fearless when it comes to Jasmine, she will steal his toys and rawhides, and he will walk up to her and try his darndest to take them back from her. We have to tell Jasmine to stop it at times, and get her to go lay down when she starts getting loud. She's never hurt him intentionally (tripped over him once though!), and has been around a GSD & GSD mix puppy with his brother's dogs in the last year+, so she's not a stranger to them. We just keep an eye on them when they're all together. 

Nero plays with both Gnat & Ruger. He has no desire to play with Jasmine, and vice versa. She doesn't bother with the cats anyway, except if one of the other dogs is playing with him, she'll try and referee and follow them around. Sometimes I think Nero believes he's a dog. Neko has beat the crap out of Gnat and Jasmine, so they give him a wide berth. Ruger will still follow him and try and get him to play, and he usually just jumps up on the couch and watches from above. He's done a complete 180º since I adopted him as a skittish shy boy. My ex wasn't always nice to him, stomping near him and scaring him under the bed because he thought it was funny to mess with him. My BF wasn't a big cat person, but Neko is his buddy and he's thrived with the positivity. My kitty boys have their own room during the day now, 100% cat room - litterbox, cat tree (soon to be 2), cardboard scratchers, basket of toys, food & water, and 2 big windows to look out of. It was mostly because we didn't want them sharpening claws on our expensive leather couches when we're not home, but now I don't want them getting in Ruger's X-pen when I'm not home to monitor as well. 

Feeding & caring for 5 animals can be expensive and time consuming, but I wouldn't have it any other way. My BF doesn't think we'll get another dog when Jasmine passes. He dreams of an English Bulldog, and I had intentions of surprising him with one someday, but he's leery on the idea as much as he wants one. That bridge will be crossed when we get to it, hopefully years from now. He commented yesterday to his mom on how much work it is to care for a puppy now, even though I'm the one doing most of it with Ruger. Once Ruger is older, house broken, and has some training behind him, we intend to let him have free roam with Jasmine during the day. All my animals are spoiled rotten, I can't go anywhere that has a pet section without getting something for them.

House-training Ruger has been tough. He's getting better, and I have to remind myself he's only going to be 14 weeks old and it doesn't happen overnight. I worry sometimes it won't ever happen, because he will potty in his pen when no one is home (and when he was in a crate only and not a pen, he would cover himself in poop and need baths everyday). If we are home, we generally can get him outside every time he has to go to the bathroom. I wish I could bring him to work with me everyday. I've brought him twice, and the manager of the other department wants me to bring him in daily, but I'm sure my boss would send an email through corporate about animals at work daily, even though he enjoys playing with Ruger when he's here.

I've always had at least 2 cats throughout my life, but having multiple dogs is definitely a bigger challenge. I still will continue to have multiple dogs as long as possible, but we are about to run into another tough spot - we live 45-60 minutes away from any of the BF's family (and 3 hrs from mine), so if we want to travel, it involves bringing Gnat & Jasmine to stay with someone (usually his mom, since she crosses her fingers & hopes we'll just leave Gnat with her for good lol). We haven't traveled out of town since getting Ruger, so this next trip we are taking, we're looking for a pet friendly hotel to bring him with us - he's a great car rider. I've learned having multiple dogs and being a traveler can be challenging. Plus when Ruger gets bigger, he'll take up the entire back seat of my Mustang, I'm sure - good thing we have 2 trucks with backseats as well, and a SUV with fold down seats, when it wants to cooperate and work! 

I think that's all I have to ramble on about. Maybe it will help someone peek into the life of many fur-kids, or was at least interesting to read if anyone cares about how they came into my life or how it is living with my fur-family.


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

Lilie said:


> Oh my goodness! I can't believe how gorgeous Legend had gotten! Where did the puppy go???


Bwahaha! Do not be fooled by his seriousCuzface! He is still ALL puppy. He is 16 months old, 58lbs, acts like a 6 month old. He's my joy though, keeps me on my toes and keeps a smile on my face despite his quirks. It's definitely a case where I got the dog I needed rather than the dog I wanted


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

Fantastic shot!!!!


