Some people say that littermates cannot be trained and raised together. 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 … 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. In complete exasperation, fending off tears, she explained, “I don’t know if I can do it. I always recommend my clients to wait until their puppy is 14 months old before purchasing another puppy. We are successfully raising two female Aussie littermates. 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. 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. Raising Two Puppies Successfully. raising 2 pups together whether they are littermates or not is not that much harder than raising one. It's fun watching them grow into their personalities. Sisters. Then, throw the risk of littermate syndrome in the mix and it can be overwhelming. 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. 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. 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. Vets do not have enough regular training in school on raising healthy puppies to advice clients on behavior. Reply. Following are some times for sibline puppies fighting. When you raise two pups they want to bond to each other more than to any human. Dolly and Cookie are exactly the same age and have been raised successfully together. That doesn’t mean the average pet owner can manage 9. Although the possible effects of raising two puppies together is called “Littermate Syndrome,” it is not just applicable to biological littermates. 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 … When I first started training dogs 25 years ago, lifestyles were different. So, I write this for some balance and for others who are considering adopting bonded dogs. I have done it several times over the years. Helpline trainer answers one reader's question about how and when to start training two littermate puppies. Raising Siblings (Littermates) or Raising 2 Puppies at the Same Time by Leah Spitzer. Puppy Power: Yes, You Can Raise Littermates Together! We would have been too afraid of problems. Raising Littermate Pups. So do think hard before you do it. 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. I don't think you need 'proof' that rearing littermates together can … 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? If you’ve ever experienced raising a puppy, you know how daunting it can be to train one. Dawn and Violet. It was not written specifically about littermate adoption, but should give you additional insight on the challenges of raising two or more dogs successfully. Wednesday, March 25, 2020 . Submitted photo. 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. Fanciers, breeders, and working dog people can of course successfully raise littermates, but they generally have the time, experience, and facilities to manage. Still together as they approach their first birthday on … I think every living thing develops and learns at a slightly different rate. Here's the Amazing News About Raising Littermate Puppies. William T. writes, “I have two puppies (littermates that are 4 months old). 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. KEEPING, RAISING AND SHOWING LITTERMATES. Your challenge? I had two littermate lab sisters – completely diffrent personalties – loved each other deeply and very loyal to one another but never any glaring issues. Because it compounds the difficulty and investment of raising a good canine companion exponentially! 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. Raising two puppies will be double the trouble. 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 … They won’t listen. After more than five years of raising littermates, I can easily tell you why I love bringing home puppies in pairs. Not quite. If you raise two young pups from different litters or even breeds, you can have similar problems. 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. They keep each other company, entertain each other and halve the work, right? More time was available to raise a pup. One thing hasn’t changed though - our desire for the loyal dog, for the unconditional love, for the trust, for the companionship. 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. A good dog trainer will also dissuade you… it may give us extra work but it isn’t worth it to our clients. 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. Kathy Disney says: February 12, 2020 at 10:38 am. When left together 24 hours a day, your puppies will form a strong bond to each other, which is good. To raise littermates properly takes time. Dogs are descended from pack dwelling wolves, so many people choose to have more than one dog. If one puppy requires work, then you need to be ready to work yourself out in handling two puppies. It will be more work for you, but will pay off in the long run. This comment might get deleted but you are an idiot. They understand EVERYTHING would be greatly multiplied if littermates were brought home. Had I read forums like this warning against it — we would not have adopted the 2 dogs . 1/17/2020 07:29:26 pm. Still, I receive the occasional “should I get littermates?” inquiry. And the problem with that is … There are some breeds in which raising littermates can be done fairly successfully with a good amount of effort, however, those tend to be much easier breeds to raise compared to the Doberman. 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. One Doberman pup is a lot of work. Most are surprised (shocked is probably a better word) at the work involved in doing it properly. However, that means they’ll also be less attached to you, which makes influencing their behavior difficult. We adopted 2 brothers — littermates — each 5 years old at the time. If they are given all the love and attention they need, they will be just like other puppies, happy and well socialized. 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”. Most of them were housewives or people who spent most of their time at home. Dealing with littermate syndrome can be incredibly time-consuming and difficult – it may even be traumatic for the puppies. Sounds like so much fun, 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. When I was a child, I wanted two dogs. Raising two puppies successfully will take time, patience, space and money. They had been brought to the animal shelter by a “moving” and indisputably neglectful owner. It takes dedication and commitment every single day. 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. Yet, many people have successfully raised well balanced, well adjusted, dogs of the same, or similar age. 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. Just remember to do what is best for the dog. Christian King . One of the things you should be aware of is that two puppies demand double the attention. Twice the fun, twice the puppy breath, twice the cuteness. Reply. To prevent littermate syndrome, the puppies must crated, walked, fed, and trained separately – this equates to double the time spent on each activity. That said, raising two puppies can give you hours of entertainment watching them play and experience life together. More time was spent in the home. They are the best of friends and love each other. But, for whatever reason, if you do find yourself getting sibling puppies, there are a few things you can do to raise them successfully. Raising two puppies to be secure, confident, well-bonded-to-you dogs is much more than twice the work than raising one. A good breeder also would not want you to take littermates, they have seen the carnage. 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!) It is not true that they will only bond with each other and not the owners. How to Raise Two Sibling Puppies Successfully. By Steven Benderv. Commit yourself to training them both together and separately. I say that raising two pups of close age might make the owner/trainer’s job a little harder, but certainly can be done. 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. Raising two puppies together and trying to prevent Littermate Syndrome symptoms from showing up takes a lot of work. Rearing littermates can be 'successful' but it is pretty foolish. 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! 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