Then, throw the risk of littermate syndrome in the mix and it can be overwhelming. Remember, puppies don’t do a great job raising other puppies. >Click here to send us your dog care or training question. April 26, 2016 by Sarah | 0 comments. Raising Two Puppies Successfully. If you have sibling pups that have been misbehaving (or you’re considering training two puppies from the same litter together), read on to learn everything you need to know about littermate syndrome in dogs. The title of this post is a bit strong, but I do want to caution people from adopting two dogs from the same litter because “it’s easier” to raise two at once (ask someone with twins if it’s easier than having one child) or “we don’t want our dog to be lonely.” (Because you might be if the dogs are so enchanted with each other that they ignore you). They eat together, play together and sleep together and by the massive size of their paws look to be big dogs. Photograph by Mehmet Salih Guler Image by Katrin B. Raising sibling puppies successfully can be a challenge because puppies from the same litter may develop a cluster of behavioral issues known as littermate syndrome. Keeping the siblings together at all times will create two parts of a whole, not two individuals. I don't want to hear any of the "no dont do it" stuff. The puppies will not learn how to be independent – they will require the presence of their sibling at all times. It is believed that siblings should be separated by 7-9 weeks of age. The email described a familiar scenario: “We were planning to adopt one puppy, but the breeder said that raising two sisters would be easier. Who would do such a thing? Your challenge? There are two puppies, one is a miniature pinscher, one is a long hair chiuaua, the min pin is 9 weeks, the chi is 8. I believe if you spend quality time with your pets and train them you should never have a problem raising 2 puppies. So don’t count on your puppies to … In my most recent case, an owner’s email could serve as a go-to primer for this syndrome: At 12 weeks As you read in the above stories, raising sibling puppies successfully is possible. While you may hope your pups will keep each other company and grow to be the best … Tags: dog behavior. How to raise two puppies successfully -- from different litters OR the same litter. LOL. I’ve successfully raised two sibling pups through their littermate issues — and they are now 3 … To successfully raise two sibling puppies, consider these tips: Crate train the puppies separately. Raising Siblings (Littermates) or Raising 2 Puppies at the Same Time by Leah Spitzer. The owners I personally know who have successfully raised sibling pairs took pains to introduce the puppies and teenage dogs to other dogs, both together and separately. Reply. This, however, can happen by raising one puppy to adulthood and adopting another after you have the first dog trained. The bottom line when raising two puppies together is: you need to do everything in your power to reduce the effects of Littermate Syndrome during the first 6 months of your puppies’ life. After raising six kids, a yellow lab, and a previous littermate duo of BT puppies, we were questioning our decision to bring two home again. Remember that dogs don’t have the same emotional bond with their families that humans do and that a dog can be perfectly happy raised far from any of his littermates. Learn the Risks Involved Raising Similar Aged Pomeranian Puppies. Raising Sibling Puppies Published on March 8, 2017 March 8, 2017 • 26 Likes • 3 Comments. Your challenge? dog training. But you probably don’t want them to get along so well with each other that they hardly take notice of the human members of the family – a common result of raising canine siblings together. I bottle fed them puppy formula every 2 hours all night for the first week or two. I know its better not to raise them both at once, but i have no way around it. As a result, even a short separation can cause extreme anxiety and be very traumatic for the puppies Raising two puppies to be secure, confident, well-bonded-to-you dogs is much more than twice the work than raising one. Aug 29, 2020 - Need help with Littermate Syndrome? Two puppies are much more than twice the work of one. I've been doing some reading and came across "Littermate Syndrome". While the idea of raising two cuddly puppies together may make you feel warm and cuddly, the reality is, raising two dogs together is more than twice as challenging than raising one. See the Littermate Syndrome dog training tips that worked for me. Is Littermate Syndrome real? YES! But, for whatever reason, if you do find yourself getting sibling puppies, there are a few things you can do to raise them successfully. This solution is far less difficult than raising sibling puppies at once. Whilst the first few days might be easier, the next six months could have you tearing your hair out. Instead of engaging curiously with brand-new people and objects, they respond with concern or fear. Article first appeared in The Bark, Issue 