Your Dog — November 2017

http://www.yourdog.co.uk

Q. Why so many dogs?

Chris: “Our 10 dogs all found us, plus we

are looking after three Poodles long term for

an ill neighbour.”

Michelle: “Why not? It’s all I’ve ever known

— there were always seven to 15 dogs

around when I was growing up because

Dad worked them.”

Lisa: “You tend to have a pack if you show

dogs — and I’ve shown all mine at some point

— but they are family members and pets fi rst.”

Q. Tell us a bit about them...

Chris: “Six dogs and four bitches — all

neutered: Labradors George and Shadow;

Skye, Ruby, Buster, and Oliver, who are all

Westies; Yorkie-cross Bugs; Poncho, a Yorkie X

Miniature Schnauzer; Phoebe, a Labradoodle;

and naughty Beagle Bailey. Our neighbour’s

Poodles are Kizzy, Toby, and Duke.”

Michelle: “Miniature Wire-Haired Dachshund

Fizz; Miniature Long-Haired Dachshund Coco;

deaf Italian Spinone Mocha; one-eyed rescue

Pug Rhapsody; Kelpie Roo; and working

Sprockers Wispa and Oreo.”

Lisa: “Pointers Elle (14); Salsa (13), who’s blind;

Bradman (11); Chance (8);

Ryuu (5); rescue Stella (4); and

puppy Angel (eight months).”

Q. Do they all get on?

Chris: “Yes. I'm inclined to say

they align themselves more

closely with wolves in the wild

rather than captivity — they

behave like a family pack as

opposed to a hierarchical

pack. Four or fi ve are often

squashed into one bed with none in another!”

Michelle: “They do now but haven’t always.

Roo became quite dominant and didn’t

get on with Rhapsody, who is also dominant

and tried to wind her up. A trainer advised

me to get rid of Roo but I sought advice from

the Kelpie Lovers UK Facebook group — we

meet once a month for walks. One member

suggested having Roo spayed. The vet

agreed, and 18 months later, Roo was calmer

and more submissive.”

Lisa: “Yes, they all live happily together

— there’s no separating any behind gates or

doors. All respect Elle, the oldest.”

Q. How did you go about introducing

each new dog?

Chris: “We chose neutral territory, where

we judged the newcomer’s behaviour and

decided how he or she’d be with our other

dogs. Then we let him or her run around the

garden with our most social dogs, before

introducing the others gradually.”

Michelle: “I let them all get on with it in the

garden, with lots of free-range sniffi ng and

plenty of monitoring.”

Lisa: “All are well balanced, so new dogs just

slot into the pack. Elle took to Angel straight

away, while Stella didn’t want anything to do

with the pup. Now, Angel and Stella are

best friends. Elle is devoted to

Salsa, while Salsa clings to Elle

for reassurance.”

Q. In what ways do you

ensure continued harmony

in your household?

Chris: “The key has been

establishing a routine. Also, we

have a very large, secondhand

leather sofa for the dogs, and

hard fl oors that are easier to

clean. Remaining calm and not getting wound

up helps the dogs stay calm too.”

Michelle: “I train my dogs individually — we

always go back to basics to refresh learning. In

summer, I spend 20 minutes a day training the

working dogs.”

Lisa: “Structure and routine are key. Also,

living together with no separation, and doing

things individually and as a part of the pack.”

Q. To what extent have you had to adapt

your lifestyle/routine to accommodate so

many dogs?

Chris: “I work from home so the dogs aren’t

left on their own for long. I also don’t wear

my best clothes around the house — I change

when I go out.”

Michelle: “I never leave them for more than

three hours and take them to work with me.”

Lisa: “I feel grateful to have a lifestyle that

enables me to have seven dogs. We go to the

beach, attend weekly dog school, and go

to regular ringcraft classes.

“Three mornings

a week, Elle, Stella, and Ryuu

work as therapy dogs for Canine

Concern. We visit a local rehabilitation centre,

palliative care unit, and dementia care home,

which I fi nd so rewarding.”

Q. How do you cope with the

extra expense?

Chris: “I’d rather spend £30 per week on dog

food than on beer and going out. The two

biggest expenses are food and insurance:

£3,500 – £4,000 per year. We get a discount

on insurance.”

“I’d rather

spend £30

per week on

dog food than

on beer and

going out.”

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Michelle’s brood

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Chris has 13 dogs.

Image: Lee Walker.

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