Found: YA/MG animal fantasy series, kids forming bond/link with animals, house, secret room?

Hello! I'm trying to remember the title or series name of a group of books (possibly four) that I read as a child in the late 90s or early 2000s. It featured a number of children (more than one, possibly four?) who end up going to a house in the country where there is at least one adult, an older gentleman. They end up forming some sort of bond/link with some animals (one is a dog, the other might be an owl), and can speak with them (I don't think the animals could speak out loud, just telepathically). There is also some sort of secret room above the fireplace. The only other thing I can remember is that for one of the books the spine of the book was goldish and had the dog on it (black or brown). I can't for the life of me remember anything else about the books! I think in one book, they go back to the house and everything is flooded? And they have this conversation about how the flood means evil things happening? Though I might be confusing this series with The Children of Green Knowe series, since I think there's a flood in that series, too.

Pretty sure this is The Magician's House series by William Corlett: The Steps Up the Chimney, The Tunnel Behind the Waterfall, The Door in the Tree, and The Bridge in the Clouds.

>2 saskia17: I'm just rereading The steps up the chimney and I agree!

>2 saskia17: Thank you, that is it!!