Almost Like Having No Dogs At All

Going from four dogs back down to three makes it seem like I don't have any dogs at all. I've had four dogs on and off for the past three years and sniper was by far the most challenging one. Not that he was a difficult dog, but he was 80 pounds and young and energetic. He is the antithesis to my other ones. Even though he got along great with the kids, I still had to keep an eye on them for safety reasons. And he needed different amounts of exercise and training. For the past 6 months my life revolved entirely around him and the kids. And with him gone and I only have the three old, sluggish, grumps I suddenly have a ton of free time to do some of the things that I've wanted to do for a while. I'm getting out for dinner with friends and I'm able to go to the movies mid-day. I've recently re-learned how to ride a bike. I can make plans without worrying how me being away will affect the group. Don't get me wrong, my kids are still pretty demanding. They need walks and lots of potty breaks. They need individual lap time and they can only handle being alone for 4 hours at most. But those four hours are worry-free and relaxing. I really miss sniper and have been seeing him every chance I get, but it's nice having a calm and quiet household again. The dogs seem to like it too.