Every summer in college, I took care of three dogs (lab, boxer, and Australian shepherd), who lived downstairs, and two cats, who dominated the upstairs. I had grown up with dogs living outside and cats living indoors, but having the chance to take care and play with larger dogs inside, it made my summers quite fun. We now own two standard poodles and two cats. We enjoy seeing all four interact and they have made our lives quite rich. I can't imagine life without them. We do use kennels for our dogs at times and teach useful tricks that even our cats have to sit to earn their nightly treat. Patience is key and we do like to address good habits and reward them for it. We all love having dog friends over and play in our backyard!