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## SunCzarina (Nov 24, 2000)

Lykoz said:


> Nobody has to engage if they don't want to.
> I private messaged you specifically about this.
> 
> In your comments about your own dogs you can write anything you like, including how my thread parameters don't apply to you, and you can post your own experience if you care to, any way you like.


Lillie can write what ever she wants. 

Someone who creates a thread does not get to dictate what / how people post on it. 

You sent her a private message but feel the need to post that here as well that you don't like what she posted?

I like the color green and german shepherds so I have 2 of them so they can play together, since out of my 8 GSDs, only one of them liked to play with dogs who weren't GSDs.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

A doggie biography...YAY...

I didn't have dogs for a while. I lost everything I owned a couple times and finally woke up and got out of a bad relationship and took charge of my life. 

Misty...
I found a rabbit in the woods that was clearly dumped, after a couple weeks he turned into the devil himself and locked himself on my lip, I still have that scar. I decided to bring him to the shelter. While we were there I took a look at the dogs. There in the sick room was Diamond. She was laying there so calm with a bunch of staples from a surgery she had just had. I swear she could see my soul. I left and continued "looking" around. I kept feelin pulled back to her. Finally I went back, other people were looking at her but her eyes were locked on me. One hour later we were in the car going home, naming her Misty on the way. That was in 2005 and she was 10 months old. 

Boo...
Boo was a senior black lab that was boarded where my dad worked after his owner died. He was due to be put to sleep and my dad begged me to keep him. We picked him up and brought him home. He was nothing short of amazing. Him and Misty hit it off immediately. Before he died a couple years later he got to go camping, hiking, and swimming. Got him in 2007

Tannor...
I always wanted a golden retriever and I knew Boos health was declining. I got Tannor in January of of 2010. Boo lived until April 2010.

Robyn...
Between Tannor and Robyn I had rehomed about 10 dogs that were strays. The neighborhood was starting to make me nervous and I was looking for a dog that would be a good deterrent. I had just placed a small dog and it was quiet when he left and I enjoyed having three dogs. Robyn came home in December 2011. She was a shock to my system, but I enjoyed her so much. I loved watching her blossom. 

Midnite..
We were getting ready to buy the house and I stared talking to a GSD breeder, then came across Midnite at the same shelter I got Misty at. He came home in May 2013. He was dog reactive so I put hours, days and several hard core months into his training. He was perfect in every other way. 

Brennan..
We moved into the house and Misty got sick, it was looking like Cancer and I was very upset. She played a big role with teaching and guiding all of the other dogs. I was heartbroken and thst is how Brennan came into the picture. He came home August 2013. Shortly after that it was determined Misty was Cancer free and boy did Brennan perk her up and turn her into a playful pup again. Brennan was a terror as a pup, the hardest pup I have ever had. He had double the obedience classes compared to the other dogs. 


Batman...
Batman came in as a foster in October 2013. We went to a couple events and no one ever looked at him. It was heartbreaking. My dad came with his dog for Christmas. The two got along well and my dad adopted Batman. He had him for a few months and just couldn't handle his high energy. So I took him back as I would any dog that I have ever placed. I made a commitment to Batman and I wasn't passing him around. He became mine in April of 2014. There has been some ups and downs with him, but nothing that wasn't manageable. 

Apollo...
Apollo was not planned. I found him while driving down the road. He was just a precious baby. I could have placed him but I liked him immediately. He came home December 2014. 

George..
I didn't have an issue with Apollo because I was previously looking at George. He is a very good looking dog with such soul in his eyes. I missed out on adopting him the first time he was posted. He became available almost two months later after Apollo was here already. That was January 2015. 

I don't find it difficult to care for them. I have never had more then one that needed potty training at a time. In fact both Batman and George came potty trained. They really didn't require much. Batman has a strong recall and knows basic obedience. George isn't far behind. I definitely did more obedience with all the GSDs and the goldens. All of those guys had quite a bit of training before the others came into the picture. Misty gets into playful moods but as a senior she spends lots of her time just relaxing.

