Are Two Better Than One?

I have, over the last year or so, had several clients who have taken on the ownership of two puppies. These pups are usually siblings. The reasons are either that the family had two or more children and thought that each child should have his or her own puppy, or they simply thought that two pups would “keep each other company.”

The few times that I am contacted before the decision is made, I try to discourage the practice of raising two puppies at a time. There are several reasons for this.

Two puppies, especially siblings, will usually bond up so tightly that they really don’t need people for much. It’s not that they don’t like their people, but they have another pup to play with and cuddle with, so other than putting down the food bowl on a regular basis, you aren’t quite as necessary to them.

This tight sibling bonding can cause problems later in life. If the pups are left together all of the time and are never separated, they can become very co-dependant. They will often bark, cry and otherwise carry on when separated, sometimes to the point of making themselves sick or hurting themselves trying to get to the other dog. If, heaven forbid, one dog dies, the other will often pine away, not eating and becoming depressed.

Two teething puppies can ruin your house in a heartbeat! Large sections of rugs can disappear in minutes, legs of chairs and tables may shrink at an alarming rate, and parts of TV remotes, cell phones and glasses will often appear in piles of puppy poop. All of this destruction can happen with one puppy, but having two just doubles the potential for ruin.

Housetraining two pups at once is also a bigger challenge. Seldom, in the first few months, will both puppy’s bowels and bladders be on exactly the same schedule. Even when you are diligent with scheduling and management, the prospect of finding “a present” on the floor is twice as great.

You will have to make twice as much time for teaching the pups basic manners. You should work with one pup at a time to teach sit, come, stay and leash walking, and don’t forget, twice the tuition for puppy classes.

And, of course, the obvious - two of everything, collars, toys, beds, crates, leashes, bowls and vet bills.

My advice has always been, get one puppy and raise it right. Once you get that pup to the “good dog” stage, get a second puppy. The younger one will learn a lot from the older one and you can concentrate on raising and enjoying one great puppy at a time.

If you are really determined to get two pups at once, put them in separate crates from the beginning, be prepared for “double trouble” and don’t forget to socialize and train them well. Just because they have each other doesn’t mean that they don’t need to learn how to get along in the world.