Living With Multiple Dogs?

[KitKat]

To further my curiosity...for those who have more then two dogs (especially large dogs) how do you manage? Food/bills/bedding/walking/etc?

[*Bones*]

I have 4. 2 large, 2 smallish. Vet a/c are quite small, as they are not sickly. I spend a lot on grooming products, going to shows, and travelling overseas. Food, imho, is not a big component, but supplements etc are. My income covers it. Dogs are taken to off leash parks once or twice a week. I have a reasonable big area, where they play. They are regularly groomed, and trained, so they have good interaction.It works out for me, although I have had more dogs than 4 without troubles.

Bedding - 3 sling beds with mattresses on them, also a couple of crates permanently open, for sleeping or resting - or locking when it is feed time. The smaller dogs sleep together, or with a large one. Once you buy the beds if you buy quality, they last for decades. Because we use mattresses, the slings last longer than if the dogs lay straight on them.

Leads collars etc last for years too, and can be recycled.

Edited November 28, 2010 by *Bones*

[MissMaddy]

I have 2 GSDs and a Rotty.

Walking is easy! I live on 12 acres with 2 dams, so I just open their gates and they run together under supervision. I have 3 separate runs for when I'm not home.

The GSDs are both on the same food, the rotty girl is on a different food as she's only 7 months. I'll let you know how I cope with buying it, we've just bought our first bag, and her breeder have now been getting me very cheap meat so that will make stuff a lot easier.

Bedding I just pick up sheets/blankets etc from the op shop. I also recycle old horse rugs I no longer use into dog beds. The 2 younger (male GSD and female rotty) are both destructive with beds, so they tend to get blankets that get ripped up and reused! I also have 3 crates, and they are usuallygiven the chance to settle onto beds inside, if they don't, I swap in and out of crates.

Next on my list is a dog trailer, so I can easily take them all out to shows, etc together. At the moment I just take 2 and the 3rd one gets left inside in a crate if it's not a long day out.

I've only had my rotty girl for a couple of weeks, but interestingly I'm not finding it that different to having 2 dogs (I just set firm boundaries when they're out as to how rough the playing is allowed to get). Nowhere near as much of a difference between having 1 dog and having 2.

[Mim]

I've gone from 4 to 3 this year. Corgis so not big dogs physically.

Food: I feed raw and they don't need much.

Vet bills: there are none. Vaccs 3 yearly, one off for desexing + microchipping, they only go if they are sick which so far hasn't really happened. The boys have needed medicine for ear infections a couple of times and my old girl had a UTI once but other than that, they are very robust. Worming, flea treatments etc don't add up to that much either. I buy them cheap online.

Walking is easy. I walk with somebody else and one of us walks 2 while the other walks 1. Otherwise I do two rounds, once with 2 dogs then again with the remaining one but if it's just me I usually take each of them one at a time.

Bedding: they sleep on my bed Plenty of room! They also have a large crate (which one of them prefers to sleep in) and a large bed in another room of the house which they like to go in during the day or sometimes Sarge decides he doesn't want to sleep in my room so he goes there. Most of the time I find they prefer the floor over their beds.

The only issue I have is that I don't have enough hands to pat them all at once

Multiple dogs just works for us. It's so easy but now I have spoilt myself and don't think I can ever go back to just two, let alone one!

Edited November 28, 2010 by Mim

[Gayle.]

I have 3 Aussies and a very, very old Lhasa Apso.

I've just switched their food to Black Hawk Holistic as it's a super premium kibble at close to a supermarket price. Prior to that they were getting Supercoat and Coprice. They also get raw chicken pieces which I buy in bulk and freeze.

Walks, I only walk the Aussies and only when my husband will come with me. Sometimes I just walk one by myself. However we live on 3/4 acre and have a fenced off paddock where I can take them to run off steam, chase frisbees and balls etc. We also do obedience training there. They don't lack for exercise.

Bedding, they sleep on cheap dog mattresses I got from Kmart, topped with a rug. In the past they've also slept on old quilts, folded and topped with a rug. Benson sleeps under our bed.

Bills, well we both work fulltime and the dogs are pretty healthy so no exorbitant vet bills, touch wood.

Edited November 28, 2010 by GayleK

[WreckitWhippet]

Mine aren't large but I have nine medium dogs and bitches.

Food, I mainly feed raw, buy in bulk and store in a dedicated dog freezer, I buy once a fortnight. Those that do have dry, I also buy in bulk. I feed premium dry and quality raw foods and find that in the long run, you feed less , spend less and the dogs look a million dollars on it.

I don't feed a lot of supplements, I keep a couple of items that includes an Omega 3/6/9 oil and Thrive D, both I buy in bulk.

