I Always hear this: “Honey, maybe we should buy two! Look how much they love each other! How could we possibly separate them?”
My family and I often adopt a litter of rescue puppies and when the time comes for the approved adopter to come along and make the big decision – which one will it be? ——Conversations often take such detours. Looking at two cute puppies snuggling or playing together, someone said, “Why don’t we bring two?”
It’s a natural impulse. In fact, when we raised our first litter about ten years ago, it was largely my own wish to keep the littermates together. At the time, my heart skipped a beat when a potential adopter expressed interest in adopting two puppies. Think about it: Little Ben and the pretty girl are together forever!I loved The idea! These advantages quickly came to mind:
* Transformation can be so easy! No sad puppy will cry those first nights without the warmth and companionship of its littermates.
* Puppies will be happy to have a friend to play with every day.
* Ensure adequate exercise, which will reduce household disruption and talkativeness.
* Owners won’t feel stressed about their puppy’s needs because instead of having a bored puppy constantly seeking their attention, they will have two puppies who are perfectly happy with each other. after all, I I prefer having two puppies instead of one because it’s a lot less work for me.
I was excited to tell the shelter that one of our potential adopters wanted two puppy. Their reaction? “We didn’t actually adopt littermates together.” I was stunned. What kind of anti-puppy happiness policy is this?
Most shortcomings
It turns out I still have a lot to learn.While every point above is true, there are even more Key Reasons Recommended by Most Dog Trainers and Animal Shelter Professionals be opposed to Adopt littermates including:
* Puppies need to learn to be alone. One of the key things I try to teach my foster pups is that it’s okay for them to not have littermates. If I had them play in the same room with their mom and siblings every second of the day for eight weeks, adoption day would be horrific for them. At first, this means simply holding a puppy outside the puppy pen for a while and then returning immediately. Then I might take the two puppies to play in the kitchen while I do the dishes. Finally, I’ll just take one of my puppies upstairs to play with chew toys while I work on the computer.
Adopting a sibling may postpone this important part of your puppy’s education indefinitely.There are two They may never breathe when they’re not next to another puppy. The longer time passes, the deeper their attachment becomes. After a few months, some owners realize they have a huge problem when they haphazardly separate the puppies (perhaps for a trip to the vet) and find both dogs in an absolute state of panic, destroying walls and falling out of the slats Escape from the box.
Of course, you can solve this the same way I do with my pups at home: Make time every day to take each puppy somewhere individually. They need regular, varied experiences apart from their siblings: at home, on walks, in the car, at play. If you have the time and the family structure allows for this, this may not be a problem.However, experienced trainers and shelter staff will tell you Most owners find they have little time to care for one puppy, let alone two – even though they idea They are ready.
*Having an always-present playmate is not enough to properly socialize a puppy. Playing with a cohabiting companion every day can tire out both puppies, which is great, but the biggest drawback is that if there is no pressing motivation to find another puppy or dog to help tire out a single puppy , owners tend to become complacent.
The chewing, biting, and jumping of a lonely puppy will prompt a good owner to seek out other dogs to tire out the little one, which will expand the puppy’s world beautifully. Playing with a variety of dogs—big dogs or small dogs, racers or wrestlers, floppy-eared dogs or pointy-eared dogs—has greater value. Each of them plays differently, and by interacting with multiple play partners, puppies learn a more nuanced and broader language of canine communication. This, in turn, will make the puppy feel comfortable about future dog encounters—walks on a leash, Thanksgiving at your sister’s house, at the beach with your friend’s dog.
In contrast, littermates that only play with each other are likely to end up being dogs that only play with each other! Unaccustomed to an unfamiliar play style, a less social dog may become offended by a new dog’s playful overtures and erupt in defensive aggression out of fear.
Again, owners who are fully aware of the problem can mitigate the effects entirely by scheduling ample play time with other puppies and dogs as their puppies mature.
* When people have two puppies, they tend to take them for fewer walks and adventures. When I first started adopting, I was always drawn to adopters who mentioned their large fenced-in yards on their applications. Of course, the city apartment dweller is right, but then I think about this puppy who has to step off the elevator and pass strangers and hear the sound of a truck every time he wants to pee! “Poor puppy,” I thought.
I really want to give my old self a slap in the face. What I have learned over the years is that dogs in those cities become very social! Because exposure to all these things is a natural part of their lives, they inevitably become extremely relaxed about it all. marvelous.
What does this have to do with littermate adoption? Well, if littermates live in the same house, they usually don’t go out into the outside world. They are so tired from playing that they don’t urge their owners for a walk. Even if they do, sometimes owners remember the last walk with two dogs that were very unmanageable and opt out.
Likewise, dedicated owners will address this issue by remembering how important it is to get their puppies out and about, and will take the time (and recruit helpers) to make adventures into the wider world part of daily life for both pups. – For most walks, it’s best to go one at a time.
* Training two puppies is more than twice as difficult as training one puppy. I love teaching puppies to sit, stay, spin, touch, and rock. In fact, whenever I only have one puppy here, I really can’t control myself. But what if I have more than one puppy? The best thing I could do was “sit down.” Gosh, I’m a dog trainer, I can’t teach two dogs new things at the same time.
Good teaching requires providing instant feedback to the dog. When two dogs do different things, the feedback loop becomes pointless. “Yes!” you said pretty girl sitting well. But when little Ben jumped on you, he heard it too. Well. What had he just learned?
To train two puppies, you need to separate them. Maybe the trainee needs to be out of earshot so the distressed barking of an abandoned puppy doesn’t distract us as students at the moment. Do you have a setup where you can easily take one puppy and work with her a few times a day and then turn around and work with another puppy? Can you last a year? Maybe you can!
But most people can’t, and sadly, what often happens is that owners call their trainers in tears to report that two completely unruly 9-month-old dogs “can’t” be walked. Pups have strong bonds with each other, but not with their owners. It’s the kind of heartbreaking thing that usually results in one, if not two, people being relocated.
ideal scenario
Trainers and shelter staff almost always advise against adopting littermates; instead, they often give the very reasonable advice of simply waiting a year so your well-trained adult dog can prepare for the new puppy Set a good example.
In other words, two brothers and sisters were taken in possible is the right decision for you. The key is to fully understand the tough issues and commit to a plan.When this happens, it able Work out beautifully.
As I was getting ready to write this article, I reached out to a few people who had adopted littermates from my rescue group. They each wrote back with exclamation points, expressing how much they loved their puppies and how dual adoption was the perfect way for them. My follow-up questions revealed that these people do indeed practice what they preach.they poured one a lot of We invest time and resources into these puppies, carefully shaping their experiences so that each dog is well trained and confident in themselves, while also getting along well with them.obviously it able finished.
Even so, whenever I hear an adopter say, “Hey honey, how about two?” I still suggest my favorite option: “Do you have a neighbor who needs a puppy?” That is The best part of the world: Each puppy will have a companion close enough that they can happily tire out from their daily play routine, and owners can get a little rest when their puppy comes to visit next door, every time. Each puppy will receive plenty of personal attention at home.