Double The Trouble: The Challenge of Sibling Puppies
Why are sibling puppies double the trouble?
Shouldn’t it be easier to raise them together, as they will have companionship and can learn from one another?
The main problem with adopting sibling puppies is that they are going to bond with one another over you.
They have already been bonding for months together with their mother, and they are going to spend lots of time together, especially when you aren’t home.
This is a problem because the bond they have with one another can diminish the bond they have with you. This can make them much more difficult to train.
They also feed off one another’s energy, which makes it much more likely for them to get in trouble together.
Add to this that they are pack animals, and in addition to bonding you can expect them to fight, as it is common to fight for dominance within the pack.
And certainly don’t consider introducing a third dog into the equation. The two siblings will very often gang up on the third dog, and it is not unknown for them to seriously injure, or even kill, a third dog introduced into the home.
For these reasons, most respectable breeders and shelters won’t let you take home sibling puppies, especially if you aren’t an experienced dog owner.
This is not only for the health and happiness of both you and the dog, but many sibling dogs soon find themselves back in a shelter because of the difficulties associated with raising them.
When I went to obedience class with Linus there were sibling Husky mix dogs in the class. They literally could not be 20 feet apart. They would whine and yelp until they were back together.
Spend Time With Each Puppy Alone
Don’t do everything with your puppies together. This will only reinforce their strong and exclusive bond with one another, and make it more difficult for them to bond with you and other human family members.
While you will certainly do things together, you will also want to do things alone with each of them. You should maintain this until they are at least one year of age, and probably long beyond this.
This means walking them separately, playing with them separately, taking them to the vet separately. This is why sibling puppies are a huge time investment.
They should also have their own possessions. They should never share leashes, bowls, or toys.
You should even feed them separately, in separate parts of the home, or one at a time with the other waiting in the crate.
Training is also something that should be done separately. And, if you aren’t an expert trainer, it is a good idea to invest in the services of a professional, preferably taking your pup to weekly classes where they will have the opportunity to interact with other dogs.
Not only will the professional trainer be able to guide you on a thorough training process, but the act of being in the class with other dogs will be an essential part of the socialization process.
If at all possible, the sibling pups should not be part of the same class. If they are, they should be kept separate and cared for by two different family members, both during the course and when doing homework exercises.
You can read other puppy training tips here.
If you want your dogs to be able to distinguish which one of them you are calling, it is very important that you use their names from day one. Avoid using standard nicknames like “boy,” “girl,” or “pup.”
Establishing their names will help establish their independence and will make it easier for you to control the pups, as you will be able to give them separate commands more easily.
You will need to monitor the bonding that is happening between your pups, as there will be a tendency for one to try to dominate the other.
You will need to step in if one becomes excessively dominant, as it can result in an unhealthy relationship between the two that can very easily result in negative behavior such as fighting, barking, going to the bathroom where they know they shouldn’t, and so forth.
You can limit the likelihood of domineering behavior by ensuring that you treat the puppies equally. Don’t give one more attention than the other, and let them take turns going first.
It is not uncommon to hear people say that puppies will socialize and teach one another. But this is a case of the blind leading the blind, and usually reinforced negative behavior. So you just end up with two misbehaving pups.
However, pups do learn good habits and socialization from older dogs. So, do what you can to let them spend time, separately, with older dogs. This might be letting them play with a friend or neighbor’s dog, or getting involved with a local dog group.
Raising two sibling puppies at home can be easier if you already have an older dog, who is likely to take on a parental role and occupy the position of leader.
Difficulties for Who Works All Day
Keeping the puppies separated may be quite challenging because it often translates into dividing the chores in two. Owners will find themselves, walking one puppy and then the other, feeding one and then the other, training one and then the other, doubling the time for just about everything.
This can be time-consuming and both mentally and physically draining unless you have a family member who can help you and you have lots of time on hand and work at home.
Something that doesnt come to mind at the moment, but will hurt later on, is watching littermates aging together, and potentially losing them at the same time. This can turn out to be heartbreaking, costly and difficult to cope with.
Littermate Puppies: Double the Joy, or Double the Trouble?
Littermates Tips For Training 2 Puppies At Once
Recently, I received the comment that Littermate Syndrome is real, it has been studied by scientists, and that our experience is just luck. I wasn’t sure how to respond so I went to my new standby “thank you for sharing your thoughts and experience; I will give your comment some serious consideration.”