Vet bills are costly but it's rare that we see a vet apart from breeding related issues. I've only had one go to the vet this year for anything, non breeding related. I put the amount of vet care required down to excellent breeding, being fed a quality diet and exercised daily.

I don't vaccinate yearly ( not a decision based on money ) but when I do choose to vaccinate I take the dogs in at the same time, as it is cheaper to do it that way.

I buy all wormers in jars of 100.

Bedding, consists of tramp beds outside for day use, my bed and crates at night. I make all of my bedding that goes in the crates and the trailer.

Walking , legally I can only take 4 at a time. I walk three adults each night together, run two in the leash free each day and the younger pups get their daily lead training and short walk down to the park and back. When I swim the dodgs, I take them all, except for the Whippets. If we are preparing for a big specialty show, my OH runs dogs off the bike once or twice a week each, to give me a hand.

[Scarlet]

I only have 2 now but have had 3 and 4 dogs in the past.

I don't know if it was good management or luck but when I had multiple dogs it was whan I lived "in the bush" on large parcels of land and before I had children.

The dogs had a fenced 2 acre house block and played well together so did a lot of self exercising.

On weekends we were always outside and usually on the river so the dogs continually swam and ran around - all off leash.

These dogs lived on Pal with a lot of cheap lamb that we got from neighbours.

They slept on hessian sacks outside or human beanbags in the house.

They all rode in the back of the ute.

The dogs were very healthy - we had a few accidents - broken leg, fish hook through nose - but apart from that no illnesses.

But I know we didn't protect against heartworm or ticks so a HUGE savings there! I don't know if preventives were around or not but the vet never mentioned them.

I know when we had a single dog, some 12-15 yrs later we used heartworm and tick prevention. Must have been because of a vet's recommendation. We were also in another part of the state.

Edited November 28, 2010 by Scarlet

[sas]

We usually run on 2 resident Great Dane and 1 foster dog that can be of any breed.

Walking: My partner will usually take the 2 Danes out together and I'll take the foster dog. I have walked them seperately before however it's better time wise to go out together where possible.

Play: Individual play time, put other dogs away so we can have one on one.

Training: As per above. Even the 10 year old gets a training session - not because she needs to learn but I believe training sessions keep the mind active and more balanced.

Vet Bills: 2 Resident dogs have Insurance, 1 of those dogs is at the Vets alot which one of his conditions isn't covered by Insurance.

I guess to me, if you need to be able to afford to Vet care the dogs you have, you shouldn't add dogs to your family if you can't afford it.

Food: 2 resident dogs on BARF which costs about $240.00 every 3-4 weeks. Foster dogs are usually fed kibble as this is usually what new owners will feed.

Bedding: Snooza Dane sized beds, they're around $200 each and those are for the lounge, in the bedroom we have a human futon matress on the floor, scattered Snooza futon beds around and one Dane Size crate.

Edited November 28, 2010 by sas

[gillybob]

I have three, 2 medium and a small.

I feed raw so its cheap.

Only one of my dogs has been to a vet in the last few years.

I worm and flee treat, thats were most of the money is spent.

Now that all my dogs are 10 and over, vet costs may be bigger, but I dont think so.

They all seem healthy, except one who has demtia.

Lovely teeth, good coats.

[SpikesPuppy]

1 medium and 3 small.

Dog food gets split between mum and myself (dry/raw/tinned fish/tinned or loaf/roll food for emergencies or treats, things like 2x4s etc). My 3 eat approximately the same as her 1 so it works out 50/50.

Bedding- there is an outdoor hammock for Nessa plus her kennel.

We have another smaller kennel in the (presently unused) dog run. Indoor beds are a blanket or vetbed on the living room floor but they usually pile on the couch.

There are also 2 open crates in the dining room plus the spare room (off the lounge) which has a futon in it which the dogs also use. 90% of the time the back door is open so they have a large range of bedding options. In the process if getting some nice beds for the living room but I believe that is more for us!

Night time mum has her dog in her room (usually crated) I have one on my bed and the other 2 crated beside my bed.

Vet bills- have a dedicated pet savings account and dedicated pet credit card. However rarely use that as can cover the basics on our earnings. vaccinations are now 3 yearly so that's easy! Mums dog is a Collie so needs Sentinel for heartworm (which also does intestinal plus fleas), so I buy ProHeart for my dogs which is about $16 for 6 tablets which lasts me 2 doses (I dose every 6 weeks rather than monthly, vet recommendation and that's only fairly recent due to the mozzie plague). I only use Advantage in the warmer months and buy a pack for larger dogs and split it. All wormers done 6 monthly so does not break the bank no matter where I buy them. (this is not about the money, if they required more frequent treatments, annual vaccinations etc I would spend it, no questions. But who doesn't like to save money and yes, if I can find an equivalent product at a lower cost, I will choose it in preference).

