LIVING IN A PACK

 By Lynn Veale 

Having raised seven consecutive guide dogs, I have become oblivious to the work involved in raising a puppy.  The commands have become second nature, the outings routine, and questions from the public expected.  Puppy raising is such an integral part of my daily life that I no longer consider it work, and comments about the difficulty of raising a puppy make me stop and think how adept I have become at having a young dog in the house. 

Recently I received a phone call from Guide Dogs for the Blind informing me that the third puppy I raised, Shasta, was being retired and they asked if I would like to adopt her back.  I was elated to do so as Shasta had been my favorite dog until she was knocked into the number two spot by my sixth dog, Gary.  I made the long drive to San Francisco to pick up Shasta and am happy to report that after a separation of four years she did remember me!  Amazingly, I received another phone call from Guide Dogs for the Blind only three weeks later.  They informed me that Gary, the puppy I recently sent back to Guide Dogs, was being career changed and would not finish the training program.  Gary had been my favorite dog of all and I absolutely wanted to adopt him back, so again I made the long drive to San Francisco for the purpose of bringing him home. 

“What am I getting myself into?” was the question that kept running through my mind on that second drive to California.  I had become used to having one dog in the house along with my children’s menagerie of small animals, but now I was on my way to pick up a third dog!  I had not yet adjusted to having a second dog in the house and soon I would have three.  “How much work was this going to be?” I asked myself.  What would this do to the dynamics of the household?  How would I handle two pet dogs and one puppy-in-training?  How would they relate to each other?  Would there be dog fights?  Would there be constant chasing through the house?  How would they relate to my daughter’s rabbits, one of which has free roam of the house during the day?  As I raised the puppies I taught each to be respectful of the rabbits, but would they remember that training, especially Shasta who had been gone four years?  If one dog decided to chase a bunny would the others follow suit?  I had cartoon-like visions in my head of a poor little bunny on the run with three large dogs hot on his heels, knocking over tables and lamps as they raced through the house.  I began to worry that maybe I made the wrong decision in taking Gary back.

Soon after arriving home with Gary I realized that my worries were unfounded and I had, indeed, made the correct decision about adopting him.  The dogs quickly and easily settled into life in our household.  Since they all live under Guide Dog rules they must meet the same expectations.  And since all three of the dogs are well behaved I was happy to cross “behavioral problems” off my list of possible issues.  No fighting has occurred and although Shasta frequently keeps to herself, Gary and my current puppy-in-training, Olympic, have become the best of friends.  The two of them play together endlessly and when they begin to get too riled or out of control a stern “that’s enough!” will bring their play to a halt.  When the rabbit runs free the two older dogs watch him race past, but otherwise ignore him.  Olympic shows more interest and observes the bunny very closely, but does not give chase.  None of the problems I had anticipated have come to fruition.

The unanticipated problems, however, caught me by surprise.  It never occurred to me, for example, that when I said “Olympic, come” all three dogs would come on the run!  And when I said, “Olympic, down” the other two dogs would drop to the floor as well.  Usually it is not a problem to have the three dogs respond when I talk to one, but there are times I wish just the one I was talking to would listen and react while the other two would ignore me.  I am currently trying to teach each dog to listen for his or her name, but progress is slow. 

Perhaps the biggest surprise of living with three dogs came when I realized that I now live in a pack!  It is most apparent when I come home after being away.  Three large dogs now crowd the doorway wanting my attention before I even step into the house.  Rather than four legs circling mine and brushing up against me I now have twelve!  Although I have always been the alpha dog, now more than ever, I feel my status as the leader of this pack.  It can feel overwhelming at times, but I am growing used to it.

Living with three dogs can be a challenge.  If you ask my son what he likes least about so many dogs in the house his answer will be, “three times the poop to pick up!”  If you ask my husband what he likes least about so many dogs in the house his answer will be, “all that dog hair!”  What I like least about three dogs in the house is “all that exercise!”  I used to take my puppy on a two mile walk each day and now I take a two mile walk three times a day!  Although there are many days that I don’t make the whole six miles, I do try.  I often grumble about the exercise being a downside to owning three dogs, but it is a benefit to my health!  And if you asked my daughter what she likes least about having three dogs in the house her response will be, “the fact that there aren’t four!”  And I must admit she does have a point.  In addition to all those extra paws in the home we also have all that extra love!  Three times the poop and three times the dog hair translates to three times the puppy kisses and three times the fun.  Living in a pack really means living in a pack of love.  And who wouldn’t want that?