Sunday Reset: Organising Life with Multiple Dogs

Wendy Brooks
Feb 7
4 min read

Updated: Mar 12

Planning for the Week Ahead with Five Dogs and a Grooming Business

Sunday in our house is less a day of rest, and more a chance to tackle the chores that pile up during the hectic workweek. It’s become a weekly ritual of tidying, planning, and occasionally wondering if there’s a less tiring way to manage another week of rain, mud, and dog hair. This season is especially challenging when it comes to keeping mud at bay, and the dogs dry for more than a few hours at a time.

Part of the series: a Week in the Life with Five Dogs

Working Breakfast

We kick off Sunday with what I call a “working breakfast.” The breakfast table doubles as a desk as I tackle bookkeeping, invoices, diary entries, and supply orders, all with a cup of tea and a bowl of porridge. Each week, I hold on to the hope that I’ll manage to stay on top of everything.

Once the paperwork is sorted, the dogs pile into the van for their morning run—a perfect moment for training. They wait patiently inside the gate while I open each crate and call them by name, one at a time, to jump into their designated spot. They’ve mastered this routine beautifully.

Before heading out, I take advantage of the chance to vacuum and mop without a single paw print in sight. Weekdays mean a quick sweep with the broom and stick vacuum; Sundays, I bring out the industrial wet/dry vacuum for a thorough clean. It’s remarkable how dog hairs seem to sprout on my freshly cleaned floors, even when the house is empty.

Cleaning and Laundry

Despite washing laundry most days, there’s always a mountain left for Sunday: vet bedding, towels, leads, toys, mats, and dog bedding—followed at last by our own clothes.

The dogs’ beds are washed on a rota, usually coordinated with grooming days. Clean dog, clean bed—a fleeting moment of triumph before someone inevitably finds something unspeakable to roll in.

To make chores more enjoyable, I combine them with training; dusting while practising stays is an effective strategy.

A good vacuum cleaner, washing machine, and tumble dryer are absolute necessities. Even with a “no entry until clean and dry” rule past the conservatory, a multi-dog home will never be pristine. It will always be lived in—which is just a nice way of admitting it’s permanently hairy.

Grooming Room Prep

All the dogs have returned from their run, soaking wet, with mud clinging to their fur. All our collies are short-coated, or wipe-clean as I refer to them. Holly’s terrier coat is similarly, fairly easy to keep clean. However, although they are easier to manage than long coats, once they are dry the mud needs to be brushed out to prevent it ending up everywhere. It is a quick job, but they need to dry off first.

This is where drying coats are very useful. They are not fond of wearing clothes but there are times when it is a necessary. They dry quickly and the robes contain the worst of the mud.

The moment Cora gets into her robe, all movement ceases and she stands there like a stiff corpse in a strait jacket, completely unsure how life works now. I gently take hold of her collar, move her towards her bed and she topples sideways onto her bed, legs still held rigid beneath her. Needless to say, she’s not a contender for a career in canine clothing modelling.

However, today it is Cora & Kaytee’s turn for bathing. Although the dogs adore muddy puddles and cold rivers, a warm shower is far less appealing. They jump in when asked, thanks to their training, but their faces make it clear they’re not thrilled. At least we begin the week with two clean dogs as a baseline.

When a client collects their freshly groomed dog, I offer my “24-hour cleanliness guarantee”—an entirely scientific rule that really means “please keep your dog clean for at least a day.” If they immediately get filthy, I jokingly forbid photographic evidence. The same goes for my own dogs; I stand by this rule, as I can’t bear to see them dirty so soon after grooming.

With the dogs bathed and dried, I continue my Sunday deep clean in the grooming room: sanitising tools, oiling blades, restocking towels, and disinfecting every surface. I check supplies and order anything running low . Everything is set, for the start of a new week, of furry clients.

Planning Walks and Enrichment

Next, I check my diary and plan the week’s walks. I aim for a mix: off lead runs in open spaces, some road walking, and individual walks rotated throughout the week. Managing five dogs is a bit of a military operation, though John usually takes Fleck and sometimes another one.

I also restock the enrichment box with bones, chews, stuffed Kongs, and other items to keep the dogs busy long enough for me to groom at least one. I batch-prep Kongs with yoghurt and berries or pâté and vegetables, freeze them, and momentarily feel like a master chef.

Sunday Dinner

Finally, it’s time for Sunday dinner. We enjoy a roast while the dogs get extra veggies with their meal. The collies barely notice as they inhale their food, while Holly carefully picks out anything that isn’t meat and places it beside her bowl—one of the others is always happy to help clear it up.

By evening, we’re exhausted, but it’s a different kind of tiredness—one of satisfaction and hope that this week, our efforts might last and we’ll get a break from constantly muddy floors.

We take time to watch television and relax, while the dogs settle contentedly on their beds. I’m reminded that a multi-dog home will never be spotless, but it can be joyful, organised, and wonderfully lived in. If you’re curious about how I keep things mostly clean, fresh, and not smelling like a kennel, I’ve created a new post with my favourite tips and products.

You can read it here: How to keep the House Clean With Multiple Dogs