How Do You Do It?

I started this post on my BlogPaws Community Profile, but I thought it was fit to expand here also.

I get asked this question all the time. Why? Because right now I have 5 little dogs sitting at my feet. Okay so they are not at my feet, one is right next to me, one is in her little house on the other side of the room, two are on the floor, and the other has decided to make camp on the love seat across from me. Ohh, then there are the two cats somewhere inside the house, and the other 3 “big” dogs outside.

But to me it is very simple. They are my children and I treat them as such. I talk to them, I expect them to behave, and I don’t lose control. We are constantly learning and if you are new to the household, you go through a little clicker training program. Everyone knows “sit” along with a number of other tricks (I hate the word commands). And you learn the basics of agility, with the jumps, tunnels & A-frame. We go for occasional walks, but we do a lot of play inside the house, especially in the summer when the temps get way to high. And to keep everyone healthy, we do strength training with our FitPaws equipment which is always fun because we workout for treats. In addition to all this, I have used the clicker and “yes” to capture their own favorite tricks. Daisy (the Boston) loves to stand up and twirl, Trixie loves to sit up like a little Meerkat, Sunny likes to shake, and so on.

To make things a little easier, we have a schedule in the house. This allows me not to be tied to the house 24/7.  But, since I am a little paranoid,  I do have a wi-fi camera installed in the front room so I can watch them when I am out and about. I also utilize an in-home pet sitting service so my husband and I can have fun little weekends away from home.

One thing I want to make clear is that they are not perfect!! Nor do I think they are. When the mail man is across the street ready to come to our house they go off like the little sentinels they are.  They also cause a ruckus when a dog is being walked down the sidewalk. And for me that is okay. I believe there has to be some give and take. If you were to visit my house they would be very excited and jump up and down wanting to say hi, but once greeted they go about their business and within 45 seconds it’s all over.

But I think the main reason I am able to handle such a crazy little pack is that  I understand who they are. They are a bunch of littles who are basically toddlers all the time. They will not grow up to learn algebra, or engineer a fancy schmancy rocket. They like to sleep, eat, and play. They don’t require the latest brand of jeans… and I am sooo glad they don’t listen to Justin Beiber! They prefer Justin Timberlake, or maybe that’s me. If there is an “accident” down the hallway, I know it wasn’t because they were trying to get back at me for something I did. I know it was my fault for not listening to their “alert”.

Others may call me a crazy dog lady, but that’s okay. I know I have saved a life, and with that they give me the most joy in the world.