Tannor loves doing Rally. Robyn loves agility. Midnite does his therapy work. Brennan is the swimmer. We are looking into barnhunts and lure coursing for Batman. Apollo is working on his obedience and George is just adjusting. 

Brennan goes swimming twice a week. Apollo just had his first swim lesson. I rotate the dogs and one goes with Brennan each time. Therapy work is once a week. Obedience is twice s werk and rally is drop ins whenever available. Then we have hiking and swimming in the lake. Hiking is enjoyed by most, most of that focus is on the GSDs. Brennan and Midnite dabbled in dock diving. Half of them have their CGCs and the goal is all of them. 

They are all content just relaxing and ready to go when it's time to do something. I take three to four with to doggie events. Every year the ones that haven't been blessed go to get blessed. We spend hours outside in the summer in front of the fire. The kids come over and the dogs love it. I have a full house in the summer.

I don't travel, don't really want to. If I have to go somewhere for the day, someone comes by and lets them out. I just booked a rental for a boat and we will all be going out for the day. Yes all the kids and all 8 dogs(all the dogs have life jackets) I'm looking at going camping for a couple days too. 

All the dogs are fit and in good shape. Their teeth are in great shape. Vaccinations are done every three years. Blood work on senior dog every year and eventually every 6 months. 

All 8 are out and about whenever I'm at home and overnight. During the day 4 are out, two are behind gates and two are in crates. I come home at lunch to let them out so they don't go more then 5 hours without a break. In the summer the door is open and they go in and out. Really they go wherever I am. 

They get raw bones a couple times a week. Dsily they get coconut oil or fish oil, tumeric, bee pollen, garlic and Spirulina in their food. Once a week I check the ears and nails. 

They all get along pretty well. There is some adjustments whenever a new dog comes in, but it hasn't been a major issue. If I see an issue I work on it immediately. They sleep together and play together, it's always different pairs.,

We are a strong family and at the end of the day we are all pooped and sleep well, all cuddled up together.

While I don't find it difficult most people might. It's all about patience and management. You get what you put into it, just like anything else. I choose to have an houseful and I love it.


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## gsdsar (May 21, 2002)

Don't feel the need to justify anything, but anytime I can talk about my dogs I will. 

Lena- bought her to hopefully be my USAR partner. It was not her joy, so she was washed and because I don't get rid of dogs, and because I love the bejesus out of her, she stays and is my wonder girl!!!

Phoster- bought as a USAR dog. I wanted to do USAR, her breeder guaranteed her to certify. I bought her. She certified. Twice now. 

Nix- when I lost my last male to cancer, I decided I wanted another boy and to get back into IPO. So I bought Nix. He is a joy. 

Gabriel- was part of a litter of 2 day old kittens a friend saw get thrown from a car. He was the only survivor. He is 17 now and evil. Just evil. But he is Nix best friend. 

Minerva Mcgonagal- she was a cute kitten dropped off at my work. I wanted her. I took her. She is 11 now. 

Everyone gets along in my house. It can be challenging to make sure everyone gets the one on one time. But I make it work. My dogs bring me joy. As do my cats. 

To the OP, are you going to share as well???


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## Liesje (Mar 4, 2007)

gsdsar said:


> To the OP, are you going to share as well???


Yeah, spill!


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Lilie said:


> I have five dogs at them moment, because I'm all grown up and don't have to justify my decisions to anyone.


Brilliant! lol


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

Cafall- purchased from his breeder in 2012 because I'd finally moved into a place that I could have a dog and had a stable enough work schedule to be able to come home every day at lunch. 

Finder(RIP)- Finder was the husky I'd originally looked at purchasing when I wanted a dog back in 2012. Later saw him in a craigslist ad but Cafall was too young to bring in another dog. 5 months after that saw Finder on craigslist again. Adopted him then. He was fantastic, if a bit challenging. This summer while I was on vacation in Europe he escaped from the pet sitter, was hit by a car, and killed. 

Efa- After Finder's death Cafall was depressed for awhile and I could tell exactly how much he enjoyed being part of a larger pack-- not a solo dog. I was open to a puppy but not actively looking when a friend spotted a fb post by Efa's owner. The post stated Efa needed to be gone by the end of the week or would be dropped at animal control. I went an met with the owner, saw the DEPLORABLE conditions Efa was being kept in and had to adopt her. That was 11 days ago.


