1 pup or 2 - Can anyone give advice?

kh1smile · Post by **kh1smile** » 31 May 2007, 12:40

Has anyone had experience of having 2 puppies together?.

In need of some advice to whether it's harder or easier? If anyone has any experience or can give some advice I would be very grateful.

Many Thanks

Dougie101 · Post by **Dougie101** » 31 May 2007, 13:00

I've heard it's much harder to train them unless you are prepared to do some work with them seperately.

My uncle breeds and trains dogs for the police force and has several dogs of his own. He once got 3 pups at the same time but had to be prepared to put the work in.....good luck, think you should give it a go and keep us all posted

bek · Post by **bek** » 31 May 2007, 13:03

i would never advise having 2 pups together it is 5 times as much work as having one, and to be honest i would stay away from any breeder who agreed to sell 2 pups together

yoz1881 · Post by **yoz1881** » 31 May 2007, 13:11

I had Roger & Dylan (now 7 months old) together and I would say "don't do it" I'm afraid.

We had Dylan because he had a hearing problem, so took him as well as the originally planned Roger. Luckily for us, his hearing is completely normal now, so that is no longer an issue, but it has been really hard work, and although you may think, great, we can all go out on long walks together, it doesn't work like that.

It is much more enjoyable at the moment to walk them separately, and I also try to take them out in the car separately. They eat in different rooms so that they don't have to compete for food. All that said, of course they settled in really well when I first got them, because they didn't get lonely at night.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't be without either of them now, but it has been hard, and is still hard. As puppies, they will bond with each other more than you, and as already mentioned, training is very difficult. You have to devote time to them separately, or you will get absolutely nowhere. They tend to run riot given half a chance, and totally lead each other astray!!!!

I really would think long and hard about committing to having 2 pups together. I think the ideal is that you wait for a year or two before getting a second one, so that you can establish bonds and rules with the first one, before the second one arrives.

I'm sorry if this is not what you wanted to hear, but I really wouldn't recommend it!

Catherine

steph · Post by **steph** » 31 May 2007, 13:23

As well as the extra time for training and spending lots of time with each individually I've read that if you get too pups at the same time they are more likely to bond more with each other than with you. I think it would be a lot of hard work! One is more enough for us at the moment! We would like to get a second dog but perhaps in a year or so and hopefully a rescue.

Carole g · Post by **Carole g** » 31 May 2007, 13:51

The story of Roger and Dylan is very much to the point. I absolutely agree with all the above, particularly Bek's comment about stay away from any breeder who will do this. I do run two pups on generally but make the decision of which to let go just as soon as possible. Without my bitches to keep the pups in order I wouldn't run on more than one pup at all.

LouBeale · Post by **LouBeale** » 31 May 2007, 14:05

I agree with the above, I would leave it at least 6 months before even considering getting another pup, my neighbour had two male toy poodle pups from the same litter and they got into some terrible fights over dominancy. Preferably leave a year, to allow the first one to be fully bonded to you.

I had a lady enquiring whether she could have 2 of my pups and I managed to pursuade her against it, in the end she didn't choose any because she decided she wanted cream!

kh1smile · Post by **kh1smile** » 31 May 2007, 14:25

Many thanks to allof you for your comments. I had read up that maybe it could be a bad idea, but wanted to make sure by asking you all the question as I knew that if anyone knew, you guys would. You have confirmed all my thoughts and 1 puppy it shall be.

Thanks again

Katie Rourke · Post by **Katie Rourke** » 31 May 2007, 15:03

kh1smile wrote:Many thanks to allof you for your comments. I had read up that maybe it could be a bad idea, but wanted to make sure by asking you all the question as I knew that if anyone knew, you guys would. You have confirmed all my thoughts and 1 puppy it shall be.

