I like to say that I have 25-pounds worth of dog.  Somehow, people find this less astonishing than when I say I have three dogs; after all, most folks in Los Angeles have one, maybe two, fur children.  City living is not exactly conducive to a multiple dog lifestyle; however, I have three.  I didn’t intend to have three, but by sheer luck  (and my inability to look a dog in the face and say “no,”), I have three—in a 600 square foot apartment.  Given the fact that combined they only weigh 25 pounds, they’re obviously small, but regardless of this, having multiple dogs requires some creativity and organization in order to manage the the level of canine chaos.  So, how do I do it?  Here are a few tips on living simply with multiple dogs.

An Organized Leash Set-Up

Walks are probably the most chaotic times of the day when it comes to having three pups.  First off, the moment they realize I’m going for their leashes, they go bananas—yes, B-A-N-A-N-A-S!  So, I have three bouncing, wrestling, growling and jumping terriers to get harnessed, leashed and out the door.  I find that having an organized leash set-up simplifies this greatly.  I never have to take time to search for their gear and because it’s always in the same place, their frolicking excitement is contained within close proximity of their harnesses and leashes.

Poop Bag Holders

 For those of you living in the city with dogs, poop bags are nothing new—I’m sure many of you are like me and constantly find poop bags in the pockets of pants, wedged down in your purse and generally just floating around your home.  For me, poop bags are (or were) everywhere!  Yet, there were still times I’d get outside and realize I’d forgotten them.  Here are your solutions: buy a leash (usually the Flex leashes have them) with poop bag holders already attached or buy a separate poop bag holder and attach it to your leash.  For many of you, this is a “duh” moment; however, my advice is to go to the store and try out different holders.  Some are small, small are bulky and others are oddly shaped.  The size and shape of your holder can make or break the simplicity of daily walks with multiple leashes.  The big, bulky ones often get caught around the other leashes, ending with you calf roped or completely entangled in leashes as your dogs run wildly around you.  Also, when dealing with multiple leashes and dogs, I still suggest only one holder.  It cuts down on bulk and makes leash juggling much easier.

Set Feeding Times

Free-feeding your dog is never a great idea, but with three pups, it can be a TERRIBLE idea.  The key to living simply with three pooches is getting them on a schedule—this is especially important when it comes to their bathroom times.  And the key to ensuring that they need to go potty at the same time is to feed them at the exact same time.  Therefore, I feed my kiddos twice a day, morning and evening.  I don’t necessarily feed them at the same time everyday, as my walk schedule is flexible—the key is that THEY are merely on the same schedule.  This way, I know about what time they’ll need to go out throughout the day and am not having to keep track of three separate timetables when it comes to their bladder needs.