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!

My sister has 6, I lost my dog but haven't replaced her. My sister is a dog hoarder.

Oops maybe some truth!

We have 3, although 2 is easier to manage as they are all on top of me on the sofa after work.
Going forward we will always need 2 or 3, I like a little lap dog and dh needs a good working dog. When our working dog gets to 11 we'll need to bring in a pup for her to train and start to take over as she gets older. I will probably rescue my next little dog when the time comes unless we compromise and have a little Cocker Spaniel, but they have to come in as a pup for the dynamics to work. The working dogs have to be from breeders though, they need to be good pedigrees from proven working lines.

I have zero dogs. The reason is that I don't particularly like dogs and they are FUCKING HARD WORK and very expensive.

I do have a lovely cat though, who is easy peasy and utterly wonderful😺

Six. All bar one from puppies, they are aged now 9/9, 8, 5 and the baby is about 10 weeks. The other just turned up one day and refused to leave, that was 6 years ago - he's probably about 12/13. We've got 3h of land and a big utility room so they all live in there (apart from the princess, who sleeps on my bed!).

Then why are you on a thread about dogs

1, and it will stay that way because (while nice with other dogs in the park) his resource guarding around other dogs and general inability to share nicely with them would make introducing another dog into the household impractical.

I love all these rescue stories❤️

I have 1, I would absolutely love another but my DFog is 10 & I don’t want to upset him or the dynamic for him - he loves his life of following me & my DD everywhere, just the 3 of us. I adore him with every bit of me & to upset him would devastate me!

I have 2. One is nearly 6, the 6 month old puppy was very much not planned and was a surprise 'gift' at 11 weeks old.
Wouldn't ever be without him now though.

What about using pet sitters? We do and that gives us the freedom to go away without having to ask friends and family for favours.

I don’t want strangers in my house !

We currently one toy breed puppy. I have had as many as four dogs at once and most of those have been large breed rescues, but when our last boy was very old dh and I decided that one small dog was right for the next stage of our lives.

Lots of reasons, in no particular order:

Now our dc are older, dh and I want to be able to go away for weekends and take the dog with us. We do have a caravan and usually go to a family owned holiday home for our longer holidays, but would like to be able to stay in hotels for weekends away and having one small dog makes that easier.

One small dog is easier to take to restaurants and cafes etc, as well as on days out and visits to family/friends. Having had a large breed with separation anxiety, we want the option of taking this dog with us to as many places as possible, which wasn’t easy with a very large dog.

We realised after having one very sick young-ish dog and then our old boy that, as we age, we will struggle to lift dogs eg in and out of cars or in emergencies, so that was another positive for getting a smaller dog.

We have quite a small house (although it has a very big garden) which was very full with several large dogs in it, so one small dog is the sensible option. (It’s not like us to choose the sensible option generally, hence all the previous big dogs!)

We all liked the idea of a lap dog this time around (although our Lurchers were very loving lap sitters and sofa stealers) and he has really fitted that criteria, as he’s a total cuddle-bug.

I wanted to ditch my huge estate car and get a small, easy to park and drive around town car instead. (I admit, I am loving this aspect of having a smaller dog.)

I always said I would never have just one dog, but dh persuaded me it was the right thing to do. I will confess that it does feel very odd though and I can’t stop myself looking at rescue sites on a regular basis. We’re experienced after having rescue dogs for over 30 years and I see so many that need an experienced home, but dh has reached the point where he just wants a break from intensive behaviour work, dealing with SA etc and to have more freedom, so even if I do manage to persuade him we need another I reckon it will be a couple of years or so.

They wouldn't be any more of a stranger than a cleaner. If you use the same person time and time again they become a great help.

I don’t have a cleaner either.

I have a dog-walker who will board their own client's dogs. Had to use them when my DH was unexpectedly admitted to hospital, and I was spending most of my time there.

The most I've ever had is 4 - when the kids were all 9-13 ish in age. My youngest DC is now late 20's and reckons that was the best. Of course who did all the walking, feeding, washing🤷🏼‍♀️.

I live alone now and have 3, only now of them was a conscious choice. 2 are rescues, both "unplanned" in that the dogs needed homes and I was in the right place to help. The planned one was a very deliberate choice of breed and I was on a waiting list with a breeder for 18 months. All three are brilliant, despite having the odd issue (allergies, reactivity with one of the rescues) and they adore each other.

I wouldn't be without them but it does restrict my life - when I just had the one I was more able to take her out and about with me, travelled on trains and buses, stayed with friends etc. Not really possible to do that with 3 of them, but no regrets.

I have one. Can’t afford another one when it comes to vet bills (despite insurance). I know the costs will go into the thousands when he gets old so staying at one this time.

I have zero after we lost our good boy in June. I would have another but DH wants to wait. I'm on the Spaniel Aid website daily!

You are living my dream 😍 I can’t wait until we can get a dog (or 2) and have my heart set on a rescue greyhound

In addition, if I'm out and see a dog, I really want to go and cuddle him/her. Even though I have ours waiting for us at home!!!

We have three at the moment due to a set of circumstances. They are all lovely but so restrictive in many ways- holidays, where we can go etc. I'll be glad to be down to two at some point if I'm honest

If we want to go on holiday and can't take the dogs we use a pet sitter. Been using him for years and he is 100% trustworthy and great with dogs.

NONE.
Our garden is not secure and it would cost £££ to make it so. It's a rental house so we're not keen to spend the £££. Therefore, no dog.

None. Dont like the mess and smell

2, labs. Second one a rescue. She livens him up, he calms her down. While I would love more, I think those 2 are very happy as a twosome and would not want to spoil their dynamic.plus they cost a lot 😳