Remarkabull Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have 4 ATM and they're easy. 2 Bulldogs, 1 JRT and 1 small fluffy crossbred. The bulldogs are such a pleasure and are no hassle at all. They are friendly with everyone and everything, they don't bark much and they don't need huge amounts of exercise. The small fluffy is also very easy but does require more grooming and the JRT is the oldest but the most active and can be a bit of a yapper at times. They all get along and it's generally a no stress environment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HazyWal Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I'd say too many is when you cannot give them all enough time, exercise, play and attention, and cannot afford to care for them if they need veterinary attention. Yep agree. I have two greyhounds and would love a third. I'd adopt an oldie in a heartbeat but Maddie is a moody biatch I had to stop fostering greyhounds because of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Spotted Devil Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I'm a self confessed dog training/trialling junkie so it depends on how much time I can dedicate to each dog in each sport. I'm tossing up the idea of adding another gundog to the mix later in the year - Zig is at a nice stage where he's titled in obedience, agility and endurance so I just need to keep him super fit and tweak his training. Em is getting a lot of work, especially now she's in All Age, but she has all the basics so it's a good time to consider running on a youngster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CaseyKay Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 For 7 years we just had two border collies 2 years apart in age, which was a nice manageable number. One was a sports dog and one was a pet (she had health issues). We lived like normal people. Then after 7 years when they were nice and quiet and easy, we for some crazy reason added 2 very active pups: a 3rd Border collie and a French Brittany within 2 1/2 years of each other. I can freely admit that the two years we had the 4 dogs it just seemed like "too many", it made life a bit difficult logistically (you would never have been able to separate me from ANY of them though) but the main issue was that I did feel the oldies got a bit left out which made me sad. We are now down to two again aged 4 1/2 and 2 years, and I think my maximum comfortable number is THREE, but the issue is OH and I have a different breed each which we do different things with, and we disagree who gets "nextpuppy", and he thinks 4 dogs is fine as that is only "2 each"! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LisaCC Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I've only had one dog at a time and I like that, but I think I would like to have 2 dogs. I will only stick to one for quite a while though as my boy is still an adolescent and Even though my rental is long term and fairly secure, when I graduate uni I will probably need to move away, so I think just having one dog when that happens will be easier to find accommodation. It will take me forever to decide which breed I want too, another Aussie or one of the others I have in the back of my mind... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Below is the number of dogs I'd like to have. But, I agree with the list of responsibilities and considerations that showdog posted. So, can't have them all. Tibbies, of course. :) click to enlarge: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Queen Maeby Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have one Pug and would like to have four. But because his cancer treatment is so expensive, I'm just going to stick with one for now. I have other things I'm saving for. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Podengo Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have one, I would prefer three! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheridan Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 If I could have dogs with the same personalities as Grumpy and Mini, I'd have lots more. They were perfectly matched. Mini was submissive in the things Grumpy cared about and cheeky with the things he didn't. I doubt I'd have more than three dogs at a time in reality. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pjrt Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 You have too many dogs when training and socializing them all becomes difficult, and they are not recieving enough life stimulation, when the dogs are stressed amongst themselves because the owner wants all the doggies, but can't see that it's not working for the dogs, when you can't afford the basic vet care for each and every one, with a bit left over for emergencies, when grooming them all properly is becoming too expensive or time consuming, and all that depends a lot on the owner and the type of dogs, so it's a bit subjective. When any area of any of the dogs lives is compromised due to the volume of dogs....that's too many. I wrote here once before that I used to be one of those people that wanted to buy land and move to the country so I could have lots of dogs.....and I worked bloody hard and made my dream come true, only to be confronted with the harsh reality that what I wanted and what was best for the dogs involved, were perhaps not the same thing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kirislin Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Below is the number of dogs I'd like to have. But, I agree with the list of responsibilities and considerations that showdog posted. So, can't have them all. Tibbies, of course. :) click to enlarge: but would you wear your hair like that too? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Salukifan Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I think the short answer to the question is when the dogs' welfare suffers because of lack of attention. For some people one dog is too many. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mita Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 (edited) Below is the number of dogs I'd like to have. But, I agree with the list of responsibilities and considerations that showdog posted. So, can't have them all. Tibbies, of course. :) click to enlarge: but would you wear your hair like that too? I'm not even sure if that's a man or a woman. :) With a hair-do like that, who can tell. :) :) Or is it a hat? Edited February 27, 2014 by mita Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tdierikx Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 4 is my magic number... it just feels "right" for me... Recently I boarded the 2 bounciest of my dogs while I recouperated from surgery, and it felt bizarre only having 2 dogs in the house... all was right with the world when I brought the other two home... Pickles is my smallest at 14kg, and Harper the largest at 30kg - Trouble and Zeddy are 26 and 28kg respectively. I used to have 5 Rotties, and that number of Rotties works well for me - but the current lot are all mixed breeds with way different personality traits, so 4 is the limit of those... lol! I love all dogs, but the larger ones are my preference. Maybe as I get older I'll have to look at size and temperament much more carefully in order to be able to manage my companions easily, but that's a way off yet... *grin* T. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taliecat Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 At the moment two is my maximum. Managing dynamics and squabbles of two young dogs is enough for me right now. Especially since these are our first dogs that are ours, not family dogs. If/when we retire and have a nice big property, we'd like to get into showing, more involved with dog sports and possibly breed if we can ever agree on a breed. (He wants bull terriers, I want salukis) But at the moment two is more than a handful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brandiandwe Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 We have three. I couldn't manage another one with Paige's prey drive. But we've had another one who was just like Hermon - a big boofy boy- and it was just a matter of putting down another food bowl, removing another greyhound from the bed/ couch/ underfoot generally. So I could manage four if they fit in with the existing pack and were the right dog. Until they come along, I'm happy with three. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nekhbet Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 Naaaaaaah it's easy lol ... 4 Malinois, a pug and a frenchie ... it's really manageable, you just get used to it as you add more. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loving my Oldies Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have five now, have owned up to 6 with a couple of fosters/rescues in tow. Although I loved being surrounded by heaps of dogs with different personalities, I would not do it again. I agree that the overriding consideration must be whether the dogs are properly catered for in terms of veterinary treatment and attention to all their other needs, physical and psychological. Because she is the most needy in terms of wanting to walking, I'll sometimes be really really mean and sneaky and just grab Myrtie and take her for a walk on her own and I spend the whole time thinking how easy it is and if I just had her, she could have 1/2 dozen walks a day :laugh: :laugh: But when I return, there are four more wriggly, tail wagging bodies at the side gate greeting me as though I were the sun and moon. Priceless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Her Majesty Dogmad Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 I have four of my own - all elderly (3 are 13+ and 1 is 11) but still enjoying daily walks etc, in varying states of medicated comfort! I then have foster dogs, I prefer to only have 1 or 2 but due to special circumstances last week, I ended up with 4 fosters. That is too much. Luckily 1 went on trial on Monday and another has a promising appointment at the weekend. The problem is there are so many dogs in need of rescue/foster care that people like me, in spite of their best intentions, can end up feeling slightly overloaded. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiecuddles Posted February 27, 2014 Share Posted February 27, 2014 At the moment I could do three quite happily as long as they got along with our current girls. When we build on our property and I have options to separate dogs for training etc then I'd be happy with 5 or 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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