If you wanted to get two puppies so they could grow up together, would you get them at the same time, or wait until one was potty trained to get the second one?
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April 20th, 2021
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23 Answers
I would do it one at a time, so the older one could learn the basics first, then help teach the younger one a few things. I would separate them by about six months.
And, well, PUPPIES!!!! :-D
I would adopt one dog that was about 4 to 7 years old and get one puppy. Then the pup could learn from the old dog.
Or, get one dog, let him/her get to be about 4 to 7 years old, and then get a puppy.
Plan b. So you can be sure which one crapped in the house so you don’t discipline an innocent puppers.
I would definitely not get them both at the same time. It’s not so much the potty training I’m worried about – it’s all training. Two puppies will be so much more interested in each other than even the kindest humans. I’ve seen littermates grow up together, and some never truly bonded to their people.
Even if they do both bond to you, you’re still making life unnecessarily hard for yourself. While you’re teaching one not to lick the outlet, the other is peeing on the floor. When one jumps up on the couch, the other is getting into the trash. On walks, they’ll constantly pull in two different directions. At home, you’ll need to separate them when they get overtired (which is constantly) because otherwise they’ll learn the bad habits of overly aroused puppies.
Nah. I’d get one puppy, train and enjoy him/her, and then go out to get a lovely friend a year later, at the earliest. They will still absolutely love each other – and you’ll have puppyhood twice.
Now I want to get my dog a puppy.
^If you were a good mom, you would!
I know!! Just teasing and trying to bully you into a puppy.
I would get a puppy and a kitten so they could be pals and curl up and sleep together.
Sadly the dog would never learn the cat’s natural habit of pooping only in the litter box.
Same time to avoid territorial issues if the breed has such instinct. I do know to always get the dog first if you plan to also get a cat.
I have never owned a dog, and it looks people who know way more than me say one at a time, but in my heart my first reaction was to keep siblings together from the same litter. Maybe dogs don’t care, but as a human regarding human babies I certainly would. I found this Q interesting. Most people I know get one at a time, but I don’t know how purposeful it was. The younger dog usually wants to be around the older like it is their parent or older sibling. It’s cute.
I kinda wish we’d gotten Cato’s sister. They were in a dog pile at the pound when we saw Cato. It makes me sad all day to think of his sister waiting and waiting for him to return…..
We have a pair of rescue dogs, brother and sister (they were bonded). We used a single crate for the both of them and “crate training” went well. They were found together at about 6 weeks old; no mother to found, under a barn in a rural area.
Black Lab / German Shepard crosses. Boy is 91 pounds and his sister is 87 pounds. They’ll be 10 in October. He can tell time and will start “worrying” about ten minutes before dinner and snack times.
My brother always has at least two dogs, so they can keep each other company while the people are at work. When one is aging, they get a puppy as a spare when the inevitable happens. All the dogs become friends.
Regarding the question, I think dogs will adapt either way. But my brother shows that new dogs can be happily introduced to the family.
A while ago I was thinking the same thing; 2 puppies at one time. After researching I learned it is not a good idea as one will always try to be the “alfa” dog. This can create a whole lot of anxiety between the two. My suggestion is wait about 2 years before introducing a puppy to the situation.
@robbie2499 Welcome to Fluther. Hope you’re enjoying it here! At the risk of scaring you off, I need to push back a little:
It’s a good idea to wait two years. For the sake of clarity, though, I’d like to point out that puppies of the same age can grow up together with zero power struggles. In fact, the whole “alpha dog” story is a myth, now debunked by the same scientists who first propagated it. Any chance your information is taken from older sources? Progressive dog trainers tend to disagree vehemently with all those “alpha dog/dominance” ideas. I know, because I used to be one myself.
Thank you for the welcome! You are absolutely correct. My info was taken from way back and after researching I humbly admit I was wrong! Thank you for responding to me :)
In this case, less is better than more
@robbie2499 No worries, these old ideas are (unfortunately) still ubiquitous. Thanks for responding in such a friendly way!
Great article! Thanks! One puppy it is, when I’m ready that is.
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