When you raise two puppies together they usually do grow up to be inseparable best friends, often to the detriment of the dog-human relationship. Then, throw the risk of littermate syndrome in the mix and it can be overwhelming. Read on as we explain why sibling puppies are such a challenge, share our top tips on how to raise sibling pups together, and walk you through how to side-step some of the problems inherent to raising two puppies from the same litter. Twice the fun, twice the puppy breath, twice the cuteness. In complete exasperation, fending off tears, she explained, “I don’t know if I can do it. KEEPING, RAISING AND SHOWING LITTERMATES. It's fun watching them grow into their personalities. Especially when one puppy successfully does his/her duty on a training pad and, while you are happily praising the proud pup, the other two decide it is more fun to rip that soiled pad apart in a spontaneous game of Tug o’ war, spilling its load (pardon the pun) everywhere! Littermate Syndrome is a serious problem dog owners face, and with your busy life it can be hard to find the time to raise two puppies properly while avoiding all of the little moments throughout the day that can snowball into bigger problems down the line. A good dog trainer will also dissuade you… it may give us extra work but it isn’t worth it to our clients. Dogs are descended from pack dwelling wolves, so many people choose to have more than one dog. One thing hasn’t changed though - our desire for the loyal dog, for the unconditional love, for the trust, for the companionship. Most of them were housewives or people who spent most of their time at home. Not because it’s impossible to successfully raise littermates together, but because most responsible dog families are realistic with themselves about how much time, effort, and patience they can give to their new addition. Dealing with littermate syndrome can be incredibly time-consuming and difficult – it may even be traumatic for the puppies. It was not written specifically about littermate adoption, but should give you additional insight on the challenges of raising two or more dogs successfully. Most experts recommend against getting two puppies that are siblings ( or even getting two dogs that are within 6 months of each other in age, from the same litter or not!) If they are given all the love and attention they need, they will be just like other puppies, happy and well socialized. A good breeder also would not want you to take littermates, they have seen the carnage. They are the best of friends and love each other. Still, I receive the occasional “should I get littermates?” inquiry. If you had paid attention while reading this article you would have realized that all sorts of unwanted behaviors that are supposed to be caused by this littermate … One of the things you should be aware of is that two puppies demand double the attention. They keep each other company, entertain each other and halve the work, right? I always recommend my clients to wait until their puppy is 14 months old before purchasing another puppy. Helpline trainer answers one reader's question about how and when to start training two littermate puppies. So do think hard before you do it. Commit yourself to training them both together and separately. That said, raising two puppies can give you hours of entertainment watching them play and experience life together. Raising Littermates Littermate Syndrome ARTICLES Two Puppies At One Time By Lisa M. Lucas, CPDT-KA of Northern Tails Dog Training One day while working at a local animal shelter, a woman looking for dog training advice approached me. Had I read forums like this warning against it — we would not have adopted the 2 dogs . When left together 24 hours a day, your puppies will form a strong bond to each other, which is good. When you raise two pups they want to bond to each other more than to any human. Raising two puppies to be secure, confident, well-bonded-to-you dogs is much more than twice the work than raising one. I think because anyone who reads this KNOWS I am raising littermates everything is going to be under the microscope and every issue I ask about is going to be answered with some form of: "oh, there is something wrong with those dogs" because all the "pros" here know that you cant be successful with littermates. The average Dobe pup tends to be pretty busy and require a lot of attention and management for the first couple of years (with an occasional exception here and … If one puppy requires work, then you need to be ready to work yourself out in handling two puppies. That said, it is very difficult to raise two puppies together and do it right, unless there is a person for each puppy, who will take responsibility for the training, socialization, and exercise of that puppy. I explain everything they need to do to raise two well-adjusted dogs, help them through the process, and, where the owners are compliant, we do it very successfully. More time was spent in the home. This comment might get deleted but you are an idiot. Dawn and Violet. If you’ve ever experienced raising a puppy, you know how daunting it can be to train one. Although the possible effects of raising two puppies together is called “Littermate Syndrome,” it is not just applicable to biological littermates. As opposed to raising two puppies from the different litters, how to raise two puppies successfully from the same litter can be an even bigger challenge. Not quite. They won’t listen. But, for whatever reason, if you do find yourself getting sibling puppies, there are a few things you can do to raise them successfully. Following are some times for sibline puppies fighting. So, I write this for some balance and for others who are considering adopting bonded dogs. When I first started training dogs 25 years ago, lifestyles were different. Fanciers, breeders, and working dog people can of course successfully raise littermates, but they generally have the time, experience, and facilities to manage. Vets do not