A Pair of Puppies
DOG TRAINING IN HAMPSHIRE AND SURREY
PET TRAINING, FUN AGILITY, CLICKER TRAINING, 1-2-1 LESSONS
Two pups may be tempting but it is double trouble
People often ask whether having two border collie or golden retriever puppies together is a good idea, the short answer is NO, not unless you are very experienced AND have a great deal of time on your hands even then most experienced owners would not consider such a arrangement due to the potential problems that often result.
Two puppies together are usually
more difficult to raise and to house train, they learn more slowly because
they are distracted by one another and tend to concentrate on each other
rather than on their owner.
The hierarchy can be a big problem with dogs or bitches, either one
party tends to become very submissive and the other very bold or the
pair become over dependent on each other and become anxious and distressed
if separated even for short periods.
If both puppies are very similar in strength of personality they can
become fierce rivals as they get older and may need to be permanently
separated, not an easy option in a family home. It really is not possible
to train two dogs at once so having two puppies at once means separating
them for training time and that means spending twice as much time as
with one puppy. Being able to devote all one's time and attention to
one pup through puppyhood and adolescence produces a much better balanced
and less confused dog who should by early adulthood be well trained
and in a position to tutor a younger companion and keep them in order.
Also by the time a dog is about a year old you will know whether he
or she likes the company of other dogs and whether another dog will
provide an ideal companion, whether bitch would be better, or perhaps
no dog at all.
Puppies can become too dependent on each other
Sometimes people think that having two pups togther provide a solution to the problems encountered when dogs are left unattended for long periods, such as when their owner is at work all day. Common sense dictates that this is absurd, two dogs left to chew the house, mess on the floor, tear up furnishings, dig up the garden or bark and howl will create twice the problem it may have been intended to solve. Dogs should not left unattended for long periods on a regular basis and if you are unable to give one dog the time and companionship it needs and deserves you should certainly not consider having two!
Partners in crime - puppies up to no good.
Having two dogs that may not get
on or may exclude you from their relationship is very difficult to resolve
once you love them both.
We recommend always starting with dog or puppy and adding another 12
- 18 months later this will give you time to train and bond with your
dog and to reflect upon whether you still want two dogs. Undoubtedly
two well adjusted canine companions who each enjoy a close and secure
relationship with you are a delight and many of our puppies go as a
second dog to households that already include one dog - often one that
we have bred but we never allow two puppies to go to the same household
at the same time.
If you want two dogs together and do not necessarily want a puppy do consider the genera or breed specific rescue organisations who often have pairs of older dogs who have lived together prior to going into rescue and who will be more difficult to home as a pair.