Sibling Rivalry

Why it Might Not Be a Good Idea to Own Two Dogs From the Same Litter

               Your family decides to get a new puppy.  You go to a rescue or breeder and, on seeing a litter of puppies playing together, hear a little voice in your head whisper, “Why not get two?  They’re sooo cute!  Look at them play together!”  Well, I can tell you from personal experience, that I listened to that little voice and two puppies who are the same age are waaaay more work than one would think.  It is more like four times the work to house train, teach commands and socialize two dogs the same age. 

               Luckily, my two mixed terriers, Frankie and Marty adopted from a local rescue get along pretty well.  But they were shy and difficult to house train at first and they took an enormous amount of time and energy during their first year as my husband and I attempted to socialize and train them. There were many days of frustration that I could have done without and we seriously contemplated returning one of the dogs in the early stages.  But, we did not give up and I can say that they are generally friendly to people and much less anxious and are more well-adjusted than when we first adopted them. 

There are definitely some potential problems with having two dogs who are siblings.  One concern is that they may start fighting with one another.  They may fight over resources like food or toys or they may vie for the dominant position in the hierarchy.  I am referring to true aggression, not play fighting which is normal.  Frankie and Marty have luckily not had any serious fights, but they do fight occasionally, especially when overstimulated.  Another problem is that the dogs are often strongly bonded to one another and may become extremely anxious when separated or depressed when one passes away.  Separating the dogs for one-on-one time and using both group and individual training sessions with you may help with this issue.  Siblings may also not bond as closely with their humans as they do with each other.  My boys know that my husband and I are in charge and they do enjoy attention and affection from us, but I would say they are not as strongly bonded to us as my Stanley who was an “only dog” had been.   Having two dogs is extremely time-consuming and expensive so make sure you have the time, energy and finances to devote to properly training and socializing two puppies at once. 

It’s not all bad.  There are some good things about having two dogs.  They entertain each other.  We get twice the snuggling.  They could probably work as a team and knock over an intruder (Just kidding!).  After having them for over a year, I cannot imagine not having both.  But, it was a lot of work to train and socialize them, and they are far from perfect.  I am not saying that you should never adopt two puppies but, if you are considering two littermates, please think long and hard about how much work and effort is involved and be aware that some sibling pairs can have serious behavioral problems.   If you decide to take the plunge or have already brought two pups into your home and need guidance, remember, we are always here to help!

This blog brought to you by the Patton Veterinary Hospital serving Red Lion, York and the surrounding areas.