How many dogs can someone care for adequately? - Page 2

There is no way someone can adequately care for 60 dogs themself. Even if they hire someone and help out here and there, that is still one person per 60 dogs. If that is the case, the dogs, I would say, are being neglected.

40 - 60 dogs would be to much for even 4 people. They would have to clean constantly with Gsd's. That's with out litters included.
I assume this has to do with the thread "RETIRED" (?) POLICE OFFICER STARVES/NEGLECTS DOGS" in which the info given on their web site indicates 2 -4 litters at one time. Any person thinking it can be done easily try and raise 2 gsd litter at the same time. Then come back and report to this board.

I have 12 dogs, 10 are (German Shepherds ranging in age from 1 year to 13 1/2), 1 Dalmatian 14 1/2, and 1 lab mix, 1 peacock, 1 Pygmy Goat and several fish. 6 dogs live in the house, 6 are in outside kennel runs. Taking care of every one is a full time job, my husband helps some. My Vet is the greatest as he lets me make payments, without him I would have lost my older dogs a few years ago. I have a full time job that allows me to take a dog to work with me, the dogs take turns going to work with me.  I train and show in obedience and have done some conformation. I am not rich by no means, but would rather have the dogs then money. The most dogs I have had at 1 time was 15, when I cared for my daughter's 3 dogs when she was in Afganastan. I can't say I make money off of my dogs as I barely break even at best when I do breed a littler. Norma 

Doright- I'm thoroughly convinced that unless you are a big kennel ( a for real legit business) with hired employees ran to operate like a professional business with each person working for you having a specific duty every day, feeding, cleaning, training, ect and you are doing this as your livlihood there is no way one can keep up with that many animals.  Look at Michael Jackson and his ranch...when he started going broke there were talks he'd have to get rid of the animals because the overhead was just killing him.  And he's a multi millionaire thirty times over....so how can you expect the average couple to properly care for a multitude of large breed dogs, puppies??  IMO it's hard to fathom that it can be done.

I have 3 and I am to my absolute limit.  Despite the fact I have a larger home and a nice fenced yard adding one more GSD to my household would be unfair to us all.  I don't believe in tossing the dogs in the kennels with some food and water as being "properly cared for".  They need to interact with people, family and my dogs all come inside with us.  They live here. Their kennels are just their space outside to get fresh air and have time to be "unbothered" by the kids and other dogs.  Not to mention where they go poop and not get into mischief tearing up my yard. lol

Then when you have an issue of a bitch in heat then you must get a little more creative in rotating schedules so everyone gets their equal time with the family without mass chaos and unintended pregnancies.  I myself outside of the financial factor could not adequately do more than 3 without completely losing my mind.  Maybe if your kids are grown and gone, you're retired and have a sizeable pension to live on then it may be possible to live out your life with 30 GSD's roaming your farm but in the real world with real people who have families, jobs and responsibilities I just can't see it possible. 

I agree with Yellowrose in that a lot depends on what you have to work with, i.e. proper facilities to make the jobs easier, etc., full time job to contend with also or is this what you do all day/week long?

I do not see it to be possible however that one person or couple for that matter would be able to attend to "everything" these dogs would need.  Perhaps, food, water, cleaning and vetting.  But, how on earth would it be possible to excercise and love it up on 40 or more dogs? 

I currently only have 2 and I do spend a lot of my free time doing things with them however, I also work 60hrs/wk.  I already feel bad for those hours I'm away.  I could possibly do 2 more dogs before I would feel too strained to enjoy them and them me.

Of course, I do it all myself.  Hubby says since it is my thing it is all up to me.  I feed/water, clean, vet, exercise, buy any and everything they need, train, truck, walk them all myself.  He does not get involved...well, except to tell me one of them did something wrong, ie. potty in the yard, chew something up, dig a hole, bark too much, etc.  He does however enjoy loving on them and reaps all of the benefits of these beauties.  Lucky thing!

DDR SDG:  Actually this thread has something to do with the thread you mentioned but not entirely, as that particular person, as I understand it, "farms" out her dogs so that she is not caring for forty or so, and also, it was pointed out that she has helpers.  She also gets income form them, which makes a huge difference.