Walking, mum usually takes her dog and I take mine separately or in pairs. Here you can only walk 2 at a time (4 if Greyhounds). My guys don't need daily structured exercise though. As much as they love getting out, they dont climb the walls if they miss a walk or 3. They are quite happy with games in the house or yard and have an active social life in weekends.

Edited November 28, 2010 by SpikesPuppy

[B-Q]

We have 3 currently and hope to be adding another again next year. All 3 are medium.

2 are mine, 1 is my sisters (the 4th will be my mothers) so as for walking, grooming, training, vet bills, registration costs etc they are up to the individual owner. I pay for a decent quality dry food and mum pays for the meat atm, once my sister has a job we will split the cost.

Buster is almost 8 now, he is pretty nervous outside the yard so I generally walk him in the paddocks, Quinn I walk alone every morning because I don't want her leanrng from Buster's DA.

Edited November 28, 2010 by busterlove

[Remarkabull]

I have 5 - 2 large & 3 small.

Food - $130 for bag of premium kibble - lasts over a month. I spend about $50 a fortnight on raw food.

Vet - hardly anything so far. Have been very lucky with my dogs, only had 2 big vet bills in the last 10 years (over $600). I only vaccinate every few years or if they are going into a boarding kennel.

I walk 2 or 3 at a time depending upon which dogs I'm taking, but OH and kids are sometimes wrangled in to help and then all 5 can go at once. 4 of them get to go the the dog park once a week for a big run and a swim.

I am just about to start a full time job so while nobody is home the 2 large dogs and the female JRT will be outside and the 2 little boys will stay inside because they can be shit stirrers and might bite off more than they can chew with the Dobe pup.

[halfthewords]

To further my curiosity...for those who have more then two dogs (especially large dogs) how do you manage? Food/bills/bedding/walking/etc?

We have 4 - two smallish (one very chunky/muscular though) and two very small (Miniature Pinschers).

Food: my sister and I both work as vet nurses so we get discounts on dry food. We buy one of the big science diet bags and that lasts us probably 2-3 months. Most nights each of them get a handful of biscuits topped with something - sometimes mince or raw leftover chicken. As far as supplements go, Carl and Cleo get a handful of psyllium husks because of anal gland issues. I buy kangaroo mince about once a week for Carl and Mischa to have with their dinner on alternating nights. I get cheap human grade sardine tins from Aldi, and they get an egg once a week or so. I buy pig ears in bulk and give them out once a week so they last a while. I do the same with bones and stash them in the freeze so parents don't complain. My mum buys chicken bones from the butcher fairly cheap, and that's breakfast!

Bills: All very healthy, no vet services needed apart from yearly vaccinations. Carl had a tick in Jan 09 and everyone got a dental last year, but cost almost nothing due to discounts. I have been thinking about insurance for my two, just because it seems like more and more people I know are having accidents with their dogs and forking out a ton!

Bedding: Yeah right. Carl and Jag sleep in me and my mum's beds, Mischa and Cleo sleep wherever they feel like - human beds during winter, their own during summer. We have an old doona in front of the heater that they lay on. Free access to all couches/beds/furniture. I have a nice pink bed with a fluffy blanket in my wardrobe for Mischa - she likes having her own den. :D The bed is huge for her but sometimes she shares. Carl spends most of his time asleep under my desk, so he has a big brown cushy bed under there. He and Mischa share if the wardrobe doors are shut!

Walking: Generally, I walk my 2 on my own every day. They get an hour minimum, usually 2 hours when I have the time. Weekends they get over 2, as well as training and visiting other houses. My mum walks Jag every day for an hour unless she is away (travels frequently for her work), then I take him with me. He can't be trusted off lead yet which is annoying! My sister usually takes Cleo but occasionally I walk all 4 at the same time. I try to incorporate swimming and sand as much as I can (Mischa has a luxating patella) because it makes everyone do zoomies. Usually we walk for an hour and then finish off with the beach. They get offleash time every day. We never go to the same place 2 days in a row.

[poodlefan]

I think I manage the way most dog owners do.

I use training and routine.

My dogs are fed in the same order every meal. Howard to his crate first then the poodles in order of age. They know their spots. If they're having RMBs outside, I sit with them and supervise to ensure Howard doesn't get harassed by the poodles. Not only does he get more than twice what they get to eat, he takes twice as long as they do to eat it.

Walking on lead - all four dogs at once. All walk on loose leads. All know their spots and apart from the occasional bit of lead macrame this works fine.

Sleeping arrangements - Howard sleeps in his basket by the bed the poodles have their spots on it. Howard joins us in the morning.

I think I prefer three dogs to four for ease of management but we get there.

Costs? I try not to think about it. As the dogs are both my passion and my hobby, I don't worry too much. I tell myself at least its cheaper than keeping two horses.

