If you had 20 dogs

I've always thought of the Word of Wisdom as a guide to healthy living but not the key to salvation.

And, honestly, most the dogs in shelters are already getting fed lower quality food... if they go to a place where somebody dotes on them, but continues to feed the lower quality food.. who cares? The dog still wins

 
I have made that statement before, in so many words. Being in a loving homes beats the shelter everytime. OTOH, there is nothing wrong with recommending foods we think are good if someone is looking to change foods for whatever reason. If someone has the ability to take care of 20 dogs, regardless of what they are fed, more power to them, though I don't know how it could be done. I know that at sled dog kennels, there may be more than one handler to help see to the dogs.  Top competitive mushers will have 16 to 18 dogs, while actively running 13 or 14 in a team. But it is teamwork. The handlers are either low-paid or not paid.

Hard work and devotion!!!!
 

True. And some mushers have families, so the whole family chips in. But as for one solitary person taking care 20 dogs, I would imagine it being tough. Maybe we should define care. Certainly there are the basic elements. Food, shelter, water. These can be logistically worked out. A budget for food, etc. Exercise. Glenda mentions exercising her dogs in groups of 2 or 3.
 
As was pointed out in another post, someone who should not have dogs has other issues having nothing to do with the brand food that is fed. There is usually neglect and abuse along with that. That is, they could make some lifestyle choices to make sure the dog has food everyday, even if it's a cheap brand. I'm amazed at people who will complain about the price of a steak but they will have their beer or buy $20 to $30 worth of lottery scratch tickets. So, I do agree that having a pet should require an arrangement of priorities to see to that basic care of that pet. Yet, again, I don't think the brand of food enters into it.
 
We never lacked for food growing up, though we didn't have Lobster Almondine every night. For quite a while, my mother was a dp manager at a grocer supply. Her bonuses were often cases of meat. Another time, a microwave after they first came out. A chest freezer. Her boss got these things wholesale and would give them to us, since a bonus would wind up being taxable. And even a money bonus would have been spent on food, anyway. So, we had steaks and pork chops and vegetables. He also had his own brand of milk popular down here, ("Schepp's") and I could drink milk almost by the gallon. My clothes were often hand-me-downs from my step-grandfather and we would borrow a church member for "father-and-son" scouting things. If I say we were dirt poor, I mean we had to work just to get a handful of dirt. And I'm always grateful for a meal. Surprisingly enough, in 105 F, I break a sweat at work and I know what it takes to earn the money to put that meal on the table.

You know why? Because in my humblest of opinions, I think raw and homecooked are the best way you can go... so, by the standards set forth at the beginning of the thread and if I followed that mentality, 90% of the people on this board (including myself) shouldn't have dogs because they can't/wont feed what I think is best.
Your point is well taken.  Most of us here feed our dogs what we think is best...so no  other food is good enough for us.

Exactly.  What I choose to do (as someone who DOES have ten dogs or more, depending on who is here for training), is right for me.  But I'd even be a little surprised if someone said it was perfect for them too!  []

I can't imagine meeting the needs of 20 dogs, but I know people who do have that many or more, and claim that their needs are met.  Since they are talking about BCs, who get VERY destructive if they are bored, I have to believe them, unless they are locking them in bombproof kennels.  I don't know.

I spend most of every day training, but that's what pays the bills.  I have two dogs who are perfectly happy simply putzing around the farm with me (Maggie, 13, and my lap dog). Rocky the pup gets one-on-one time whenever possible.  Then there are the three working dogs.  They move sheep throughout the day and are actually grateful for a little quiet private time by the end of the day (especially now it's so hot).  I have one dog here for swimming training, and two rescues here for obedience and socialization.  Then there are my two livestock guardian dogs, who are bonded to the sheep and finished their training long ago.

Dogs like routine (so do kids, actually).  They are much more content to accept the fact that it's "not my turn" if there is a certain rhythm to the day.  Kennels inspected and cleaned, walk to the pond, breakfast, first sheep setout, leash walking for the rescues, then school time for the kids.  The afternoon involves more sheep movements (though they get "bumped" through the morning when they wander too far) and goose dog training.  Sheep get put up, then dinner and bedtime.

We use the buddy system to control who is out with whom, to avoid a pack mentality developing.  Maggie, Zhi, and Ben are always out, with Rocky out about half the time.  Right now Doug is out with Val, while my new dog Cord is out with Baldr.  The goosedog trainee is dog aggressive, so he gets time by himself, essentially.

I only mention this to point out that you can't paint every situation with the same broad brush.  Every dog here has a specific reason for being here, and in fact we are short a dog or two since Ben and Doug will both be out of the working rotation by next year.  Working and performance people tend to have several dogs at different levels of training - with neither pups, nor retired dogs, actually in the training schedule - so it's impossible to say, so-and-so has X number of dogs, therefore they couldn't possibly meeting the needs of all of them.