This thread is more about those types known as "collectors", who have all of these dogs and make no money, do not participate in anything such as dog sledding or flyball, etc., and, because they are a "collector", have many, many other animal types.  I understand that it is sort of a mental condition, like a pack rat.  Even the multi millionaire Michael Vick did not have that many dogs.  I find that it would be impossible for anyone except a very wealthy person that can hire people to take care of them, to deal with 60+ spayed and neutered dogs, that they do not use for any particular purpose.  Plus, a menagerie of other animals.  Just think of the conditions they would be living in, both the humans and the dogs and other animals.  I could see if someone was making money from them, that it could perhaps work.  But, how much personal attention could be given to each dog?  Two minutes a day perhaps, because of all of the other things that come with life in general.

My dogs are wearing me out now, and I only have ten.  Which reminds me to tell why I have ten now.  It just became ten.

My brother about seven or eights months ago (I don't really remember how long ago but it wa about that), bought his first house.  He had always lived in apartments and he never had a dog of his own.  Well, besides giving him a new kitchen as a gift in his new home (the kitchen needed to be redone and I told him I would pay for it as a gift (he's my younger brother , the house painter I mentioned in another thread.  His wife is a CPA), he had stated that he could now have a dog, and I told him I would help him in that regard.  Well, I assumed since I have a bunch of GSD's, a couple of Rott's and a few Mastiff x Boxer crosses, he might want something along those lines.  Nope, he wanted a Bassett Hound.  I said What?  He said he always wanted one.  So, I saw an advertisement at my vets office for a litter of them, and I took my brother to pick out the one he wanted.  He picked out the runt of the litter, a female.  I have to admit she was cute.  Anyway, last week I get a call from him asking if I could take "Beulah" as his job was forcing him to keep her crated most of the day and he felt bad about it.  He wanted me to take her because I had paid for her and also because he could visit her and would know that she will be well taken care of.  Naturally I did take her and she is number 10.  She is a sweetheart, spayed, and housebroken, with those sad looking, drooping, Bassett Hound eyes.  Cute as a button.  I did tell him that I would not keep her, that I had too many dogs, and that I would try to find her a good home, but you know how I am about re-homing (although she is not really my dog).  So, if anyone is close to Ohio and is someone who wants a sweetheart of a Bassett Hound, AKC, red ish with white spots, I can put up a pic and you can "apply" by PM.  She is spayed, with all shots, etc.  We used the same vet, and the girls in the vets office always kept me abreast of what was going on with Beulah, as I do not see my brother often.  He lives an hour away but continued to take Beulah to the vet that handled her when she was still in the litter.  I thought that was a waste of gas money as there are vets where he lives in Cincy, but to each his own.

P.S.  Beulah is untitled but has a strong food drive, has a fair amount of hardness and is nervy.  I believe that she could attain schutzhund 1 easily if the helper can bend over that low.  She is built fantastically for the tracking part of schutzhund, and will attain very high scores in that part, I assure you.  She would make an excellent police k9 prospect for a motorcycle cop, or would do well locating missing children that might be sleeping in a drainage pipe or briar patch.

I can't see myself taking on more than 5 but I do it all myself and have a full time job working at home. I wish I could make dogs my full time job and not worry about making an income. If that were the case, I would probably have 10+ dogs if money were no object and I had the room. I can't imagine having more than that. It just wouldn't mesh with the way I rais and run my dogs.

60 dogs, 2 people no way. We have 20  and its a full time job for my husband. We also have 3 parrots,3 fish tanks, and 3 cats at home. We  have a small pet store( no pups sold there...ever) with a few birds and fish and some small animals. No empoyees. We do it ourselves( with a little help from our 2 grown children) and let me tell you at the end of the day we sleep! All animals get the best of care. The dogs (all of them)are excersised every day. We do have a lot invested.

Our dogs suffer greatly. Here is one suffering at our lake about 400 yds from our front door.  DoRight, do you have your own lake?........Oh thats right, you only have 10 acres. Well, I guess thats enough land for a tiny flower garden and a goldfish or two?