[W Sibs]

I have 2 small dogs.

They eat raw and surprisingly it doesn't cost much to feed them.

Vet bills... it's managable. Pet insurance if you want some peace of mind.

Walks... they can be walked together and separately. I try to have one on one with them with everyday, sometime the only time I can do that is by walks. I have been known to walk around the block 4 times a day...

Sleep... Emmy sleeps on the bed with me. Charlie only sleeps on the bed if he isn't feeling well but most of the time he sleep on his bed in the bedroom or his crate. They have their own day bed each in the living room, and share a huge dog bed in the study.

It's all about finding a routine and system that works for your household

[New Age Outlaw]

4 greyhounds here! Walking, when we go (which is not every day), is I take the two older girls first (they only get a very short walk as they are not up to serious physical exertion these days), and then the two younger ones for a slightly longer walk. Other days, when we don't walk, I just play ball in the yard and those who feel the need for exercise play, the others just watch.

The dogs have an area under the house where there are beds, plus there are more beds out under the verandah, so there are plenty of choices for them the lie on. In the under house space, there is a separate area that has a gate (we call it "the cage"), so I can lock one or two away without stopping the others going in and out...helpful when you have a sick or injured dog. I lock them all up under the house when I go to bed, so they aren't out barking at possums!

At feeding time they all have their own place to eat, and they know where to stand to get their tea...doesn't take them long to learn that!

I am lucky because I have found some cheap options for buying meat for them (OH knows someone who works at the abattoir who can get us ox hearts and kidneys etc in bulk and very cheap), and (touch wood) I haven't had too many issues with vet bills (my boss is a vet so that helps with simple things ).

As others have said, routine and systems is the way, and I have found it not a problem at all managing the four of them. In fact, I really enjoy having so many.

[CaseyKay]

3 smallish border collie girls: 10 years, 8 years, 14 months. Commercial raw diet, $40 per week for that and their bones.

Usually walk all 3 at once, on leads 5 minutes to a big reserve where they run off lead for an hour in the mornings and about an hour and half at night where we see more people and have social time. Youngest one also has training 2 or 3 nights a week at my club.

Don't have a lot of vet bills, middle girl has epilepsy but the meds are not expensive about $20 per month. She has a seizure about once every 6 weeks, but I don't take her to the vet for single seizures. She just had pancreatitis which cost $1800 to save her. That is by far the most massive vet bills I have had in ten years, $1200 of it was accrued over the first 24 hours alone. Vets are expensive I am considering getting insurance for the youngest one.

At the moment while KC is recovering the other two get normal walks and she gets 10 minutes around the smaller park across the street twice a day. She has always slept in our bedroom (in her crate), the other two sleep inside in crates in winter and outside in summer. I figure when the older two slow down a bit in a couple of years I might end up doing a longer morning walk with Gael and take all 3 out in the afternoon.

I like having 2 or 3 dogs, don't think I would have more than 3, or more than 2 that are under 6 years old and I am competing with them.

[GomezAkita]

2 x Akita's.

The more dog the merrier for me

[Guest belgian.blue]

My two cents ..

I have two large dogs, both over 20kg each.

I feed Black Hawk and raw, so the food bills aren't really that high. I don't find I spent much on their food at all, probably buying the lamb shanks is the worse as you tend to pay about $4 for a shank these days. Chicken frames are a big no no in my house.

One dog sleeps on the bed and the other has his bed on the floor or his crate.

Walking is both of them together for me, one on each side. Lucky enough they both walk well and I'd never walk them seperately. More enjoyable going for one big walkies all together.

Both travel well in the car together.

I tend to do everything with both my dogs by my side. They both come to my partners house, when there is then a backyard with four dogs over 20kg All four get along very well.

[cowanbree]

I have 10 shelties and 2 aussies. It is a lot of dogs but most of the time it is fine. I think the thing is I have added them one at a time over many years, it is easy to fit one more in. This also helps as they all have different needs.

2 are very elderly and really just sleep and stroll round the garden occasionally. Another 3 are also senior and I tend to take them out and about visiting more than for big walks. They would rather wander the 1km to get the mail than go for a long walk.

The middle group are the most work, they are my show/breeding team and most days we go out to the nearby bush area and go for a decent run with at least 4 of them. I also have a couple of acres they spend a lot of time romping on.

The final group is the puppies. They don't require exercise other than free running but it is vital to get them out and about. Puppy classes, show training and as many outings as possible are important.

Cost wise I get some great discounts on food and pet accessories. I normally buy direct from the importer and save a lot of money. Where it can tend to be an issue is vet bills. Because I have quite a variety of ages there does always tend to be something wrong with someone and it can be a strain sometimes. I would like to reduce my numbers back to around 7 but I have never really been that good at rehoming them.