Dilemma over raising two puppies from the same litter?

Question

I adopted two male 6 month old maltese-poodle puppies from the same litter about two months ago. They were the last two of the litter and I felt bad about separating them and thought maybe I could raise them together so they could keep eachother company. I really wished I had researched this before I made that decision because now I am reading so much information on why it's a bad idea. It has been alot more work than I anticipated but the thing I am most worried about is the over-dependence my dogs have with eachother. Training has been difficult because I cannot separate the two of them for any length of time without the other one getting distraught and barking and crying. And this goes on for hours. I'm worried about how dependent on eachother they are and the effect it's having on my ability to train them effectively. I'm considering placing one of the dogs in another home but not sure if that will have a negative effect on them either. Any advice?

Answer 1

Start by leaving one home with a very special, long-lasting chew or knuckle bone. Take the other out for long walk or a drive in the car. Go back home and switch them, taking the first dog out and leaving the second home with a special bone.

Yes, they will cry at first. Yes, they will carry on. But you have to seperate them for some periods of time so they can start to get over this real problem.

If you have a friend/relative who is willing, ask them to take one of the boys for a few hours, once or twice a week. While that boy is gone, spend some time training or just giving extra loving to the boy left home.

If you really feel it is beyond your capabilities to keep both dogs, rehoming one won't do permanent mental damage to either. You, on the other hand, might suffer a lot from the loss!

Answer 2

In a way it is just like raising a baby. A baby learns that if it cries someone will come pick it up. With your dogs it is, in a way, the same response. If you separate them, they will whine and cry knowing if they do you will put them together again. I think the best thing to do, if you plan on keeping them both, is to get them used to time apart gradually. Everyday separate them for short amounts of time. Mabe an hour or two to start. No matter how much they whine and cry, ignore it. Slowly lengthen the amount of time they are apart, until a few hours. They will learn that eventually they will see each other again and that their whining and barking isn't going to get them back together at which point they will stop. These times apart would also be a good time for obedience training. It will also help them to adjust to being alone, by keeping them occupied. Hope this advice helps.

Answer 3

They are very young puppies and will get over it if you decide to separate them. However, I do feel that with the right approach, they can be both happy and healthy and together. First of all, get them fixed, asap--that will help tremendously. Secondly, forget you ever heard that it is a bad idea to raise littermates together. If you hang onto that idea, it will become a self-fulfilling prophecy and you will doom yourself.

You need to be the boss--they want a pack leader and will follow your lead if you assert yourself properly. If I were you, I would enroll them in separate puppy obedience classes so they can develop a relationship with you independent of one another, with YOU as "the boss".

If YOU, the Boss, decides that it is time for them to have separate times from each other, then do not give in to them when they whine and cry. They only learn that crying is an effective way of getting you do do what they want. Then THEY are the boss, not you. Put earplugs in, expect them to bark and cry for hours the first time you separate them, maybe the second time too; gradually however, they will stop doing this when you teach them it is ineffective. It may take a few times for them to get the idea, but they WILL. Give them a favorite toy for something to do other than to howl at you--it will distract them.
Hang in there!

Answer 4

I have three pups from the same litter. The two males have more separation problems from each other than from their sister. I don't know what the answer is - I haven't had this problem with others I have kept in the past. I know that all my dogs have separation issues when one has to go to the vet and the others stay home, but they go away once the missing dog comes back.

I would try having them neutered. That can alter a male dogs behavior. Talk to a local dog trainer or your vet for ideas.

Good luck!

Answer 5

At 8 months, placing one of them will only affect them over the short term, and should result in a much better relationship between you and the one you decide to keep! What you describe is exactly why I never agree to sell littermates to one person, and recommend at least 2 years between puppies. The 2 yr time span gives the original dog time to have a good foundation of training and socialization before bringing in a new puppy who will inevitably learn some tricks from his older housemate! I personally prefer 5-7 years between dogs. Not only does it give me a chance to really concentrate on one, training wise, but when the time comes, as it does all too soon with dogs, I will not be likely to lose two from old age in a short time as I would if they were closer in age.

Answer 6

Hi Workaholic. My husband and I separated and during that time he was living with two other bachelors. All three of the guys decided to each get a puppy from the same litter. A year later, my husband moved back in with me. My husband and his one year old lab/pointer mix who had never been alone in her entire life, because she had spent the first year of her life living with her brother and sister.

After a year and a half of my house being destroyed, I now havethousands of new grey hairs, but Bailey has for the most part, stopped destroying everything. Bailey has separation anxiety. She cannot be trusted alone in the house. We had to get another dog after my older dog passed away this spring. Bailey cannot be alone. Even when the new dog lived in it's crate while no one was home, it was still another dog and Bailey was happy.

Not that I don't recommend keeping both dogs. Absolutely keep both! Just know that if you separate them, in my experience, it will be hell.

Answer 7

my friends have two males from the same litter and they fight. they are part rotti/pit. they each want to be nominate. so ones in the cage while the others out. they switch the dogs. they dont like each other. they got along when they were puppies but know there about 1 1/2 yrs old and they started to fight about when they were almost a year. i think that this will give u an idea of what might happen

Answer 8

They should not have been together that long.

In the most part we have better adoptions if each puppy goes separate. We do encourage more than one but not siblings that are the same age and general dispositions. If you rescued they will let you return one so that they both get good homes. If you got them from the breeder then send one to a rescue. Anything is better than having a sole purpose in life to have babies.

Answer 9

Seperating the dogs would have adverse effects. It may be hard to train them, but what you could do is become the one they need to be dependent on. To find out how you get control over them and their obsession with each other is to watch The Dog Whisperer on the Geographic channel and learn from Ceasar how to become dominant of the two.

Answer 10

I adopted two Blue Heeler/Chow mixe puppies from the same litter and had a heck of a time trying to train them. I had to hire a professional dog trainer to help me.