My favorite sheepdog trainer has up to thirty dogs at a time at his place.  He and his wife both train, so you figure he's got maybe fifteen he's working with.  He says he doesn't need long with a dog to make progress and that dogs don't need constant attention to be happy.  Certainly his dogs are consistently well-adjusted and adapt very nicely to any environment, though they are raised exclusively on the farm.  On the other hand, I've seen dogs from trainers who had only four or five dogs that were emotional basketcases.

I wouldn't recommend that the average urban family collect 15 dogs, but I did want to point out that sometimes just numbers don't tell the whole story.

Ben are always out, with Rocky out about half the time.

Sorry for the silly question,but what do you mean by "out",out of what?

Very well said, Becca!

"out" meaning not in a kennel or crate. He can't follow us to work with the sheep or ducks or he'll cause havoc. He can't be left loose in the house or he'll rip the windows outof their frames trying to follow us. [sm=eek.gif] He'll learn to chill later - but this is a difficult age - teenagers, lol.

Interesting thread.  Good points raised.  It made me think of work today.  Petsmart has pet adoptions every weekend.  So after eight years I have seen some things.  And you get people from all walks of life trying to adopt.  With so many unwanted animals out there desperate for a home, I would rather see them eating dog chow, getting regular vet care and having a warm bed and a child to hug them nightly than turn them away because they are not well off enough or even educated enough perhaps to want to feed raw or super premium foods.  Just food is good enough for a dog that was about to be killed because the adoption agencies had no place for him.  Most foster people I meet do tell me they feed better foods to their own pets but can't afford to feed the best to all the fosters they have cared for.  They regularly get coupons from me and do buy grocery food.  I think we should all be pleased they saved a live and that live is still in a better place with or without premium food.  I saw a dog that was literally grabbed today from the county shelter that was turned in by a guy who said he did not know what happened to the dog.  This 8 month old GS mix pup was covered in bloodied masses of tissue.  It was horrid to see.  They normally don't have them instore at this point.  But they were literally rushing him into Banfields for emergency vet help.  After debreading the mess on him.  It was found to be CHEMICAL BURNS on him.  Horrid, pain burns.  And yet this dog licked my hand.  His eyes are haunting me now.  He will be scarred forever.  But he will be healed in his heart by this loving people.  And find a home.  And if in that home they have 10 dogs that are fostered and only eat Old Roy even, they will be better off for it. 

Your story is making me cry losinsusan,,, your words are so true. With so many uncaring and even mean people out there, how could we possibly have the right to turn a person away that really doesn't have a lot of money for the best food,,,but would care for and love a animal that doesn't have a home. 

20 dogs in one house!? ::covers ears and hopes the barking stops:: I am not sure anyone could propperly care for 20 dogs in one house! Maybe this is horrible but, I think of those rescue shows on Animal planet and stuff. 20 dogs in one house can not be very clean or good for anyone....in my oppinion. It sounds a bit like a dog collector to me. []

It sounds a bit like a dog collector to me.

 
You have no right to make such a statement! I know quite a few people that have 10, 12, 15, + dogs and are NOT collectors. Just because a situation doesn't fit into the "picture" you have in your mind, doesn't mean that there's something wrong with it.
JFTR, I have 13 dogs and I'm not a *COLLECTOR*. I field trial Beagles and have 6 trial dogs, 1 retired trial dog (she's 12), two mixed breed rescues, two chi's that were to be euthanized at 4 yo because no body wanted them, my son's Pit, and a rescue beagle that nobody wanted because she couldn't trial (they usually get euthanized the hard way, if you know what I mean). ALL of my dogs are well cared for, UTD on their shots (those that get them), fed a good food (Eagle Pack), etc, etc..... Most of my Beagles live in kennels (separated by sex, of course) and get lots of exercise.
 
Now, can you see where your statement was a bit uneducated and insensitive? Did I want that many dogs, not really, but I offer them a great, loving home and 1/2 of them would not even be alive today if it weren't for me taking them in.

You have no right to make such a statement! I know quite a few people that have 10, 12, 15, + dogs and are NOT collectors. Just because a situation doesn't fit into the "picture" you have in your mind, doesn't mean that there's something wrong with it.
JFTR, I have 13 dogs and I'm not a *COLLECTOR*.

 
I didn't say that every person with a lot of dogs is a dog is bad or anything. I am sure you can take really good care of your dogs and I wasn't saying it to make problems with anyone. I have seen a lot of tv shows where animal rights officers have gone into houses and taken out of lot of pets and it really did make me think of that. Wasn't trying to upset you or anyone else here. Trust me I am new here and I want friends not haters. I am sorry if I have over stated and made you think that I think every person with a lot of animals is bad. Blame it on too much animal cops or something. Don't be mad [8|]

I'm not mad at you. I can understand where your coming from and TV can have a big influence on the negative sterotype of people that have several dogs.