Having four dogs can be complete chaos and anyone with multiple dogs can vouch for this. Travis and I have made it very clear to our pack that they do not run our home, we do. We say when it's time to eat, we make the rules, we tell them what is OK to chew on and we have even gone to extent as to make it noted that we decide when we wake up, they do not. Without structure and organization this house would be mad! Our landlord LOVES our dogs and didn't charge us a pet deposit, nor do we pay a pet fee monthly. He saw how we raise our dogs and with my job on the side lines he knew his property would be well taken care of. Most landlords would be terrified of chewed up carpet, pet stains, scratched walls and a dug up yard. Our house is still in the same shape as when we started our lease.
This crew is all too familiar with Mommy's camera. This is the best group photo I've gotten in a long while and they know when to line up and pose. Without instruction they would be jumping all over the camera, licking me, and not staying where I tell them to. What a group of faces!
This is a snap shot from the trunk of my wagon. All four pups are lined up on the edge of my car staying in the place I told them to sit in. How many dogs do you know that would do this? Only with my signal can they jump out as a pack. The door is wide open for an escape but none will budge. This is a daily routine.
Like noted before, we've taken up group walks. All the dogs line up in a row and walk down the side walk (off the grass mind you) and walk in proper form. We get so many neighbors stopping us asking if they're all siblings and asking how I got them to be so well trained. We love our walks and with me not being a big burly man I wouldn't be able to control this group 3 miles away from our home with other dogs around, cars passing and neighbors walking up to us if it wasn't for their training. Most tiny woman I see can barely control their mini poodle!
How did we get our pack to be such "good dogs"? Respect. Simple as that. This post is not meant to be a giant pat on our back, it's to show you how with the right tools, knowledge and training you can control you pet to any extent even if it means four big puppies! If the chaos is erupting throughout our house and two dogs are starting to get into a rough scuffle and dogs are jumping all over the bed and all hell breaks loose, it's a matter of giving and taking respect. Discipline, time outs, having toys taken away, all of these are practices parents use with their children and our dogs are our children. If you give a dog respect they give it back and I'll bet you every time after their 10 minute time out, that same dog will be at our side kissing our hands as to say I'm sorry and ill behave. This pack is a pack of organized chaos.
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