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## llombardo (Dec 11, 2011)

Kahrg4 said:


> Cafall- purchased from his breeder in 2012 because I'd finally moved into a place that I could have a dog and had a stable enough work schedule to be able to come home every day at lunch.
> 
> Finder(RIP)- Finder was the husky I'd originally looked at purchasing when I wanted a dog back in 2012. Later saw him in a craigslist ad but Cafall was too young to bring in another dog. 5 months after that saw Finder on craigslist again. Adopted him then. He was fantastic, if a bit challenging. This summer while I was on vacation in Europe he escaped from the pet sitter, was hit by a car, and killed.
> 
> Efa- After Finder's death Cafall was depressed for awhile and I could tell exactly how much he enjoyed being part of a larger pack-- not a solo dog. I was open to a puppy but not actively looking when a friend spotted a fb post by Efa's owner. The post stated Efa needed to be gone by the end of the week or would be dropped at animal control. I went an met with the owner, saw the DEPLORABLE conditions Efa was being kept in and had to adopt her. That was 11 days ago.


For some reason I don't recall Finder passing away I'm so sorry. May he rest in peace..


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

llombardo said:


> For some reason I don't recall Finder passing away I'm so sorry. May he rest in peace..


Thanks, Lisa. I never mentioned it on here until now. At the time of his passing I just really wanted to focus on Cafall and couldn't take one more person bringing up Finder's passing. I felt, and still feel, guilty over it. I was the only person who was able to manage him successfully and shouldn't have left it to a pet sitter. The one and only time he went to doggy daycare he escaped. Instead I was on vacation. He was a special pup though and is missed.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

30 some years ago we had one dog, then we were asked to watch a dog while the owners both had some medical issues. Our dog and this other dog got along great. They both lost weight and had a blast. That dog was with us for many months while her owners recuperated. After she went back we missed having a second dog and decided to go get another one. While our doggie family was growing so was our family. I had two kids and we acquired another rescue dog. Pretty soon the house got to be too small so we moved to a bigger place. Now we had 10 acres a good sized house and a menagerie of animals. My kids were in 4-h so we had a sheep, a goat, many different types of birds. It was a blast. 13 years into it we lost our original dog. We were heartbroken. We needed another shepherd. We decided to go to a breeder. We wanted another female. They were all spoken for but she had two males left. We couldn't decide. The breeder who we knew through 4-H and because I helped with SAR let us have both with the promise each of my kids would work one with 4-H separately. That worked beautifully but we all got stupid. The little female that we had wanted originally fell through and the breeder offered her to us in place of one of our boys. We were already in love with the boys but we said we would take the female as well. OMG 3 puppies. It was insane. Each kid worked one and I worked the 3rd. Now many people will fault the breeder for this but remember we were friends above and beyond just buying puppies from her. She was available for us every step of the way. Also remember this was many, many years ago and things were a lot different back then. 

Anyway to cut a long story short I lost 3 seniors in 5 years about the same time my last kid went away to college. Talk about major empty nest. and that was very very hard. I wasn't going to have another pack but my last boy Buddy was not happy being an only dog so we started the search. After finding out not all rescues are equal... I got a call that the local shelter had a 4 month old puppy on the euth list. He was very scared and cage aggressive. He took a lot of work but he helped heal our hearts. I got involved in helping a local rescue and picked up another shepherd who really wasn't planned but.... Then wiggles stole my heart one day when I was at the local shelter. So yeah now I've got another pack. Unfortunately Buddy passed away in May. So I'm currently at 3 dogs. We tried another puppy from rescue, I had helped transport the mama to the rescue but the puppy was just so scared he just would not bond with my husband. We tried everything, but it just didn't work out. So for now we are good with the three we have. I still help the rescue and work with one of the ladies from there, taking pictures at the local shelter to help network the dogs so I'm sure at some point there will be another dog who needs us that we can't pass up.

So now I've shared my story. What is yours?


