Routine - Multiple Dogs

lotsadots

Hi all,

We have a multiple dog household (most of which are rescues) and while they would be exercised everyday, and there's always lots of playtime, I'm just wondering what other multiple dog owners routines are like i.e exercise, training, playtime, individual attention for each dog, etc.

Honey-ec

We have three Boxers, so a bit of a mad house. We walk them two at a time, it's just easier than trying to manage the three of them between us. They always get fed and given treats in the same order - aplha, beta, gamma - but after that, we don't really have a routine. When we're chilling on the couch the bitch will usually flake beside me and the other two operate a kind of conveyor-belt system between me and my husband.

portgirl123

yeah we are very similar to above poster, though as we are both home we take all 3 together in mornings in eve try and bring them seperate to give them time on their own. also when we go in car we take it in turns with them so they each have a trip out by themselves thats it really, rest of time they usually sleep or pottering around

Discodog

My three are walked together. The girls are trained & walk to heel pretty well so they go in the left hand whilst my puppy monster goes in my right hand.

Luckily only my Greyhound & the pup like sleeping on my lap so they take turns. My other girl, who is the boss, will come for a cuddle two or three times during an evening. I have never made a specific effort to give each dog individual attention.

lrushe

I've 3 dogs who I walk together, there are 4 years inbetween each so I had 4 years to give each dog individual training before the next dog came along. We all play together, I usually let 2 of them go out to go to the toilet at a time so the one left in will get a little extra cuddling

EGAR

Basset, Cocker, Lurcher, Pit Bull and Terrier are walked together (I live rural and have access to big fields). The Otterhounds need to be leash walked as they take off with a scent and are big dogs so I couldn't handle all of them together so the Ottis are walked separately.

lotsadots

We have 8 a lurcher, german pointer, collies x 3, terrier cross, beagle cross and a jrt, so a chaotic house at times, but I wouldn't have it any other way:D

The pointer and beagle x get walked together, then the terrier x and jrt. Lurcher and 3 collies get off leash runs throughout the day, and then every other day they get to do their agility training.

I'm lucky too that we live rural with some land for them to run around in. They have their own room in the house so we sit with them all and watch tv for the evening. We have plenty of beds and couches for them to lie on and chill out, but all they want to do is sit up beside you for cuddles. Have a photo of my oh sitting on an armchair with about 6 dogs all over him, all fast asleep:D

belongtojazz

We kind of have a routine but it's one we fell into rather than planned. All 4 get about 20 mins off lead about 6am before I go to work. The last person leaves the house about 730 so they're on their own to sleep and play then till about 2/3 when my dad gets home. The little ones then go out to play and he'll take the big guy out for another 20 mins or so. When I get home at 530, my 2 come into the kitchen with me to prepare dinner while my dad let's the parrot out for an hour. Then after dinner I take 2/3 out for about an hour.
I also do taxi service for my daughter (she has dancing 4 times a week) so I'll usually bring my little dog along for the journey
It's busy but great fun

TooManyDogs

I have 6 dogs and in the mornings I load up the baby and we head out for a 2 mile lead walk to settle everyone down and then we head to the beach or up the fields for off lead running around like lunatics! In summer weather we go up the fields again in the afternoon and sometimes down to the beach again with hubby when he gets home from work! If the baby is being a gremlin then we could do the 2 mile loop many times in the day :rolleyes: We have half an acre of garden so they potter about and follow me around as I feed the sheep or do bits of gardening.

When we're home the dogs have the option of being in or out depending on what they want. If we're not home they're outside unless the weather is rotten. Inside no-one is allowed on the furniture, my dad couldnt understand this and thought I was being mean until he came walking with me and saw 2 dogs lie down in a muddy puddle and another roll in a dead rat and then understood why they're not allowed on the sofa with him There's about 7 big beds scattered around downstairs so they normally pan out there and sleep for the evening, depending on how tired they are someone might start to get a play session going.

I often foster puppies too so the most dogs I've had in the house at any one time was 14, last summer I had my 6 dogs, 2 boarding dogs, 2 sheep, 2 rabbits, a foster crow and a foster fox! If you saw the number of foodbowls in the evenings for dinnertime.....

Like others said, chaos but wouldn't have it any other way

ruben

We have 3 Sheps - and 2 cats.
We walk all three together, two are siblings and we have had them from puppyhood - they are 7 now. The third is a longterm foster/hospice care. All are male and we have never had as much as a raised lip, they all have their place and coexist very happily.
They are fed and treated in pecking order. They would each get individual cuddle time, not in a scheduled way, just in whatever way suits us.
We have no real set routine, except maybe walking and feeding, it really just depends on the day and how everyone is feeling.

Tranceypoo

After reading all these posts I'm feeling very deprived with just one dog (and 1 cat), I'm feeling I need to make an addition.....!!