When I was growing up, I always wanted a pet! I was the little girl who would bring home random animals. The list of critters I tried to sneak into my room included several cats, tree frogs, and a gopher. I grew up in an apartment, so my mother always made me put the critter back where I found it.
My husband surprised me with my first dog, Derby the Weimaraner. I was instantly IN LOVE. Derby passed away in 2009; I’ll forever miss him and forever be grateful for him teaching me how to be a “dog mom.” I’m now a mom of three humans, two German shorthaired pointers (GSPs) and one Scottish terrier (Scottie). I have my hands and HEART full!
I met Hogan, my oldest German shorthaired pointer, on a farm in 2009; I consider him my “heart dog.” A few years ago, we decided that Hogan needed a friend and so we got Calvin, another German shorthaired pointer. GSPs require a lot of exercise when they’re young! I’m talking A LOT. Calvin can run 15 miles, swim laps and then proceed to fetch at least 100 times. He’s a machine! A GSP is a perfect companion for a VERY active person or family. If you’re not a fan of exercise, I would suggest a different breed or to adopt an older GSP.
Lenny is our newest furry family member. My daughter, Annabella, has torn her ACL two times which has resulted in THREE knee surgeries. She met Lenny online (lol) and begged for a small furry friend to keep her company during another year-long recovery period. She played on my “mom” heartstrings, and we now have a bearded puppy who I adore!
Hogan, who’s now a “senior dog,” has slowed down quite a bit over the past year. Instead of running 8+ miles at a time, he’s pretty much done at the 4-mile mark. Calvin, on the other hand, is a young GSP. He prefers a 10+ mile run followed with a game of fetch and some laps in the swimming pool. Lenny thinks he’s a GSP, but can honestly only run/jog/walk for about a mile or so. He loves to fetch!
How do I keep them all happy? I’ve developed a @pointandwag schedule that looks a little like this:
- I run the bird dogs (AKA Bird Dorks) together for about 4 miles. We base our stop time on Hogan and the temperature. When it is warm out, Hogan prefers a shorter run.
- I drop Hogan off at home to hang out with Lenny, who is often waiting by the door, and I finish up the longer part of the run with Mr. Calvin. Calvin enjoys the alone time because he runs as fast as mom can handle. It is hard to keep up!
- I drop Calvin off at home and take Lenny for a shorter run/jog. We end at the park where I let him fetch (off leash) for a few minutes. He LOVES it!
- We jog/walk back home and then feeding time begins. Hogan, being older, gets less food than Calvin. Lenny, being a puppy, is still on puppy food. I feed the GSPs in the garage so they can enjoy their meal without Lenny trying to get a few bites! Lenny eats his puppy food in the kitchen.
When you welcome a pet into your home, your schedule changes quite a bit. When you have more than one, it changes again. Our pets are a big part of our family, and they each have their unique exercise and feeding needs. Making it work requires a commitment to a schedule and more importantly, commitment to their well-being.
If you have any questions about GSP, running with dogs, or living with little dogs then feel free to reach out! @pointandwag
How do you excercise your multiple pups? Do you have a schedule you follow?
Portraits of the @pointandwag crew taken by Mom (Nik) and Popped by Pop Your Pup @popyourpup
Hi! I’m Nik (short for Nikole) from @pointandwag. I’m a mom of three humans and three furry family members. I have two GSPs, Hogan Sandwich and Calvin T-Bone. I love to run with my German Shorthaired Pointers! Hogan is now considered a ‘senior’ dog, so I’ve had to make some running adjustments. Calvin is 4 and could probably run 100 miles. I also have a Scottish Terrier, Lenny Spaghetti, who’s a just a pup. I’ve never had a little dog but must admit, everything they say about TERRIERS is true. He’s awesome! We’re the @pointandwag crew.
One comment
This is such great advice! Having a new pup now, I’m always wondering how multi-pet households manage this!