So as not to hijack the new puppy thread I'll put this one here. When does it reach a point when one should realize that they have two many pets? For many there is a thin line between hoarding and being a responsible pet owner.
From my own experience 5 was my limit in order to leave room for the occasional rescue, foster or dogsitting. Beyond that point I didn't feel that I could provide enough quality time for each individual dog.
We live in the heart of the city with just a normal sized backyard. Here's an example of what my daily routine used to be like and why any more dogs would have been too many.
Most of my mornings from daylight until about noon were spent at the park in socialization, training, exercise, field preparation and playtime. Each dog got at least 30 minutes of individual training plus playtime.
The evenings were usually spent in a less active manner, including more obedience training and play times. The rest of the day when I wasn't working the dogs were in and out as they wished while I was doing usual housework and dog/owner stuff! As secretary of the local breed club for almost 20 years there was a lot of contact and paperwork that had to be taken care of too.
Weekends were usually spent in the field or in competition events. As well as being much loved pets; the dogs were also my job, even though instead of earning money, it cost me money!
You've heard of people who love their jobs so much they'd be willing to pay just to have the job? That's me!
I forgot to mention feeding times. In the mornings (time depending on the time of year)while the dogs were outside going potty, their food was prepared. When they came in they would eat while I had my coffee. Then we'd all go outside and they'd keep me company and play while I cleaned the yard.
They were fed again in the evenings usually before we ate our dinner. After dinner they went out and played again while I cleaned the yard before beginning the evening activities. (As we all know, In a multi dog household, the yard must be cleaned a minimum of 4 times a day.)
Even with only 5 dogs I always felt guilty that they weren't getting enough attention. None of them ever complained though!
Reply With Quote
It's not too likely that a hoarder would be posting in a pet related forum and deliberatly exposing themselves to topics relating to responsible pet ownership.
Bookmarks