I saw an interesting ‘Bucket list’ the other day. A bucket list, if you are not sure what one is, is a list of things you really want to do before you ‘kick the bucket’ (in other words, before you die)!

Quite revealing if you sit down and write one, and definitely something everyone could consider. It can be really good to make your dreams become reality.

This particular bucket list was all about dogs. It read “Get myself more dogs. Spend more time with dogs. Play with dogs. Fill house with dogs. Get husband to get more dogs. Basically, more dogs’. I know it was tongue in cheek, but it made me think about how we really appreciate dogs in our lives. And if one is good, more is better, right?

I suppose so, as long as you consider it in the same way that you might have considered having more children.

What would you need to know?

Would your existing dog welcome another mutt arriving at their comfortable home? Are they elderly and tired, or young enough to enjoy a puppy? Would an older rescue dog be the answer (an emphatic YES, as you can see what they are like before you agree).

Having lots of dogs is not easy. We have four, and a cat, and whilst all are small, they all have their own needs and costs. The cat is the biggest of them all, and we had to consider him too. Fortunately he plays with the three of them, but your cat may not be quite so welcoming.

Have you ever tried to put an octopus into a string bag? Imagine how that might turn out, then try and put leads on two excited puppies that have not yet been trained. Lots of dogs, lots of effort.

The key to having lots of dogs is to train each one, separately and then together. One at a time, please, unless you are used to having your eyes moving in different directions. Having a well trained group of dogs is like having an orchestra to which you are the conductor. A badly trained clutter of mutts is a nightmare.

So, if your bucket list consists of ‘Dogs, dogs and more dogs’, take a look at a rescue or rehoming shelter who might have just the dog waiting to come and be a part of your growing family. It is not without its difficulties, but then, life would be dull if we didn’t have to work hard for what we really want; the very best for our dog and human families.

My book Being a Dog provides further information on dogs and the world from their perspective.