Thanks again

Excellent advice from everyone. ESPECIALLY

Bek wrote:i would stay away from any breeder who agreed to sell 2 pups together

In my opinion, no-one has enough time to split two pups and train them properly, unless they've limitless funds, can hire help (for kids / house / garden) or they're "kept" (Oooooh Yeah!

)

Remember, your existing dog will teach your new puppy about 75% of his behaviours. So you REALLY need to be on top of/like what you've got before you get another one. And if you are, the existing dog does about half the training for/with you!

IMHO about 3 to 5 years is the right age gap. Then you don't get them all dying at the same time

I lost one dog a year for three years in a row (two to old age, one to Leishmaniasis). Believe me, its very, VERY hard. I wouldn't wish it on anyone.

Bean · Post by **Bean** » 31 May 2007, 15:19

ditto to all of the above. Even getting Bean when Woody was 2.5 years old has been hard. For the first few months they both had to be walked separately, Bean would just try and run after Woody, be/go wherever he was and ignored us completely. For her to walk to heel and on the lead all our training had to be separate which took up loads more time than we ever imagined, even now at 8 months we still have to take her out separately at times.

Everything else seems to have worked out fine, but having one 'mature' dog definately helps contain some of the puppy exuberance, two puppies going mental around the house would be too much. Even with Bean being 5 times bigger than Woody he still manages to let her know when shes crossed the line in no uncertain terms.

linda l · Post by **linda l** » 31 May 2007, 16:01

I had 2 German Shepherd pups together from the same litter some bits were easier no sleeepless nights, they played together but the downside was one was a bit more dominant with the other and things would get out of hand ,not very often but enough

It was hard to learn their names as they answered to both Becci and Banya

I did love having my twins. The training was a bit difficult as one would sit and the other would run away things like that but on the whole I really enjoyed it but they were very laid back pups. Would I do it again,probably!

jelly · Post by **jelly** » 31 May 2007, 16:57

i have to say i have done it myself and found it easy but it depends how much time you have to give both of them and the training involved i wouldnt say keep away from breeders who let people take 2 puppies it all depends how well much experience the owner has and the time like anybody yes it can be very hard and i never found my girls bonded more with each other than myself

Treacletoffee · Post by **Treacletoffee** » 01 Jun 2007, 00:24

Hi I got Treacle and Toffee together - 10 days difference not planned (long story) I found it made life easier;- as they played together had their mad half hours with each other, endless hours of fun playing, it was harder work training them as like a previous comment it took them longer to know their names. Maybe the fact that one is a bitch and the other a dog from different litters made it that they both get on, they eat, sleep, walk, and play together. They have never been aggressive towards each other.
the only show of dominance is when they via for my attention one pushing the other out of the way. I have always had dogs which may of helped, I wouldn't recommend two pups together for a first time puppy owner. Remember two puppies equals twice the work!!

robert · Post by **robert** » 01 Jun 2007, 15:19

Don't do it. Any good trainer will advise you that the ideal minimal gap is a full two years. The idea is that the elder will be stably well-trained (if you know what you're doing!) and actually help with the youngster; otherwise the elder might 'revert'. At a pinch one could make the gap 1 1/2 years: but that's the minimum. That is in fact what I've done with my two, and it's working out very well - but I strongly suspect that it wouldn't have, had I acquired Max any sooner.

Robert

CAROL SHAW · Post by **CAROL SHAW** » 01 Jun 2007, 22:59

Hi I would say dont do it we have bred dogs for 20 odd years and only once have we kept teo ffrom the same litter (working labs) Trevor is here 24/7 but they both now at 4 think they are called Mollymeg and house training was a nightmare as if you didnt catch them in the act you didnt know which one has done"it". I have only once sold 2 pups o the same people and they were a retired couple and she looked after one whilst he had the other and they say that this has worked well so it can be done.Just think very hard first. personally we have found a year apart is ok as long as they have had good training. Although we have had dogs all our lives I still take mine to training classes it soci;aisews them with others and is a good night out. Carol :lol: