How many do you think is too many?  Personally I dont think you can ever have enough dogs as long as you can offer them the best care, feed, exercise and pay the vets bills...

Just wondering how many you all have :-)

Five (medium size breed) with an absolute limit of 6 now that I have hubby too, it's the number I can walk together.

Ideally only five full time so there is room for any temporary visitor (re-homing, foster, visiting etc).

We now have 4 cockers and that is our limit (but we said 1 was the limit!) number 4 was added because we wanted to show, crunch time will come if we decided he isn't good enough when he would have to move on or we stop showing.  Essentially we are a pet home with a show dog on show day so I'm not sure we can be hard and move him on though.

With three I could walk them together reasonably easy but I tend not to take 4 together so now end up walking in 2 shifts as well as working and sorting out the children... Other than the insurance costs, I don't think number 4 has really increased costs.

I have 6 (one boarder ) one is 13yrs one is 12 yrs one 8.5 & one 7.5 & one 2.5  Just got two back from the vets today, now very sleepy.  When the receptionist handed me the bill she made some comment about the amount.  I said that I never consider the cost, they are insured, but with excess plus the  25% of the bills for the older ones its is still large. but we dont do much else, me and the girls, so it goes one them.  Yes, high insurance monthly, but they are worth it.  

i only have the 2 cavvies, am toying with the idea of another but was wondering if i would be pushing my luck, there again i am here at home with them

I have two, a large breed and a very small breed. I would like another one, still not sure what though. I would proberbly have four at the max. :-)

We're down to two - well, one and a half actually - and with the best will in the world it'll be just one before very long. :-( At our maximum we had five, which was the most I could walk all at once - any more would be too many.

I have two labs wish I could afford another couple.

Sheila

I have three and I think my absolute limit would be six although getting to that number would be quite some time off. Number four is a long time in the planning and should hopefully arrive next year.

I would love to add a Field Spaniel at some stage to work and also have a go at showing but that would be space for one less Cocker...

Oh dear.... this isnt making me feel any better......

I have 7 .
A 12 year old shar-pei , 10 year old spinone x english pointer , 4 year old rotty , 2 year old dogue de bordeaux , 7 month old dogue de bordeaux , 3 year old french bulldog and 1 year old french bulldog.
I don't walk my gorgeous shar-pei Dan ( who is just the best dog in the whole wide world ) as he is too fragile now and can't get about as good as he used to , his limit is the back garden and sometimes to the end of the drive out the front. God I don't want to think of him getting any older I love him sooo much.
My others I have to walk in 2 seperate walks , the big dogs together and the frenchies together(what a handful these two are!)
Some of my friends think I have too many but that's just because they couldn't devote the time to the dogs that I do , I wouldn't be without any coz I love them all , but I do think 7 is my limit.
I was asked last week if I could take in a beagle because they knew he'd get a good home with me but I just can't , I'm running out of room , but I said I will try and find him a home which I think will suit him as he's being a bit left out due to a new baby (seems to always be the case - so unfair)

I have one medium sized mongrel :) I would love another, perhaps a rescue whippet or similar.

Maybe when the ex-oh moves out next month, I may just take the plunge ;)

Three lurchers, a Spitz, a terrier (to which my son lays claim :-p), an APBT and two Otterhounds.

As many as you can afford is the right amount for everyone :-p ;-)

I am a full time mum to 15...11 rotties and 4 dogue de bordeaux. I am very fortunate that i have land and that i dont have to work. My mum lives on the same plot as us (in her own house) so we are both at home all day with the dogs. I spend all day everyday with my lot!

We have our fair share of health issues lately too which takes more of my time, but i wouldnt have it any other way, We have a litter planned in April/May from one of our girls and will keep one of them of course and then that is my absolute limit. I do plan then over the years ahead to scale down (naturally of course, i wouldnt part with anyone of my babies for anything). I think in time i would be happy with 10 as my limit, but weather that will ever happen is debatable, i dont have kids, dont have holidays, dont smoke, dont spend my money on anything so it all goes on them and thats just the way i like it :)

Mandy I love you!  I have 8!!

Ha! - What do you have?

I agree with Lois that if you have the finances AND the time, then why not

I have 4 working breed and 4 toy xxx  Its a mad house but they all live together in harmony... I work FT for local gov, mainly from home, have detached house... so no problems xx  they age from 6 months to 10 years :-)

Goodness I can only cope with one!  How do you manage - it is not just affording it - it is all the organisation walking, picking up poo, grooming, training - different if you have kennels and someone to help. 

I think it is important right at the start to know your limits, and space the dogs out so you do not end up with that limit too quickly and have nothing but young and then old dogs.

As my limit is fivish I try to aim for around 3 years between dogs, the smallest age gap so far was 19 months and the largest is almost 4 years.

At the moment my lot are 12yrs 4mnths, 10 yrs 3mnths, 6 yrs 5mnths, 3yrs 1mnth, and 18 mnths. 

I am planning my next for around January/February next year.

My breed average 13years+ and the oldest I know of recently was 17.

I walk the 4 Working dogs in twos... I walk the toys in fours... I also get up at 5.30am and get to bed at about 11pm  so I think I manage pretty well...  :-)  I wouldnt have it any other way x

> Goodness I can only cope with one!  How do you manage - it is not just affording it - it is all the organisation walking, picking up poo, grooming, training - different if you have kennels and someone to help. 

I find it actually gets easier with more than one as they always have each other for company and play. They don't look to me so much for "entertainment" but tire each other out with chase, play etc. The only real clingy one is Pippin the Spitz but he is blind so he wont go too far from me all day although he has formed a bond with Bordeaux the OH, they are best buds.

My ages are:

Working Dogs
1= 10
2=8 (mum of no.4)
3=6
4=5 (daughter of no. 2)

Toy Breeds
5=3.5
6=2.5

7=2.5 (mum of no.8)
8= 5 months (daughter of no.7)

> I agree with Lois that if you have the finances AND the time, then why not

Oh Mandy!  How normal you sound to me!  :-)

One..... who will be 4 soon.... and spacing it means that I may add another this year but still unsure if I have the resources. I may opt for fostering rescues instead :)

> Just wondering how many you all have :-)

None here unfortunately .
Just waiting for the right time and a bit more money !  But i know there will be two , eventually ,and we have chosen colours and names ! I would also like to help in rescue  when i have some experience.

Never really thought about the age gap as most of my dogs kind of got stuck here and move in on me :-p. Two of the lurchers are over 10, one is 5, the terrier is 3ish, Bogey the APBT is 8, Pippin is half a year and the two OH's are two.

The only thing I know for sure is that is ALL the private dogs I can handle ;). Only two of them are here from puppy age, Pips and Bogey, the rest came as mature dogs.

oh I am silly just worked out otterhound that  bordeaux the oh is an otterhound not you other half lol

Hehehe, I got two OH's - a boy and a girl - so what does that make me?? :-p

> Hehehe, I got two OH's - a boy and a girl - so what does that make me?? :-p

Errr..... open minded? ;)

15 Labs, was 16 before Ollie went to the bridge

> Hehehe, I got two OH's - a boy and a girl - so what does that make me??

a tad greedy :-P

mmm ! not sure of the reply to that one lol. Thinking about it a dog as oh is not a bad idea

Two.... one for each hand ; -)

> How do you manage - it is not just affording it - it is all the organisation walking, picking up poo, grooming, training - different if you have kennels and someone to help.

Yep, picking up poo is a big part of my day....lol!
Like i say you must have the TIME aswell as the finances, i am very lucky to have that.

Both my breeds are low maintenance grooming wise which makes a big difference too, my day is the dogs from around 6:30am - midnight 7 days a week and i couldnt imagine it changing for a long time to come.

My ages are 7 1/2 down to 16 weeks but my breeds are 'getting on' once they are 7+ but please god i have lots more years with them all yet :)

That is not greed Kay you mean insanity lol.

I was strictly a one on one dog owner having Snoop my English bull terrier up until 5 years ago- then I brought in Tinkerbell she was only 6 months old then snoop being a singular dog of 7yrs.
Then last September her brother starsky joined our gang so now total is 3..snoop 11yrs next month. Tink & starsky I call them the youngsters are going to be 6 yrs old March 24th not such youngsters... I have my limit sadly.. would have to wait until I was down to 2 then get another? maybe a small one. Dogs seem to find me in life so anything could happen!

> Yep, picking up poo is a big part of my day....lol!

Just tell yourself it is not poo picking, it is Purefinding - and whole families once made their living from doing that in Victorian times. (The poo was needed for the tanning industry).
Believe me, it puts it all in perspective once you know that.

My family think even one is often too many, but I have stoically ignored their complaints, screams of protest, etc and currently share my life with three lovely WSS. I'd like to have more one day but these guys need to grow up (the youngest is just under 7 months and the oldest is 27 months)...five? six? Who knows?

5 here, 2 large working breed and 3 toy breed. Dogs come first and the rest of the family all muck in and help. All get walked together at the weekends, during the week, we walk in two smaller groups. Can be hard work at times but it's what we wanted and we make it work. My boys sometimes moan but I know they would hate not having a few dogs around, especially when their feeling ill and down and they take my big boy up to bed with them for cuddles and in this cold spell we have had they have been fighting over who has been having him to sleep with them. LOL. :)

Dont you just hate it when people say " HOW MANY"?

Well...... I breed dogs dont I?
Where do they think puppies come from?

2 Border Collie and Cocker Spaniel would have more but we work full time.

1 6 month old wolfhound
1 12 month old yorkie (my daughters)
1 10 year old ess (working but is her last season I think)
1 4 year old golden (working)
1 6 year old golden (working)
1 11 year old golden (working but now retired)
1 2 year old golden  (show bred not working)
1 4 year old golden  (show bred, daughters, works occasionally)
1 8 year old golden  ( a menace that is a naughty knickers)
1 6 month old lab    ( bought for me to trial)
1 18 month old ess  (rescued from being shot, 3/4 trained but will sell on to right home next year)

Makes me seem like a nutter I know but I have 9 acres and love to give each and every one.

15 at the last count :)

Blimey Floradora, I bet you can't get near the fire in the evening! It was bad enough when we had five dogs in the way, but 11 must mean you're in the hall!

No fire hoggers here!!!

Lol in my house it is the kitchen that has the radiator off (it's huge and never used) so the dogs can keep cool. 

5 Malinois
5 Papillons
2 crossbreeds
1 Golden
1 very ancient Cavalier

Lol in my house it is the kitchen that has the radiator off (it's huge and never used) so the dogs can keep cool.

Exactly same here, for the large dogs.

3 so far, am hoping for a 4th this year if Madam will co-operate and produce one! I wouldn't have more than 4 or 5, it's a fair bit of brushing in both the breeds I own and although I love grooming, I wouldn't feel I could keep up with it adequately with more dogs. Hubby thought 1 would have been enough, so that's another big problem..... :-)

We have 8, 3 Danes, 4 Border T's and 1 Rottie, and another on the way!!
Were lucky to have the land also I work from home, dont go on holiday often, only go to dog shows!
And I wouldnt have it  any other way!!

After I left my husband and my partner and I split up I decided that my dogs will have the full run of the house (I rent) and boy at times there is no room for me even though it is a really large house. I didn't realise that deerhounds could curl up so small, her best mate is the yorkie so it is a real little and large.