Seven Not From Heaven

Dear Dog Lady,

You may be Dog Lady but I am now known as the "crazy" dog lady. I have seven, yes seven, dogs. It has been a gradual process starting with one small toy poodle 12 years ago, another the following year, their puppy (oops) who’s now seven, a stray border collie (we've had her eight years) and her puppy she delivered shortly after we found her and a hound dog my 26-year-old daughter brought with her when she returned home. We have all lived peacefully together for years.

In November, I went into the pet store to buy a sweater for my smallest poodle and was struck by a very sad "goodle" puppy in a cage. He is a standard poodle and golden retriever mix. I was so taken with him but knew it would be crazy. During the holidays, I went back for treats and he was still there but much bigger and still sitting in the same small cage. I thought surely someone would buy him and, again, I made myself walk out. Then on January 16, I was at the mall and just went in to see. Sure enough, he was there and very cramped in his cage. I brought him home.

Well, it has really rocked the boat. He is much bigger than the rest and a puppy to boot so he always wants to play rough. The pack is mad. It has been a full time job keeping peace and order. I am home full-time, but it is a nightmare. Was I insane to think this would work?

Susan, Dayton, OH

Susan, sure, it was a bit of a delusion to think you could sanely introduce a pet store puppy into your mix. But look at it this way: You may be out of your mind, but your heart’s in the right place.

This chaotic arrangement might still work if you can endure months or years of upheaval until your septet pack finally settles down. As you paint the picture, you have mostly older dogs unaccustomed to a rambunctious puppy, especially an orphan raised in the worst possible circumstances – in a pet store, in a cage. The golden doodle has lots of issues and may need the security of being the top dog in a single-pet household.

Susan, it’s OK if you decide to find your foundling a new living arrangement. You can contact a local animal adoption organization or place a newspaper ad seeking a home for the pup. You can ensure the youngster is placed in a wholesome environment more conducive to his mental health and welfare.

You already rescued him once. That was the hard part. Now, you can give this dog another lease on life without an ounce of guilt.

Posted by Dog Lady at March 30, 2006 11:09 AM