47: Mar/Apr 2008. Most experts strongly advise against Truth? Ask The Dog Trainer: Training Tips For Littermate Puppies Your dog training questions are answered by a Certified Professional Dog Trainer at FetchFind where you can fetch the latest information from the world’s leading pet experts and find something that inspires you. This will help the puppy bond with their new human instead of bonding with the sibling. The puppies can play together, but you must institute these separation procedures and stick to them. Because sibling puppies are usually going to be together much of the time, they need skills that a single puppy, or a puppy in a household of boring adult dogs, doesn’t need. QUESTION We really The incidence of owners purchasing "Siblings", either same-sex or brother and sister from the same litter or two puppies from different litters and breeds but of similar ages is now more prevalent than at any other time in living memory. (See my tips in the above article. View Comments. They keep each other company, entertain each other and halve the work, right? We bought two, 8 week old, Shih Tzu. Not quite. In other words, it’s particularly easy to fall into this trap when raising siblings. Raising Two Puppies at Once. 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. The problem of sibling puppies fighting is a serious one and it goes beyond simple squabbles among two puppies. Most rescues and even breeders will not allow sibling adoptions. Raising two puppies at the same time. Puppies often go through a period of separation anxiety and panic during weeks eight through 12. More time was spent in the home. Inadequate environmental management. Dogs are individuals, so each puppy will learn and train at his own speed. 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. 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. When I first started training dogs 25 years ago, lifestyles were different. Plus my pros & cons of raising littermate puppies! Puppies adopted together might be anxious or timid when separated. More time was available to raise a pup. This takes some of the pressure off of you to play an hour of tug-of-war every day (or however you choose to burn off some of that energy) and to be the only main source of entertainment for your puppy. Buying Two Puppies. A few weeks ago I found two tiny female puppies that a vet predicted to be about 3 weeks old under our house. Make sure that each of your puppies has their own crate. Raising Puppies & Kids Together: A Guide for Parents by Pia Silvani and Lynn Eckhardt. Littermate Syndrome: Why raising sibling puppies is misguided Posted on July 18, 2013 By Jeff Stallings, CPDT-KA Littermate syndrome is a condition in which hyper-bonded sibling dogs have difficulty relating to humans and other dogs. My husband and I could not get their attention for more than a second or two—it was as if we weren’t even in the same room. If you get two puppies at once, you’ll reap the benefits of having the dogs play with each other and burn off a lot of that puppy energy in your own home. They don't even have to be siblings; raising two puppies at the same time is just plain not a good idea. Raising two puppies will be double the trouble. If you have adopted two puppies, there are steps you can take to curb behavior issues and help with training multiple dogs at once. What cause me to do some reading about raising two pups was the fact they are starting to be more aggressive with each other and more dependant on each other. Raising two puppies successfully will take time, patience, space and money. Sounds like so much fun, raising two puppies at once. After we brought the girls home at nine weeks, their behavior became increasingly out of control. When most of my students arrive at Puppy Kindergarden class, they are already overwhelmed, ready to pull their hair out, burning with questions and yearning for information on how to make their new family member more tolerable. It's more difficult than it seems. Training Strategies. Anything that frightens them at this age may have a long-lasting impact, so it is crucial that you don't stimulate puppies in this stage with too many transitions or challenges at once. The puppies will be very difficult to socialize and will likely respond to new situations, people, and pets with anxiety or fear. Most professionals recommend getting just one puppy at once. The only people I know that have done this successfully are people that are full time dog trainers or breeders that really have the experience to do it. This rodeo has been so different from our first duo, as the Boston’s were both pretty mellow, and we were careful to slowly acclimate them to our 8 year old lab. Are you thinking about getting two puppies at the same time? When two puppies of the same age are adopted, this can lead to several issues which occur as a result of the excess bonding and developmental deficits that takes place inevitably if no steps are taken. Sister's littermates. 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