I'm thinking about carrying a little bat......

[Hedgehog]

  I am the boss, I'm just a very loose boss.   


   Separating the walks doesn't work for ME that great.  Twice as long for me and the dogs walks end up being shorter for them.  With all 4 together we can go longer and they can get walked twice a day some days too.  If I have to I carry Tad part of the way if he starts lagging, but he usually doesn't.

  I was walking Tad and Emmett together before also because of Emmett's knee, I didn't want him going for as long of walks so I walked him with Tad for shorter walks.  I have had him on a new joint sup which seems to be doing great and he can go for the longer walks now.  If that becomes an issue again in the future I will walk him separately so the others can go longer.   

...why do you have so many dogs, then?

Why isn't one or two enough?


Sorry if this seems like bit of an uneducated question, but I am kind of curious.

-Hedge

[~flower~]

...why do you have so many dogs, then?

Why isn't one or two enough?


Sorry if this seems like bit of an uneducated question, but I am kind of curious.

-Hedge

  I think a person's reasons are individual weather they have 0, 1 or 10 dogs.

  This is how it happened that I have 4 though:

  Briona my first was sold to me as a full Great Dane.  Turns out she wasn't. I loved her from the second I decided to take her so she wasn't going anywhere even though she wasn't a Great Dane. I still wanted a full Great Dane and own my own house where no one could tell me I couldn't have another dog so I got Emmett.  Addie I rescued from another state (Ohio) where she had been in a kill shelter and would probably have been put down.  My plan was to get her back to health and find a home for her.  That was 3 years ago.      Seems I don't make a very good foster person.   Tad I wanted a dog I could pick up and he really doesn't add to the general household bills so I decided to get a toy breed and that is all for now.   Tad kind of satisfies that "puppies are so cute" bug too. 

  4 is my limit. For them and for my sake.   The "pack" dynamics are good. For that I have been lucky.  Sometimes you add a member and they don't get along with all or one of the other dogs.  Another reason I didn't get another Great Dane or large dog.  Hierarchy is already established (Briona is top dog) and I knew she would probably tolerate a smaller dog better than having to "teach" a larger dog the rules.   Addie tested Briona after she had been here awhile and got put into her place with a few teeth notches on her and it was worked out.   

  When I went and looked at Tad there was his sister too who was more outgoing.  I did want a boy, but if I had wanted a girl I might not have taken her because I think she might have challenged Briona and I did not want a problem in the household or a dog to get hurt in a fight.  Tad will jump on and be a pain with the other dogs but will be submissive and know his "place" when he should.  I was afraid of a little dog being taught the rules by Briona like Addie was but not faring so well.

[Al-Gebra]

Briona sounds like a meanie.

[~flower~]

Briona sounds like a meanie.

  She's not!  lol   But she IS the top dog and despite Addie having about 50pounds or so on her she will kick her butt.    Addie loves to spar with Briona but is a pretty easy going dog and doesn't challenge her for that spot.   Briona is spayed, where Addie is still intact but even that has not affected the roles in the house. 

 Addie did growl at Briona once after Tad was settled in (Addie and Tad are best buddies) and Briona still wasn't 100% thrilled with Tad. Tad got to close to her liking once and Bri growled at him and Addie stepped in and growled at Briona in case she was thinking of snapping at him.   

 I think Briona was upset at the attention Addie was giving to Tad because Addie and Briona were always sparring.

   

[Butterbean]

Addie and Briona were always sparring.

   

[Lord Humungous]

Whos the lush running the camera?

[~flower~]

Whos the lush running the camera?

   


 I should of had the camera today.    The remaining beagle bastard was out today (the beagle bastards were 2 beagles that Addie loves to run the fence line with when they are out.  Sadly one of the bb's died earlier this year  ).  We haven't seen him out in awhile.  Today he was and Addie went nutso.  I saw him before she did and considered crossing the street but they have been doing so well on our walks I thought "let's put it to the test".  Bad Idea.  My second mistake was allowing them a bit more lead than I should of so when Addie put her weight into it, well, let's just say my planted stance did not hold too well.  It had to be funny as hell though!     I actually was laughing as I got up from the ground.     After Addie got done running the fence with him and me going along for the ride she didn't really care and was calm.   Some woman stopped her car and I told her it was par for the course and you never know if they have learned until you put them to the test.  We failed today.    She has always been fixated on the beagle bastards and looks for them when we get to that house. She knows where all the dogs are on our route. 

   I think on the days we go twice like on the weekends, Addie will go once by herself and get a few one on one refresher courses.   

   Damn I wish that had been videotaped!! I bet it could win the 10grand on America's Funniest Home Videos.     


  *no offense meant to beagles, we have nicknames for all the "regular" dogs we see.   

[Butterbean]

 I actually was laughing as I got up from the ground.   

[~flower~]

LOL!!!   I think I had more panache though!!!     

[Princess L]

  If I have to I carry Tad part of the way if he starts lagging, but he usually doesn't.
 

How 'bout a doggie saddle on one of the bigger ones for Tad to ride in?

[~flower~]

How 'bout a doggie saddle on one of the bigger ones for Tad to ride in?

lol!!  Emmett would freak out, and poor Tad would be riding a bronco on Addie.   

   Maybe I will get him a little scoop carrier that if I have to grab him to get him out of the way I can do it really quick?

[temper35]

Flower, if you couldn't control 4 dogs at one time, why do you walk all of them at once?  Don't you have like 2 great danes or something?

Don't take that as a shot as you, because I didn't mean it like that.  I just meant that you know if something ever happened, you'd look like the bad guy who was walking four dogs, so it'd be your fault.  I also have thought about stuff like that before though, because I live in the inner city and there is alot of nitwits who can't control their dogs.  Although my dog could more than handle himself, I'd never want it to come to that, and I'd more than likely wind up getting bit by the other dog trying to break it up.

[~flower~]

 When the rottie jumped my dogs I did have control of them.  Would it be easier for me to fend off an attacking dog if I only had one dog with me, sure, but I am not going to walk my dogs a certain way because somebody else might not control their dogs.   The incident with the beagle was my fault. I shouldn't of given Addie slack to go up to the fence.  Live and learn, the dog was behind the fence, I knew that the worst thing that could happen is she would run down the fence line and that's what happened. 

  If my dogs are on leash and an off leash dog gets into it with them, the off leash dog owner is at fault no matter how many dogs I have.  That is the law. 

  Most dogs will think twice before starting with a pack.  As a few people have said, it is probably safer to walk them all together to discourage off leash dogs from coming up to us. 

[temper35]

Yes, I suppose.  Some dogs just don't care, like circumstances where idiots have their pitbulls chained in their yards.

[Hedgehog]

lol!!  Emmett would freak out, and poor Tad would be riding a bronco on Addie.   

   Maybe I will get him a little scoop carrier that if I have to grab him to get him out of the way I can do it really quick?

Dogs are actually able to carry 10-15% of their own weight in special dog backpacks, could be useful when going hiking.

-Hedge