How many dogs do you currently have? And why that number?

[DreamingOfSoftWhiteSand]

We currently have four dogs - we've had more but at the moment we have four. All rescues. They are no more of a handful than two or three and there are many times when they are all having a snooze, or playing by themselves, or with each other, and we don't see them for quite a while! We wouldn't be without them.

How many dogs you do have? Would you have more at the same time? Why did you pick that many dogs?

PS: if space (and money) were no issue, we'd have many more - but keeping our place clean already takes our cleaner three hours each day, Monday-Friday!

3 at the moment, all gundog breeds - two 6 year old big ones and a 9 month old small/medium. One of the big ones has a health condition so probably won't be with us for many more years. Next year we should be getting another (big) puppy when my best friend has a litter - we live near each other and will train them together and she will show mine. 4 will be easier than 3 as at the moment we have to take 1 or all 3 out with us to the pub etc as can't leave one home alone, but will be able to do 2 and 2 so they always have company.

We have had various combinations of 2 and 3 over the last 20 years, and will never go back to 1. When we first got a 2nd dog, my mum said 'I never understood why you wanted another but now I've seen them playing together I understand'. Once you have 1 your life changes with regards to going out, going on holiday etc. so additional ones don't really make any difference. We manage to find holiday cottages that will allow multiple dogs so all good 😊.

Currently have 2 small terrier DDogs, got the second as company for the first when we're out, they fight like human sisters but are very loving to each other when ill or just generally feeling kind to each other 😂 they're just like kids!
If money, and space we're not issue, I'd have 4, the 2 we have, a husky (preferably a rescue but it being a puppy is essential due to very young children) and then a mixed breed rescue of a similar size to the husky, but again must be a puppy.

Ah, we had 2, both rescues. We started with 1 but another gsd in same predicament came to us, so we had 2 and they were such happy, good friends, for years. Then we got another youngish rescue a few years ago when the kids were older. Unfortunately, the first two have since died so we are just left with the latest one. When he goes, I am insistent that we won't get another. I just don't want that level of housework for another 12 years! Although, I think dh has other ideas.

I used to foster dogs before I had children.

I decided not to have any pets. It's just one (actually many, many!) Less things to worry about.

I found that with two or more they entertain each other. So if you need to go out for a couple of hours, they don't get lonely.

One puppy. First time I’ve owned a dog. He can be very hard work at times, but lovely also.

We have 3. When I met DH 9 years ago he had two dogs and I had one. I lost my boy shortly afterwards (diabetes and cancer) and I was heartbroken.

While I love DH's dogs and I 100% class them as mine now too, they're both small dogs and I missed having a bigger dog around the house. We saw an urgent rehoming request for a gorgeous boy shared by a friend on FB so we enquired and he is now ours. We've had him almost a year and he's fitted in so well. DC2 has autism and anxiety and they've bonded so well, he helps calm DC down when they're having a bad time even though he's not actually a support dog.

The two little ones are getting older now so I sadly don't know how much longer we will have them, but I think when it's their time we won't get another and just go down to the one for a while. We love all of them but the logistics of going anywhere with them can be harder and most holiday places we've looked at that allow dogs have a 2 dog limit, it's also harder when we visit family to fit everyone in the car. We have a wedding to attend next year which family will be at as well so trying to find someone to look after them all is going to be a pain for us.

One. And he's enough.

2 labs to keep each other company, Uncle and niece. The eldest dog's sister had pups so had 1 from her litter.

One, I can only afford one plus he's very hit and miss with other dogs so wouldn't risk getting another one incase he hated them!

Five. Four greyhounds and a lurcher. Love them and would have more if we could afford it.

Two/three- all rescues. I share the third with my son. He started with me, then when son moved out, he took him. Ddog comes for visits regularly though, sometimes with son, sometimes on his own (I pick him up- he doesn’t make his own way here!).

One rescue. She was kicked out of her previous home because she didn’t get along with the other dog, however she was also very matted and scared of so many things… and was not housetrained in the slightest (at 1 year old)

Shes now a well rounded ‘mostly’ confident little doggo, lots of dog friends and a lot braver. However it’s taken a long time to get her to this point and I wouldn’t want to upset what we have by introducing another dog (esp. considering that’s apparently why she was given up)

One large dog that I love every centimetre of.
while I’d love another dog, practically speaking one is plenty. He and I spend every waking hour together when I’m off work and it’s easier to manage one with my small car or if I’m out running.
He is with DH when I’m at work but Ddog is my shadow when I’m about ❤️

7 but they are all working dogs. Collies and Wcs and a lab.

3 Collies Search and Rescue and work on the farm
2 WCS detection dogs
and a lab just cos he is lovely

(also have 2 fosters at the moment. Foster numbers are very flexible)

and as you can see having dogs affects your ability to count
4 collies!

I’ve got one, but would love another. It’s the holidays that are tricky, my family will have one, but I don’t think they’d have more.

We have 3 at the moment.

Dog 1 is a rescue and my ex working dog. He’s very old now but still happy enough. Still needs a walk but not on the same level as the others so he goes separately.

Dog 2 and 3 are of a similar age. Play together etc. Both intended to be show dogs but life has got in the way.

There are definite pros and cons to 3, if I’m working 1 for example then there’s always a pair left behind but the downfalls of 3 (time, money, splitting walks) mean I’ll probably not get another once Dog1 goes.

1. Total opposites but they rub off one each other quite well. The quiet one makes the crazy one less crazy etc.

We'll likely lose our older girl in the next couple of years and probably won't hurry to get another. As another poster said we'll wait for the right dog to find us. It always seems to happen!

When I'm walking mine, I swear they can appear from 3 different directions at once!

Zero, because I don’t want to deal with their poo. Had dogs all my life and then after several kids and nappies decided not to replace when ours died in rapid succession (elderly). After mine were all out of nappies, no way was I ever dealing with another being’s poo/wee again, be that kid, cat or dog.

We have two. I’d have more but we also foster dogs so having just 2 of our own is a good number. I volunteer in a rescue and often bring dogs home for a couple of days to give them a break from the rescue and to see how they are in a family home. So although we officially only have two, theres usually more than two here. 😅

4, we lost our old yorkie chihuahua mix at the beginning of the year.

He was our only small dog as I have a golden retriever and a Fox red lab so in may we got our boy Biewer terrier and loved him so much I went back for his half sister 10 weeks later.

So at the beginning of the year we had our two bigger girls and our old boy.

Now we have two bigger dogs and two teeny weeny. I might get another golden retriever in a year or so as I love them.

We are lucky in that we have 3 acres and our paddock is just the other side of our patio. They often take themselves off to play in there if my (2) horses are in the other paddock. Not the two little ones though they are scaredy cats.

I love having them all, if the postman comes it can get quite noisy though. I've got 5 cats as well!

3, my old girl and two younger boys. One of the younger boys i got myself and the other was a rescue.

We had two dogs until 12 year old lab died, had her from a puppy and miss her so much.
But, as above poster says, it's so much easier now with just one dog. He gets a lot more walks, trips out and visits to family and friends.