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Lilie said:


> I have five dogs at them moment, because I'm all grown up and don't have to justify my decisions to anyone.


Got to say I love this answer.


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

I currently live with 2 GSD's.

One is just shy of 2 and the other is just over 1 year old.

Shaka
This dog entered the home directly after the last of my previous generation GSD's Passed away.
I was frantically looking for a dog at that time to fill the giant Void my last GSD left.
He came into the home as naughty little puppy, that liked to play and bite like crazy. It would often make me bleed from its heavy and pointy teeth. Tried numerous ways to get him to relax on the bite a bit. Eventually we got it right.
This was a wonderfully smart dog, but stubborn too. It would learn commands fast but had its own idea on when it wanted to do them.
I taught him a few basics and he fit in quite well. The size of the garden is relatively small compared to how it was in previous home. This was my first dog that was pretty much an inside dog through and through. It would still spend most of the day outside when I was not home. However was always with me. Due to the smaller garden size, I felt walks were simply not enough. It needed to run and have fun. I am used to dogs always running up and down larger gardens with ample space.
Simply put I don’t believe a few walks is nearly enough exercise to keep a GSD fit and healthy. 
There is nothing like watching a GSD take full flight, in open space and just having fun and the time of it’s life.

So I sought out my options. Good training options were scarce in my country, and the breeder who promised various training opportunities would never return my phone calls.
I started going to dog parks daily. Something I never did with previous dogs. This was actually a great experience for me to watch the dogs have fun and interact with each other. He had a great time. However as a newbie in dog parks, I started quickly observing the many problems inherent in them.
They also taught my dogs some bad mannerism’s I was not used to before…

This included that the play was more rewarding and stimulating, than anything I could ever offer them.
So distractions and training outside of the house, has always been a lot more challenging with my current dogs, than it was previously.
Its amazing how much you learn with each new set of dogs… And sometimes you make mistakes with your next generation that you never made with the previous one.

Anyways through a lot of self-education over time and a more recent drive to educate myself and not seeking solutions by having somebody address my problems for me. I instead decided to educate myself as much as possible, so that I can make my own decisions on how to manage problems.. Sure I had some experience over the years.. Sure I had worked with professinals before.. But often their own philosophy was flawed.. So they could never had helped me.

Misha
My second dog came very soon. Part of it was too keep company for the dogs when I was away. (I have always seen more happiness, in a two dog environment than a one dog, if you are not with the dogs 24/7) Furthermore I have found that young dogs when you select them correctly, tend to get along quite well when they grow up together. I have always grown up with multiple dogs in the household. And almost always outside dogs. So getting a second was not such a big deal. To be honest I managed fine…

But I made some assumptions based on previous experiences. Having dogs in the house all day, means they have to follow a different set of rules all the time...
Outside dogs can run… Have fun… Jump up… Bark at the environment... Get a lot exercise themselves…
Well inside dogs can not do any of these things if you plan to live with them...
So the fact that I got Misha so early was a deterent, as I was trying to manage two dogs at once a lot of the time...
I needed more time with Shaka to get better house rules…

Anyways. shaka is great inside the house at the moment.. (Except now that Misha is on heat - another whole mini-drama… And could make several topics to discuss some of the problems I faced, and how I quickly solved them, in just a day or two. 
I usually always used to spay females young.. So this is the first time I am dealing with a female on heat. Her first period, actually was not a big deal… Its her second one that caused some head-ache...

The dogs are great they get along...

So with dogs that spend a lot of time inside (outside too-with smaller garden)… 

Its not enough to just take them on a walk… There is no way you can justify they are getting enough exercise by having a dog walk around with you at snails pace once a day...

So I try find things for them to do… places to go… play some fetch… play a lot of tug...
Walks… Sometimes things are just for fun, other times fun is combined with training…

When training is more important, I often walk the dogs individually so I can work things on the dogs.. And it can actually stick...