have enough regular training in school on raising healthy puppies to advice clients on behavior. One thing worth of noticing is that most owners who were successful in bringing up pairs of littermates successfully (by successfully, I mean owning two well-adjusted dogs) is lots ot time, patience and determination. Whilst the first few days might be easier, the next six months could have you tearing your hair out. Still together as they approach their first birthday on … The excellent breeder we got our dogs from had 9 dogs in her home at the time we brought home one of her lovely retired adults. Raising two puppies will be double the trouble. They understand EVERYTHING would be greatly multiplied if littermates were brought home. Here's the Amazing News About Raising Littermate Puppies. I recently did a Facebook live where Andrea Stone, a fellow Show Dog Prep School fellow instructor and I discussed keeping, raising and showing littermates. Submitted photo. Kathy Disney says: February 12, 2020 at 10:38 am. Unfortunately, the guilt of an owner’s lack of time is one reason why many well meaning pet parents get two in the first place. Interestingly, among professional trainers there is a popular opinion that raising littermates together is a dangerous thing to do and that you risk them having “littermate syndrome”. How to Raise Two Sibling Puppies Successfully. Two young dogs (or a very insecure dog of any age) who are brought into the home at around the same time (I’ve seen littermate syndrome symptoms with dogs acquired a year apart) can very easily display the same symptoms and require … More time was available to raise a pup. Puppies deserve to be puppies and have their human and basically you have made them share that time with one another - which is okay but it doesn't necessarily make for a strong human/dog bond but does really tend to make the dogs 'doggie' oriented / bonded. Christian King . Littermate syndrome (not a scientific syndrome to my knowledge, but is supported by a lot of anecdotal evidence) is an umbrella term to cover a range of behavioural issues that are common when two puppies close in age are housed together past the usual 8-12 weeks when pups are typically separated from their mum & littermates. Raising Siblings (Littermates) or Raising 2 Puppies at the Same Time by Leah Spitzer. Because it compounds the difficulty and investment of raising a good canine companion exponentially! Sisters. It is not true that they will only bond with each other and not the owners. When I was a child, I wanted two dogs. We adopted 2 brothers — littermates — each 5 years old at the time. It takes dedication and commitment every single day. I say that raising two pups of close age might make the owner/trainer’s job a little harder, but certainly can be done. Reply. Inevitably they spend far more time together than they do individually with you, with a likely result that they become very tightly bonded to each other and you are only secondary in their lives. Sounds like so much fun, raising two puppies at once. Rearing littermates can be 'successful' but it is pretty foolish. And the problem with that is … Yet, many people have successfully raised well balanced, well adjusted, dogs of the same, or similar age. I think every living thing develops and learns at a slightly different rate. We are successfully raising two female Aussie littermates. One Doberman pup is a lot of work. After more than five years of raising littermates, I can easily tell you why I love bringing home puppies in pairs. Dolly and Cookie are exactly the same age and have been raised successfully together. Most are surprised (shocked is probably a better word) at the work involved in doing it properly. 1/17/2020 07:29:26 pm. Raising Two Puppies Successfully. That doesn’t mean the average pet owner can manage 9. They had been brought to the animal shelter by a “moving” and indisputably neglectful owner. William T. writes, “I have two puppies (littermates that are 4 months old). By Steven Benderv. raising 2 pups together whether they are littermates or not is not that much harder than raising one. I have done it several times over the years. I had two littermate lab sisters – completely diffrent personalties – loved each other deeply and very loyal to one another but never any glaring issues. Raising two puppies together and trying to prevent Littermate Syndrome symptoms from showing up takes a lot of work. Raising Littermate Pups. I don't think you need 'proof' that rearing littermates together can … If you raise two young pups from different litters or even breeds, you can have similar problems. The question becomes what are these successful owners doing that enables them to raise two behaviorally typical and well adjusted dogs of the same or similar age? Some people say that littermates cannot be trained and raised together. Wednesday, March 25, 2020 . Unless you have a lot of free time and some experience in dog training, two puppies at a time can be a very challenging experience. We would have been too afraid of problems. It will be more work for you, but will pay off in the long run. Reply. To raise littermates properly takes time. Your challenge? Puppy Power: Yes, You Can Raise Littermates Together! However, that means they’ll also be less attached to you, which makes influencing their behavior difficult. If you take the time, raising littermates the right way from the start will seem like a daunting task at first, but in the end it will keep dogs from fighting, developing destructive behavior, or turning fearful and aggressive. To prevent littermate syndrome, the puppies must crated, walked, fed, and trained separately – this equates to double the time spent on each activity. Just remember to do what is best for the dog. This allows you to concentrate all your efforts on that individual, with a fair wind and good early socialisation, it will take on some of the good traits of the older more experienced dog. 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