Raising 2 puppies at the same time

We've raised two puppies and one puppy at various times and there are advantages and disadvantages to each.

Two puppies:

Entertain each other endlessly. Especially good if you work and/or don't plan to devote a lot of your own time to entertaining the puppy. (You still have to train. See below)

Never seem to have a problem with separation anxiety. They keep each other company.

Stay exercised and tired. And as has been said, a tired puppy is a good puppy. Two puppies are *never* bored.

Are twice as much fun.

But two puppies:

Are twice the expense and when that comes to vet bills, it can be *very* expensive.

Still require one-on-one time and that takes some planning. You need to sometimes take one in the car and leave the other home.

Do play roughly. They sound just horrible but unless there is blood or one is obviously always taking the brunt of it, let it go. If they're exchanging who's on top and who's on bottom, if both of them initiate the play at various times, and neither seems to be cowed or afraid, they're fine.

Can get in twice as much trouble. The last two we raised together are 18 months old and we have an "angel and devil." Trouble is, they sometimes switch those roles! They think of more mischief between them than they would alone, but at the same time, they are perfectly happy being left to their own devices playing in the yard, so when I've had enough or need some time to pick up the pieces of the last thing they tore up, I can put them out for awhile with no guilt.

We have never had a problem with them "bonding to each other instead of people" as I've read in various places. They bond to each other, yes, but any time I want to take one somewhere alone, they both much prefer me to each other. We have also several times raised two puppies together and then sold one anywhere from six months to two years. They *always* adjust just fine. I wouldn't sell one to an only-dog home because they are too accustomed to being part of a "pack" here, but that's true of all our adult dogs. They are just not accustomed to being alone in a house. (It's also true that whippets are more pack-oriented than a lot of breeds and much prefer being one of at least two dogs.)

Two puppies take twice the work and half the work. They require training, some of it separately. They require grooming and nail trimming separately. But as far as day-to-day playing and entertaining themselves, they do save you a lot of time in just babysitting a bored puppy.

As far as training, a lot of that depends on how much training you want/need to do. If you plan to do intensive training, you'd be better off with just one pup. If you just want dogs that don't jump all over you and grab food out of your hands, you can teach two puppies manners as easily as one. Some people really want obedient, stay-where-I-put-you dogs, dogs they can take on vacation with them, dogs they can take for a walk downtown. Others are happy with just house manners. Neither of those approaches is wrong. Your dog(s) can be wonderful companions with or without obedience titles. As a matter of fact, *most* dogs get along fine with minimal training, though admittedly a well-trained dog is certainly a joy. (The amount of training also depends on the breed. Large, powerful dogs really *must* be trained.)

I don't like to see any puppy go to a home where it will be alone all day while everyone is at work and school. Dogs are pack animals and they really do need company of either the human or dog variety.

[Escrito por Sharyn Hutchens em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]

Some of the things I thought would happen with having two dogs, has not been the case in my house. The adage about them playing together and never being bored - not the case around here. My two will play together from time to time, but not the way they play when a visitor comes. They basically expect me to be involved in the play more times than not, and both of mine get dreadfully bored if we don't do something as a "family" on a regular basis. Granted they were brought in a year apart, maybe that would have been different if they were both pups at the same time?

The separation anxiety part - they're fine when they're together - you're right, they handle being alone together just fine, but leave my female alone without her big brother - then it gets rather pathetic (although temporary). She yodels, howls and fusses if I leave her and take him - so much for no separation anxiety.

The other problem I have seen is that my female, who is a rather reserved and cautious personality type to start with, really draws her courage from her big brother. When she's alone - she doesn't handle things near as well as she does when big brother is around. He has actually become a part of her personality and I hate to think of what will happen when he's no longer here for her to follow and lean on.

They are both very bonded to us people though and I do love having two, but I still wouldn't want the job of overseeing and training two pups at one time - one at a time is fine with me. I am one of those owners that want to take training to the "go anywhere, do anything" point with my dogs - we do go beyond "functional" obedience around here, so perhaps that factors into my aversion to 2x as much work at the critical puppy stage.

[Escrito por Denise Parsons em 1º de janeiro de 2006 para a lista Petdogs-L do Yahoo Groups]