{"id":31629,"date":"2022-03-22T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-03-22T15:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/?p=31629"},"modified":"2023-11-20T14:23:45","modified_gmt":"2023-11-20T22:23:45","slug":"raising-sibling-puppies-successfully","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/puppyintraining.com\/raising-sibling-puppies-successfully\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Tips For Raising Sibling Puppies Successfully"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Let\u2019s open by saying that raising sibling puppies successfully is not easy and not generally advisable. But if you do find yourself doing it, there are things you can do to ensure a greater level of success and happiness within your household.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, you head down to the breeder or the shelter to choose a new puppy<\/a> to adopt into your family. But when you get there, you see two adorable sibling puppies together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They shouldn\u2019t be separated, you tell yourself, and you should take them both home, right?<\/p>\n\n\n

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\"Sibling
Hello Little Golden Puppy!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Plus, they will be able to play with one another, which will make everything easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

No joke this happened to me before I got my first puppy, Linus. When I went to the shelter there were two cute little Australian Shepherd Lab mix<\/a> puppies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I was very tempted to bring home both pups because I didn’t want to separate the two. Smarter heads prevailed and I came home with one puppy and couldn’t have been happier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

That is just not the case! When you bring home two puppies from the same litter, you aren\u2019t saving yourself time or effort, but rather adopting double the trouble (we have twin daughters – the human kind – and I concur with the double the trouble sentiment).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are a lot of things inherent in the way that sibling puppies respond to one another that makes it harder to integrate two of them together into the same home at the same time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is why many breeders and shelters simply won\u2019t let you take home two puppies from the same litter.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

But, for whatever reason, if you do find yourself getting sibling puppies, there are a few things you can do to raise them successfully.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Double The Trouble: The Challenge of Sibling Puppies<\/h2>\n\n\n
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\"Guide
Puppy Siblings<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n

Why are sibling puppies double the trouble?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shouldn\u2019t it be easier to raise them together, as they will have companionship and can learn from one another?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sadly, no.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The main problem with adopting sibling puppies is that they are going to bond with one another over you.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They have already been bonding for months together with their mother, and they are going to spend lots of time together, especially when you aren\u2019t home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is a problem because the bond they have with one another can diminish the bond they have with you. This can make them much more difficult to train.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They also feed off one another’s energy, which makes it much more likely for them to get in trouble together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Add to this that they are pack animals, and in addition to bonding you can expect them to fight, as it is common to fight for dominance within the pack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And certainly don\u2019t consider introducing a third dog into the equation. The two siblings will very often gang up on the third dog, and it is not unknown for them to seriously injure, or even kill, a third dog introduced into the home.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For these reasons, most respectable breeders and shelters won\u2019t let you take home sibling puppies, especially if you aren\u2019t an experienced dog owner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is not only for the health and happiness of both you and the dog, but many sibling dogs soon find themselves back in a shelter because of the difficulties associated with raising them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When I went to obedience class with Linus there were sibling Husky mix dogs<\/a> in the class. They literally could not be 20 feet apart. They would whine and yelp until they were back together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Before You Get Sibling Puppies Ask Yourself…<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

So you should seriously consider whether you are prepared to raise sibling puppies before agreeing to take them home. Ask yourself:<\/p>\n\n\n\n