Who owns more than Two dogs? - Page 2

8 GSDs here. 2 Showline and 6 Working lines.

Annette

I have four dogs. They all live in home. They all are kept loose. I am home full time though. They get their excersize together and everything else so it has not been much difference to me. More food more to pick up after them and more fur blowing to clean up but that is all.

I have four females, that live in the house.  Definately more clean up (fur).  I vacuum everyday and it still never looks perfect.  I travel for work a few times per year so I have my nieces or nephew stay with them.  They are used to our routine so not so difficult.

Cheryl

 
I currently own and am training four workingline GSD's. I male and three females. They are all kept separate. I have to watch the females as two of them are very dominate alphas. It's all about being the pack leader...........Richard

I had 3 working line dogs and all of them required lots of training, work, and exercise.  2 males and a female.  My trainer friends warned me that while 2 dogs are double the work and expense, the third adds exponentially to the work and expense (more than just triple the cost and work).  Didn't believe my friends until I got my 3rd dog and they were right.  Although I have been told a 4th dog is not the big a difference after 3.  But they are addictive and once you get started, it is like that old "Lays Potato Chip" commercial, can't have just one.........

My trainer friends all say, one working, one in training, and one in the wings to take up training when the oldest one retires......

I had 3 GSD's for over a year now Ridgeback just joined us in April and will be leaving on July 30th. 

so the 3 GSD's ( 2 female WL, 1 male ) and 1 Ridgeback mix (female)

with just 3 GSD's  dynamic was very different..my older female and male who lived together for 3 years have a very close bond..I even keep them together in a kennel because if i split them she will tear apart fence to get back in the same kennel with him, however she is not lovey dovey and does not like to share pillows, etc..she is an Alfa female and he is a follower so they are great together..once i added 3rd dog last spring a 3 month old female there were issues w/ older female to start with, male just didn't care, both females eventually got alone and played together, new pup became a follower. 3 dogs is very different it almost seemed unbalanced, there is an obvious need for a human to be a glue that keeps them all together, once girls got alone and shared common interest of a tennis ball, male was left out of the games and started taking tennis balls and marking on them, he also no longer played and became more needy, and more human dependent, also if he was allowed in the house by himself he would get a big head and when he got an inch he took a mile.

Once 5 year old Ridgeback female was added in April the youngest (10 month old at that time) female after adjusting period bonded with her and you can clearly see 2 groups, there are no conflicts between the groups and they all get alone, but you can see whose company is preferred by whom. So once Ridgeback is going back to her owners, I am considering getting another male (younger) to even out dynamic.

One thing that i found is that it is easier to train 3 dogs than 1... (even easier with 4) they all compete for attention and to please you, so they react to what you want faster, they respond to command faster in order to outdo the other..for example when i bring out chicken the first one to sit, than lie down gets the chicken so now as soon as i walk out i have about .05 seconds to determine who was down first. :)

It is definitely more fur, more nails to trim, more ears to clean, more time to spend but it always amazes me how they are so different, their little perks, their demands, body language, way of communicating with you and among themselves...most people have a hard time telling my dogs apart now that they are all about the same size but to me they are so different as if one was white, one was black and one was red...

I think 4 dogs is a good number...but once again it depends on dogs..and the leader. I would never leave my Alfa alone with my youngest female without other two to balance things out....also i would not leave my youngest with my male and with Ridgeback...without my Alfa, because without her my male gets  big head and starts challenging others...its a chain of dependence, one needs the other to maintain peace and balance. However i can leave Ridgeback and Alfa and they mutually ignore eachother...so go figure....
(by leaving alone i mean in a back yard out of kennels..freelancing per say)

hope that helps....feel free to pm if you have specific questions...

I agree Mindhunt. I did not think about it from that point of view. Two of mine are just pets <one non gsd> and one is retired. I do have most my time taken by training my pup. I could not imagine multiples with all of them in heavy training or all young. You also if looking at it money wise have to consider the helath of dogs currently have and possible maintanence to keep them all healthy.

  

  

What started out as one dog has now turned into four for my house (including 3 cats) and I must say, going from 2-3 was the biggest noticeable difference for me. Having 2 they bond well and I didnt personally find it was any extra work. Adding the 3rd seemed to multiply everything...by 2. Even though that math doesnt add up it seemed like it was twice the work!  Given the fact that I vaccuum everyday(and usually sweep in the evening too AND brush everyone every 2nd or 3rd day) I figure my house has alredy gone to the dogs so I might as well get another so now we sit at 4.


One thing I didnt really consider while increasing my number was the fact that the original two had free range of the house all day while we were at work and all night. With 4 that just cant happen... Now they are all in crates while I am at work.
I have had to put up a fence for quick outside time as well as for times when working with one. It is near impossible to work with 1 dog and at the same time make sure your other ones stay close AND out of trouble and yet, at the same time ignore what you are doing! LOL

The truth is,  it can get stressful being gone for 10 hours a day and still having to take care of a house, 2 horses and 4( or 3) high energy dogs but in  the end though....it is all worth it, I wouldnt have it any other way!!!

 

We have had 4 GSD's most of the last 20 years-Currently 3 GSD's 2 WL females 1 male and 1 pitbull. As long as you make sure your the Alpha it's not to bad. Lots of work, but worth every second of it!
If you have the time and energy to put into them, I say, GO FOR IT!!!  

1 GSD F and 3 Poms, 2 Females (mother and daughter) and one N/M that is a littermate of the mother.