I'm silly enough to have 4 dogs

robin416

robin416

New Member
Two are 20 pounds. The other two are a bit larger, 40 and 50 lbs.

You know how it is, if you do for one, you have to do for the rest? In this case it's finally raining here. That means whoever goes out in it needs to be dried when they come in. But of course if one got dried the rest needed to be fake dried too.

This morning I think my Goldendoodle had a plan. Maisey went out before I got my face washed. Came into the bathroom to let me know. Got dried, so did the other three. Then while preparing their breakfast and my coffee, out she goes again. Repeat the process all over again. And one more time just as I poured my first cup.

I'm on to her now. She blew it being so obvious how much she likes being dried. Problem is, she can get away with it because I don't want everything all wet and I won't lock her out.
 

He is going to drive you nuts. I'm really surprised he took off for that long.

I wish I knew better how your setup is there. When I go out back and Maisey goes with me, I put her collar on her with a 100 foot rope. I don't usually tie it off, just let her drag it because I know she'll catch it up on something and just stop. But if Shadow pulls or you don't have enough to catch the rope, you've got a whole different problem when he's off on his adventures.
 

Well look at him. He's a Border Collie right? I'll bet he was having the time of his life playing in the snow and herding any children who happened to be out. Of course he should be praised for coming home.

I just have one little eight pound dog who is as much trouble as Robin's four. She sixteen and a bit incontinent. She can still hold it until she gets outside, but you have to be quick after she's slept.

We got up last night for our 2 o'clock run and when she saw the snow she balked. She did force herself outside for the long deedle, but I guess didn't want to take the extra time for the doodle, so she waited until she was back inside for that. This morning she just didn't make it out at all so there was a long clean-up session before my coffee and that was the start of our long day.
 
I got my first dog as an adult 21 years ago and became totally hooked. Within a few years, I started to take old Maltese when I heard that either their owner died or went to a nursing home. For many years, I had four dogs.

Then sadly, I had four dogs that were all around the same age, and they all died within a two year period. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I was 63 at the time and decided to get a puppy as that was my last chance because of my age and I was sick of death.

Luckily I met a woman that was no longer going to show her dogs and they had just had puppies so she gave me one from the litter and then a year later she gave me a retired show dog that was his half sister.

At that point I had decided I was only going to have two dogs because vet bills have gotten extremely expensive here and in 2019 when the last of my four dogs died, I had been paying 450/a month for all the dog medication’s. Plus, I had to pay for grooming for all of them.

That ended up being a great choice because just a few months after the last old dog died I found out my husband was cheating and I left him. I sold the house and bought a small condo and they have a two dog limit so the timing was perfect.

It’s also funny that old dogs that need a home still managed to find me and when they do, I usually am able to find them a good home. The last one found me about five weeks before Amy died and as I knew she was dying I took the other dog so I had three dogs until Amy died. It always feels really good to rescue an older dog.
 
robin416 said:
Two are 20 pounds. The other two are a bit larger, 40 and 50 lbs.

You know how it is, if you do for one, you have to do for the rest? In this case it's finally raining here. That means whoever goes out in it needs to be dried when they come in. But of course if one got dried the rest needed to be fake dried too.

This morning I think my Goldendoodle had a plan. Maisey went out before I got my face washed. Came into the bathroom to let me know. Got dried, so did the other three. Then while preparing their breakfast and my coffee, out she goes again. Repeat the process all over again. And one more time just as I poured my first cup.

I'm on to her now. She blew it being so obvious how much she likes being dried. Problem is, she can get away with it because I don't want everything all wet and I won't lock her out.
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Oh I know what you mean... my daughter had 9 dogs of her own, at one time, and 46 guests in her doggie hotel... so a lot of work.

Sh'd take a bunch at a time down to the reservoir or the ocean and let them have a great swim and play.. and of course the clean up was horrendous... she never minded one bit...

