Is this too many dogs?

Question

This is my plan. In seven years I will become a practicing veternarian (I'm in my second year of college). I will have an acre of land and am willing to exercise my dogs for an hour before work and an hour after work with hiking and swimming on my days off. I currently volunteer at an animal shelter and am well aware of the pet overpopulation problem. My idea is to have two dogs of my own and then start fostering dogs. I would to end up with four fosters at a time for a total of six dogs in my household. Is this too much? I understand dog psychology and I would never introduce a new dog into my pack unless I had control over the already established dogs. I would also end up adopting any foster who I have for more than six months because I believe it would be wrong to rehome a dog after that long in one place, but I would never have more than 6 dogs in my pack at a time. I realize the cost of dog food treats etc. and since I'll be a vet, my health care costs would be minimal.

The house would probably be 2500 to 2750 sq. ft. in the country. I plan on having med. - large breeds (pit bulls, German Shepherds, Labs, Entlebucher Sennenhunds etc.).

Answer 1

I would think you would be the best judge of how many dogs you have. I personally don't think six is too many. I think the whole concept of fostering is temporary re homing to prevent euthanizing a perfectly good animal, but for want of a forever home. Sometimes you have wait for just the right home. Match the perfect dog to the perfect owner. Ask yourself, would that dog have more love and attention in the new home than what you can provide given your busy schedule. With six dogs on one acre you may have problems with neighbors due to the dogs barking during the day or at night. If you keep all six dogs inside during the day consider hiring a full time housekeeper (lol). Too, you might consider moving more out to the country and have a larger piece of land with more animals. Hire a kennel aide and make it part of your practice. My old vet in Utah lived about 250 feet from his clinic and people knew to call and not just drop by. Personally, I drive about 45 miles to see my vet where I live now because I don't care for the vets close by. If you are a good vet and really care about the animals and not just the "bottom line" people will drive for miles.

Answer 2

The most dogs I had when I lived in the country on 12 acres was three. Of course I had two horses, a pony, a neutered pet goat, if you can believe that, a dozen chickens, lots of eggs, and three pigs. I was pretty busy just feeding them. Oh, I forgot to mention 13 cats. No mice in the hay. I am older now and retired and back in the city with a normal city lot and a 1700 sq foot house with four dogs. I have a Chi/Rat Terrier, a Beagle and two APBTs. Being widowed my pups are my family.
With an acre six dogs is not going to be a problem.
Do you want to hear my best young Vet. story? Even if you don't you are going to get it.
When I lived in the country I was building a barn and a lumber truck was delivering material and my Old English Sheepdog went out to chase the truck and got run over. I rushed him to the Vet. They said he was to far gone to fix and we agreed to have him put down. It was a couple of months later we had a car come up our driveway. It was the young Vet. from the hospital. He was very nervous, I guess afraid of a law suit. He told us that night when he were going to put Barny down that Barny had such a will to live he could not do it. He wanted to know if we wanted him back. Guess what we said? He was the greatest Vet I have ever had. He would come up about once a month to visit Barney. Barney was already 12 years old so he only lived for another year and passed in his sleep one night, but we got him back from the dead for a year.

Answer 3

Hello Tiff ~

Actually, the person who can answer that the best, is you! It depends on so many variables.

I used to have 7 German Shepherds and thought, this is my limit. Then the magic number became 11, seemingly overnight, but not literally. Now....11 has become 16. I'm managing, yes, I'm crazy busy, but it's worth it. ; ) All but two of mine are rescues, as are my 8 cats.

I'm a behaviourist so I have the luxury of picking when and how much I want to work. How many hours I work in any given month is contingent upon whether my client can come to me, meet me at a local park, or will I have to go to their house.

I sure would love to hear you'rd going down the 'Holistic' path, rather than the 'Alopathic' route. : )

I hope my answer helps you in some small way.

Blessings & Joyous Howls,
Camille

http://divinedog.com

Answer 4

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS! I admire your good sense in making a plan. So many people don't have a clue that it takes more than a collar and a bag of food to keep dog companions! I like that you know that you have to establish your alphas securely and happily before you begin fostering; that will keep your fosters in line and thriving MORE than anything else I can think of. Limiting your group to six is also wise. Anyone can feed and run a pack of dogs...but to be a good foster care giver, an important element is the TIME you spend socializing your companions. Good manners and loving dispositions take a LOT of nurturing! I will keep you in my prayers. Bless you!!! Hugs, Gina C.

Answer 5

Personally being a breeder myself I think that 6 dogs is too many unless some one is around for a good portion of the day while you are in school, or you have runs for the dogs so they can be kept outside while no one is home.
Then their is the consideration of being a vet.
I admire your willingness but must say that the vet that I have puts in very long days.
Who`s watching the dogs while your putting in 8 to 12 hour days not including emergencies 6 days a week.
Don`t lose your dreams just hopefully you can find some one to share them with.
Good Luck

Answer 6

i wouldn't go over 6. A wild dog pack consists of 4-7 dogs, in rare cases, 10.
If you go over 6, the dogs will start to have cliques-smaller packs within a pack. This can be dangerous because each of these smaller packs will have it's own separate pack leader-and you will have to deal with the dogs sometimes listening to you,and sometimes listening to their canine pack leader.
I have 4 of my own, and 6 foster puppies. I never have them all lose in my home at the same time. I rotate-sometimes the big dogs are in their crates and the pups are out-sometimes the pups are crated and my dogs are out-and sometimes i will mix it up so my dogs get used to puppies, and they get used to dealing with bigger adult dogs-and learn doggie manners.
But 6 is fine-i have set my limit of personal dogs at 5- but i also will have a breeding program in the future, but those dogs will be part of my kennel, and i won't have more than 3 breeding females at a time.

Answer 7

While I myself have only had 4 larger dogs on 3/4 acre, my veterinarian has more on less land and it works fine for her. Though, I suppose it all depends on the breed(s) of dogs you plan to have.

Answer 8

As long as you can properly care for all of them, it's perfectly fine. If you can get more land go for it (that's just b/c its always nice to have more, an acre seems good until you can have 10 :)

Answer 9

no this would not b 2 many dogs at 1 time but i wouldnt have any more then that at once but that is very cool

Answer 10

i live on 80 acers and i have 16 dogs how i got this much is by fostering once i got one it would never go so i end up adopting it myself.