Houseful of dogs

[koshergrl]

My son and his family moved in last weekend, and brought their pit, Snoop with them. So we have 3 adults, 3 kids, and 3 dogs in the house now. All high maintenance.

My granddaughter is almost 5 and spends a lot of time crawling around on the floor (she pretends she's a horse, what can I say) and walking around with food (less and less with each day). But she interacts with the dogs as if she is one of them and they have all been very considerate of her.

It was kind of stressful at first because that's a lot of kids and dogs bouncing around and not much room, but we seem to be settling in quite well. Last night snoop got to sleep in the living room with klaus, we didn't make him go into the bedroom with his family. Though come to think of it, he ended up in there anyway, he was in tehre when I woke up...my son must've gotten up and let him in at some point in the middle of the night, snoop probably was whining at his door. Mylo heads back to the bedroom in the evening and tucks in with my daughter, so she's safely out of the way.

My son took klaus to the beach the other day...he said the beach was full of people and dogs, and he and klaus came to an understanding about what is acceptable behavior when he sees a dog (hint...it is not to jump up and bark and claw the air and hit the end of the leash and try to get loose). That's a good thing.

 

[Caroljo]

We always have a lot of fun when our kids visit from NC! We have 2 dogs, one is about 3 (got her at the pound) and the other is 17! then they have 2 dogs, a chuhuahua and a mini schnauzer that is VERY high maintenance! Of course, after a couple week they're gone....sounds like your's is long term!

 

[The Infidel]

Sounds like a house overflowing with love if ya ask me.

 

[koshergrl]

It's very nice, no complaints here.

I have been in a panic for 2 days though because I've been unable to find my purse, but I found it right where I left it...on the floor, under a massive pile of blankets and clothes that have to be put away TODAY.

 

[Sallow]

Sounds fun.

Be careful, however, when young kids are around dogs. They see us as them..and kids as puppies.

 

[koshergrl]

We do watch them, you're preaching to the choir here, lol.

We're all establishing the boundaries right now...the two big dogs are pretty good boys. The pit is very closely bonded with the little girl, and so he balances out my big goofball, who gets so excited having a playmate that he isn't quite so attentive as he ought to be regarding the humans...but we're working all that out.

The real trouble maker of course is my female terrier. She's pushy and always in the middle, and she has to get a smackdown from the boys every once in a while. That's what has to be continually monitored because that's where trouble will start, if it's going to. We supervise them very closely, she gets to spend alone time in the bedroom off and on throughout the day, just to get her out of the mix and allow a breather..and we're getting longer and longer periods where they are all milling around with us, together, with nobody getting too excited or pushy or silly. I think in another week or so it will be very calm and everybody will know their place.

As it is, klaus is becoming very mannerly, lol. When they get too rambunctious everybody has to lay down, and he's figured that out and is doing quite well with it.

 

[Kooshdakhaa]

Well, I have five dogs and seven cats in my house. Only two people, my husband and I. I think it is the absence of kids that makes it relatively peaceful.

This summer my husband's family visited and we had our five dogs and seven cats, a total of six adults and two children (ages 18 mos and 10 years). I was having heart palpitations the whole time they were here, thought something was wrong with me. The EXACT DAY they left the palpitations stopped.

My animals are actually soothing. Well...maybe not always. : )

P.S. And before anybody thinks it or says it...my house does not stink. None of my cats go outside their boxes (I have six cat boxes, they are cleaned every day). I have friends who have only one or two cats that pee all over their houses. I have seven and no problem. I must be doing something right. It is a very animal-friendly home, they are a top priority around here. Maybe that's it.

 

[Moonglow]

My kids live too far away to visit. Enjoy

 

[Connery]

Sounds like a house full of fun!!!!!

 

[koshergrl]

We're into what, week three? The dogs are all getting along really well...no fights or anything like that. Mylo got a wild hair about my bed but all's well. I imagine the house smells doggy, our poor carpet gets a LOT of traffic, I don't know what possesses people to put brand new carpets in houses they rent out...well it's not brand new anymore. I clean it regularly and that wears it out too. We had 5 kids in the house most of the day; our 3 and the 2 neighbor kids who for some unfathomable reason prefer our house to theirs.

 

[koshergrl]

 

[koshergrl]

That's the dog couch. You can see it has seen better days.