This beautiful grouping of canine are what we call family. They all have a place in our hearts and in our home. Each sleeps at the feet of Travis and I and each licks our faces on a daily basis. 1-2 dogs is the average of a pet owning family home in America and we have double that statistic and we have it easier than most. When most people say "Oh you have dogs? How many" our answer drops their jaws and they are baffled by our "courage" lol.
I am not a dog whisperer and I'm not a trainer but I have learned that when you give a dog respect they will give the same effort in return. It gets easier with higher numbers because each pet falls in place of the older pet who has learned the ropes of our home and has been living under our rules the longest. When Dublin (The baby) acts up and I say "Dublin, no dig or no chew" August the dominant female will run over and put her into place and correct her bad behavior. Shortly after, August will come by our side as if saying "did I do a good job?" They fall into a pack under the alpha, Travis and I.
I took this picture within 2 minutes of asking them to line up. No cookies needed for the behavior I asked because they want to please their owner and they want to make us happy. SO may people get a pet and neglect them. That results in chewing up shoes, peeing on the carpet, snapping at their owner around food/toys or a bone. It is all about respect. I wouldn't have it any other way and as much as Travis says Oh they're just dogs....I find him snuggling with all 4 each night in bed loving on each and every one of them. Remember, I have four because each of us choose two a piece. We were very picky about the members we hand picked for our loving home. We are one big happy family.
All I have to say is "4 dogs? Phst That's easy"