Due to the park experiences Shaka would pull like a freighttrain to distractions...

had tried my best to get him out of it possitively. I did not completely succeed… But I think the positive training was what fixed it so easy… 
Basically I got a prong collar… And within the first few minutes he stopped pulling, and listening to the commands more consistently…. He also was not fearfull at all and our relationship is great… (Because I did not prong and correct like a maniac from the start… I could have got better results earlier… But the relationship may be damaged this way… Dogs stop offering behaviours… And it would have been a mess.)

I mean a prong is like a magic tool… It can make even the most incompetent trainer look good...
Dogs can just respond to prongs.. (Or completely break)...
I had the basis taught tho… Shaka knew what they should be doing… So the prong correction was ok for him to handle, because he knew EXACTLY how to not make it happen….
He was never stressed from it… BEcause he knew where the STOP button was...

More on prongs: I think a prong when used correctly is actually more humane on the dog. From a physiological point of view… It just pinches the skin… So even though the immediate (pain) is more noticeable (Only when you correct).. The long term damage is substantially less...

From a functional point of view… there is more shock absorbtion in a prong… Its not that hard jerking motion… There is less arthritic changes in the long term or neck injury… There is no comparison… Also basically you can control a dog with one finger...

From a psychological point of view however a prong can be devastating.. If the dog does not know how to swtitch off corrections… You can completely create a state of learned helplessness where the dog just gives up, or reacts back at you… 

Also teaching new behaviours is a LOT easier… I can teach new out the box things so quickly because the dogs offer those behaviours… I can almost speak to them to accomplish my wanted goal… Whilst aversive trainers that force behaviours dont have problem solving dogs.. They have dogs that are forced to so somthing very very well through repetition and consequence… But rarely can they get a dog to “CHOSE” to try for a desired behaviour.. They have 0 communication with their dogs… The dogs just know to follow and shut down pressure... Even when corrections are combined with treats... from the start... Its not good enough.. Sometimes the treat is not worth 'making a mistake' so dogs may not take a chance to 'offer' a behaviour they may get wrong... That creates huge learning deterrents for new out the box behaviours and communications... Sure you could follow a guideline and achieve success... But thats not what pet ownership is about.

I could ramble on forever...

Managing two dogs and giving them a good quality of life takes time… And you need to consider a lot. Inside dogs need better management..

And need substantially more time from an owner.. I feel strongly that is the case… Unless you just slap on some Ecollars early… And crate dogs into conforming… No exercise… You would not have pets… Just little robot slaves… Who are not free to express themselves.

Long rant… Lost focus a lot… Too much to say...
Did not realise what a huge question this was.. I guess this is why it took me so long to reply to my own thread..

To be honest did not know exactly how to write this...
And I think its still a mess..
But that is what dog ownership is.. It takes a lot of time to do everything for your dogs.
I could NOT manage a 3rd dog at this time or any other time...
The Quality of Life of my current dogs would substantially DECREASE. As would mine… Because I am not a quick fix kind of guy...
I do what I believe is right by the dogs… At the same time I realise that all positive is naive and stupid… But living with pets freely in the same space has a lot more to do living in cohesion, and a lot less to do with cycling sits to downs with speed.


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

My post took long to write.. I could have written a book on this post...
Basically spoke about one or two considerations/Challenges.

For every word you must consider... That each and every extra dog is a book of responsibilities unto itself.
Especially with regard to pet ownership of dogs. Where my ultimate goal is to live cohesively with my dogs in a mutually benefiting environment for all involved.


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## Bella67 (Jun 22, 2014)

Lykoz said:


> My post took long to write.. I could have written a book on this post...
> Basically spoke about one or two considerations/Challenges.
> 
> For every word you must consider... That each and every extra dog is a book of responsibilities unto itself.


Lykoz, I think you are a really nice person so please don't get offended. But why do you always space the sentences out so much whenever you post something?


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

Bella67 said:


> Lykoz, I think you are a really nice person so please don't get offended. But why do you always space the sentences out so much whenever you post something?


Bad habit. Not an official document so I don't fix it before submitting 
You are right I can work on that. I create mini paragraphs that should be one paragraph. 

It makes it easier for me to read, separate points and put things in the correct paragraphs. But it is incomplete.

