haha I've received those looks too. I do pet-sitting and have walked up to five dogs at once. Definitely got a lot of stares and questions! I really enjoy it, though. It's interesting to see how the dogs relate with each other and with me. There would often be jockeying for the position of who sat next to me on the couch and on my lap. The group of five, which included my dog and my roomie's dog, was the group I most often babysat. Funnily enough, my dog was the least competitive for my attention. He was a very independent little guy, though.

One of my fondest memories was when we would all sit in the living room together. It was much like you describe everyone in your comment. Kitties on the couch arms and back of the couch, dogs on my lap and beside me, and the big dog, Tina, sleeping against my ankles. So peaceful and comfortable! Everyone, except for one dog (Friska), has passed on but it makes me happy to think back on it.

I've had similar problems to what you've had with Duncan and Zach. Separation was the solution for mine too. Even right now, my two cats need to be occasionally separated. One is 2 years old and the other is 14 and when they fight...it can get pretty violent, unfortunately. So rather than let it get to that point, I've set up a room for the elder cat (Bebey) with her bed, litter, food/water, toys, and a heater. It doesn't get used often now which I'm very happy about. It's upsetting when two of your pets don't get along, isn't it? I'm glad that Duncan and Zach are doing better with each other. I bet the incident with the mastiff was a hot topic of conversation at the dog park for quite a while afterward!