Her own 9 dogs included 3 Labradoodles... a staffie... a Chihuahua. a Belgian Malinois.. a Doberman a tiny rescue mixed breed Terrier..Pablo... and a rescue Pitbull.... as well
 
Teacher Terry said:
I got my first dog as an adult 21 years ago and became totally hooked. Within a few years, I started to take old Maltese when I heard that either their owner died or went to a nursing home. For many years, I had four dogs.

Then sadly, I had four dogs that were all around the same age, and they all died within a two year period. It was absolutely heartbreaking. I was 63 at the time and decided to get a puppy as that was my last chance because of my age and I was sick of death.

Luckily I met a woman that was no longer going to show her dogs and they had just had puppies so she gave me one from the litter and then a year later she gave me a retired show dog that was his half sister.

At that point I had decided I was only going to have two dogs because vet bills have gotten extremely expensive here and in 2019 when the last of my four dogs died, I had been paying 450/a month for all the dog medication’s. Plus, I had to pay for grooming for all of them.

That ended up being a great choice because just a few months after the last old dog died I found out my husband was cheating and I left him. I sold the house and bought a small condo and they have a two dog limit so the timing was perfect.

It’s also funny that old dogs that need a home still managed to find me and when they do, I usually am able to find them a good home. The last one found me about five weeks before Amy died and as I knew she was dying I took the other dog so I had three dogs until Amy died. It always feels really good to rescue an older dog.
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There are parts of your story that match up with mine. Hubs and I found three dumped puppies. It was years later when I realized that I was going to have 3 geriatrics on hands at the same time. Turns out I lost one at 8 to lymphoma but the other two made it to 12 and died within a month of each other.

Vet bills are expensive. Maisey, the 50# Goldendoodle, suffers from Addison's and severe separation anxiety. We're trying hard to find what is causing constant ear infections now. She's a mess but I wouldn't give her up for anything.

As to grooming. I do the three doodles myself. That started with Maisey's diagnosis of Addison's. It's just simpler that way.

The other three? Let's see, Trixie I got from the pound was supposed to be a playmate for Maisey but was too old. That didn't work so I went in search of another doodle. High energy, smart dogs. There's a story behind this. I chose one maltipoo, now Mikey, then the woman begged me to take the Aussiedoodle, now Petey. Basically they are out of a puppy mill and are also rescues.
 
hollydolly said:
Oh I know what you mean... my daughter had 9 dogs of her own, at one time, and 46 guests in her doggie hotel... so a lot of work.

Sh'd take a bunch at a time down to the reservoir or the ocean and let them have a great swim and play.. and of course the clean up was horrendous... she never minded one bit...

Her own 9 dogs included 3 Labradoodles... a staffie... a Chihuahua. a Belgian Malinois.. a Doberman a tiny rescue mixed breed Terrier..Pablo... and a rescue Pitbull.... as well
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I'm not young enough to take on 9. But I get it. For a while after I already had my 4 I still looked.
 
robin416 said:
I'm not young enough to take on 9. But I get it. For a while after I already had my 4 I still looked.
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DD doesn't have 9 now... they've all died in the intervening years.. except the chihuahua who is now 15 years old... DD also has a new litte puppy just 16 weeks old now. but she no longer has her doggie hotel either, and is living in a small house.. so 2 is plenty for her now... but in saying that.. despite having a full time job, and 2 dogs which she looks after like they were made of porcelain lol... this week she's even dog sitting for a friend whose away for a couple of weeks... she just loves dogs so much!
 
While we're talking ... tell me about the doodles.

They still seem like a new breed to me but I see more and more of them in my neighborhood. One beautiful young family of humans jog by, the blonde woman with their tall blonde doodle and their brunette daughter with their slightly smaller black doodle and I want to be them!

Are the doodles a healthy breed? Are they being overbred in some areas?
 
Della said:
While we're talking ... tell me about the doodles.