Separate sentences with a different idea sometimes. Other times its just error. Sometimes all the sentences end up spaced out. That I just force space even more so it looks more pleasing to the eye. Instead of clumping all the correct paragraphs together. I try change paragraph on different ideas. I hate reading clumped up paragraphs. I often lean on the other extreme sometimes.


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## Susan_GSD_mom (Jan 7, 2014)

Lykoz,

I agree with so much of what you have posted here. Things I may not agree on are simply because we are two different humans with different life experiences (and dog experiences).

Whenever I talk to people about owning dogs (and GSDs in particular, and years ago, wolf shepherds in particular), I tell them that raising a dog takes the same time and commitment as raising a child, and just as that increases with each child, it absolutely increases with each dog. People have looked at me and laughed, like it was a joke, an exaggeration, and I stop them and tell them, very seriously, "No--I mean it. That is the level of time and commitment needed."

I still feel that way. I would have, I think, at least one more dog, except for one thing. I am a caregiver for my sister, and because I have retired, I can still make that commitment with 2 dogs right now, but I know that's my limit as long as I am caring for my sister, who has a number of physical and emotional issues. 

Actually, one of my dogs, my male, has made it his job to help me with her, he alerts me to when she needs help, especially in the middle of the night. He is invaluable!

But more than two? No, can't do it now.

Susan


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

One thing about having multiple dogs is they don't all have to be GSD's. GSD's are very demanding and they do take a lot of time. Other dogs, maybe not so much or in a different way. Each dog has a different job and fills and different place in my heart. 

The GSD: take me outside now. I don't care what the weather is we need exercise. Come on mom you can do it. Get off your behind and move. 

The Pit mix: Ewww its yucky cuddle me some more I'm not going out in that crap. Just let me cuddle on your lap and stay warm. 

The Lab mix: Is there food involved? I know I can smell it, its here somewhere there has got to be food involved. 

With the GSD I go outside and play ball a lot. Kick the basketball throw the kong, chase the chuck-it. For my quite time reading a book or watching TV I always have a pit mix at my feet or in my lap. He is a super cuddler but is not so much into play with me. He will play with the other dogs but he wants me for cuddles. The lab is all about nosework. She will play but only to snatch the ball from the others and run but if there is food involved she will patrol anything. It is a constant challenge to find new places to hide stuff for her to scent out. 

I think the success or failure of multiple dogs depends on all the personalities involved both human and dog. Tasha the GSD gets her cuddles from my husband as Ivan wants his cuddles from me but he will play more with hubby where he just isn't even interested in tug with me. Wiggles will cuddle both of us and her favorite person is whoever has the food for she is a very fickle little girl.


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## Lykoz (Dec 6, 2014)

Also wanted to add even with my two dogs. 

There are many times I fall short of what I believe they should be getting.
I can not reliably always act like I would like to ideally. 
Sometimes I am tired, don't feel like it or don't have time.

I would fall short more often for each dog with additional dogs.


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

shepherdmom said:


> One thing about having multiple dogs is they don't all have to be GSD's. GSD's are very demanding and they do take a lot of time. Other dogs, maybe not so much or in a different way. Each dog has a different job and fills and different place in my heart.
> 
> The GSD: take me outside now. I don't care what the weather is we need exercise. Come on mom you can do it. Get off your behind and move.
> 
> ...



Too late to go back and edit, but in case anyone is confused I'm talking about my dogs specifically not all lab mixes or all pit mixes or all GSD's. Just my current pack.


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## Lilie (Feb 3, 2010)

shepherdmom said:


> Too late to go back and edit, but in case anyone is confused I'm talking about my dogs specifically not all lab mixes or all pit mixes or all GSD's. Just my current pack.


That cracked me up. Must tread lightly...just in case....


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## shepherdmom (Dec 24, 2011)

Lilie said:


> That cracked me up. Must tread lightly...just in case....


Ha! Not just a CYA but actually had someone PM me saying I shouldn't generalize about mixed breed dogs.


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## Kahrg4 (Dec 19, 2012)

shepherdmom said:


> Ha! Not just a CYA but actually had someone PM me saying I shouldn't generalize about mixed breed dogs.


Smh.


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