They still seem like a new breed to me but I see more and more of them in my neighborhood. One beautiful young family of humans jog by, the blonde woman with their tall blonde doodle and their brunette daughter with their slightly smaller black doodle and I want to be them!

Are the doodles a healthy breed? Are they being overbred in some areas?
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oh no I know what you mean about seeming like they're a new breed.. they originally started in Australia hence the full title Australian labradoodle Retriever... way back in the 70's..but it's only in the last 20 years or so that they've become hugely popular outside of Australia..

The first recorded instance is when the Australian Guide Dog Association received an enquiry from a lady in Hawaii requesting a Guide Dog that wouldn’t cause her allergies to flare up. She chose Australia because the animal health arrangements meant that a dog bred there could come straight into her home in Hawaii without having to spend time in quarantine.

The Association were already using Labradors as guide dogs, and so they needed to cross one with a non-shedding breed. They imported a white Standard Poodle from Sweden that had excellent working bloodlines, and the first (intentional) Labradoodle litter was born.

Tere are all sorts of colours and sizes, depending on who the parents were. My own daughter's labradoodles were tall, chocolate brown.. middle size, ( very much lie a cocka-a-poo.. and miniature... all were Labradoodles..

They're great family dogs because they shed very little if at all... and if they've come from a genuine labbrador, and poodle parentage they have the gentle side of the Lab and the high intelligence of the poodle... However they do need a lot of exercise...and they love to play....

All 3 of our Labradoodles lives until their teens.. and until the first one died suddenly of a stroke.. very messy.... and heartbreaking.. we didn't know how the others would pass... in the event the other 2 died on the same day PTS one had bone cancer, the other severe dementia...


these were our 3...
scruffy the eldest by 18 months...
dog-scruffy-reduced.jpg
died from a stroke.... the 2 younger... just a year apart in age....
0d35249c-799d-4522-ad94-f12d95018736-2.jpg


They were all great friends, so we referred to them as brothers, but they were not related to each other...
Stan-Scruff-HD.jpg
..My daughter is a qualified groomer so the dogs were always well groomed....
 
Della said:
Thanks for the history, Holly! Now I want one just like Scruffy so much. That adorable sweet, sad face!
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I knowwwww...🥰🥰 we always said the same thing about his face..we called him a old man, because even from a youngster he had that old sad face, even tho' he was a very happy dog.. but he was the one who was much more laid back than the other 2..he was a typical taurean...nothing was a rush for him lol.

in fact in that picture of him with puppy stanley he was only 18 months old.. and stan was about 4 months
 
Della said:
While we're talking ... tell me about the doodles.

They still seem like a new breed to me but I see more and more of them in my neighborhood. One beautiful young family of humans jog by, the blonde woman with their tall blonde doodle and their brunette daughter with their slightly smaller black doodle and I want to be them!

Are the doodles a healthy breed? Are they being overbred in some areas?
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@hollydolly pretty much covered it.

Since they are a mixed breed you could end up with anything. My Maisey with her Addison's, allergies and separation anxiety. The other two have their quirks but healthy. They are all happy, super intelligent. I have to be careful what I say or what body language I'm exuding or it's on. They can be very hyperactive and need to be worked to help them settle down.

Coat maintenance with them is very important. Especially with Maisey and Mikey the maltipoo. Their coats are very much that of a poodle and need regular brushing to prevent matting. Petey the Aussiedoole actually doesn't need as much tending to. His coat is very like Scruffy's. I will find his hair floating across the floor from time to time.

All I can say, is they're addictive. I said no more when I lost my three boys then I saw Maisey.
 
RuralKanuck said:
Well I am truly impress by the number of folks who thought my response to Robin had merit, I am just not sure if it was my wonderful looking runaway dog or my words, got a hunch its 'Shadow'!
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You know it was all about Shadow and that pic of him staring in the window.

I know his story so I understand your concerns about him scooting off to wherever he lands for however long he chooses to be there.
 

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