Would you get 2 puppies or one?

[Kangaroo9880]

As the thread title says really, we are getting a puppy and Dh has suggested that it would be best to get two so they can keep each other company. We have only ever had one dog before but since loosing our last one our circumstances have changed so any new dog would spend a few hours (maximum 4) home alone. We plan to use a local service that offer puppy pop in times and when old enough dog walking services. I really only want one but Dh says it will be lonely but two sounds like so much hard work and we have to consider other things such as my Dp's who help us out a lot and I think asking them to take two would be to much. Any advice would be appreciated as we really are stuck on what to do.

2 dogs is ok - but litter mates will be trouble in my opinion.

What breed are you thinking of?

I've never done it but have seen a few people on here say it's not a good idea as it makes training harder

One as training two puppies is harder

It was going to be from the same litter and they are miniature poodles - we know the people who have them and my dd has spent ages playing with the bitch before so we know her temperament. It is the training that worries me but Dh seems a lot more laid back about it.

We did it. Two bitches from the same litter (they were the last two and we couldn't bear choosing one over the other). Plenty of people said we were mad, especially as bitches don't get on (apparently). It truly was the best decision. They've been best buddies for the last 14 years. I wouldn't hesitate in having two again.

We got 2 GSDx puppies last summer, litter mates. It's been the best decision to get two, and training them might have taken more thought but wasn't harder. They've got different personalities so took to training slightly differently and we accommodated that.

The upside of them having each other for entertainment meant we've had no chewing/scratching of anything in the house, and we've never had any issue at night or for a few hours in the day.

I'd do it again over getting a single dog.

I'd go for two any day. Training a puppy is hard anyway, so what's the real difference?

Why you shouldn't get two puppies at once.

I also wouldn't take a puppy from a breeder willing to sell you two at once.

Just don't do it. It isn't worth the potential grief. Littermate Syndrome

tabulah, first and foremost that article is about two litter mates, not just two puppies.

Secondly - the article even states 'Of course, many factors influence behavior, and not all siblings raised together will exhibit this problem, which is called “littermate syndrome”; it’s a risk, not a foregone conclusion.'

Yes we did and would do again. I don't recognise any of difficulties and issues posted in those articles, our dogs are well trained and socialised and never fight.

It depends on what level of training you want to achieve. Certainly one puppy will be less distracted and you will achieve more, faster and more reliably. But poodles are very clever.
Also, I think one dog is far easier - more of a sidekick, can accompany you most places without raising eyebrows. Two dogs is more like a mini-pack.
Some dogs love having a colleague. Lots don't. My dog is very happy to be an only although he is sociable. He walks daily with our next door neighbours' lab-ridgeback cross. Both adore their gallops and get on well. However. The neighbours also had a Scottie who moved to their parents' house two weeks ago (problems with going AWOL on the farm). Since the Scottie left, both dogs seem immensely happier, more relaxed and interact better with their respective humans. They never fought when they were together, appeared to get on well, but are far better suited to solo life.
FWIW, we never had any issues with our single dog with chewing, destroying, or loneliness.
I suppose you should also factor in cost - you're going to double nearly everything. I presume the dog walker will hardly cost twice as much but most things like food and insurance will be x 2.

It really depends on how much time you/DH have to be with the puppies, especially for the first 4 months or so. If someone was at home all the time and could train and walk each puppy separately then things would probably be fine.
If you left young puppies for 4 hours (even with someone popping in) it would be very difficult to toilet train them, ideally they should be taken outside every 30 mins, and need to be constantly watched to spot the signals that they need a wee. I found this very difficult with one puppy, can't imagine doing it with two.

It's about littermates because that is usually how people end up with two puppies...and given that any dog trainer or expert worth their salt thinks it isn't a risk worth taking, I wouldn't do it.

I got a gsd then 6 months later got another from the same breeder (not from the same bitch), in a way it was good as we didn't have to deal with the puppy mouthing again and going out for the toilet was picked up really quick. I don't think I could've coped with 2 brand new puppies tho.

Two puppies is generally a terrible idea.

You'll get the odd person for whom it's worked out ok - but the point is that mostly, it doesn't.

Google littermate syndrome.

Also, a decent breeder won't let two puppies go to the same home together.

We got 2 working cockers at the same time. Same breeder, different litters, both male and same age. My husband and I both had time to devote to both but I have heard its best to bond and train one, then add another later. We had a few issues with fighting in younger years and they still do occasionally so you have to support top dog or you can make the fighting worse. Ours are 8 and are very calm dogs. They work together but breeder was selective about which puppies he let go together. Our children have come along now and glad we did it that way round. If u have the time, two is fine. Our dogs are not brilliantly trained so not sure if that is coz of getting two at the same time

I'd never do it and if I found a breeder who would sell 2 together I'd go somewhere else.

Would never do this again. We had two pups from the same litter ( though admittedly we took them from an emergency type situation ) but it was a seriously bad idea.
Eight years on we have two lovely dogs, but I don't think they are particularly good friends and definitely have had issues
Two pups left on their own will 'keep each other company' in systematically destroying your house.....and will not necessarily be less distressed at being left alone.
Two pups means double the time spent training, as each has to be taught separately or they will pay more attention to each other instead if you.
If you want two dogs, get one now and another one in another 18mths or more.
No decent breeder would suggest taking two - that to me would be a huge red flag against them

I read (was it in Gwen Bailey's revered 'Perfect Puppy' book?) that it's not advised, as the pups will be closer to each other than to their humans. So it's not great from a socialisation point of view. And as the owner of one pup, I can only imagine the nightmare that is having two!

I'd definitely only have one. Eric is a poodle cross and very poodle like in temperament. He's ridiculously clever and if bored he is really mischievous. I cannot imagine just how bad it would be to have two up to mischief at the same time.
Could you take one and see how you go and later on add a second?

It doesn't just apply to littermates but also pups of a similar age from different litters too.

Personally I would not do this and woundnt think much of a breeder that sells two together.
I would get one puppy and then add another a year or so later. Honestly, one puppy is hard enough! We have two in the family but they live in seperate houses, when I look after both of them it is so much hard work. They get into trouble together and my house becomes a puppy playground.

There is nothing wrong with dogs learning to be alone for a few hours if it is correctly introduced. You could also still end up with seperation anxiety if one of them is bonded to you as opposed to its littermate.

I know someone who had two successfully but it is going to be double the time and double the cost, because to make it a success she walked and trained them separately for at least a year, I think from memory she said more like 18months) , so she would take one out, leaving one in the house, then return that one and take the other one out. She did different puppy classes with them.She was successful in that she had obedient dogs however the dogs still preferred each other to family members. She said to me it was a full time job.
And then they were always abut iffy with other dogs, because they had each other , they weren't keen on other dogs entering the relationship so to speak. If I happened to meet up with her on a walk and for some reason she only had one with her,they were always happier to have my dog there, whichever one she had with her...... Whereas if she had both the were always a bit territorial of one another.
So to have any hope of it working you would need to be thinking that your dog walker, trainer would take them out separately.......
Personally I think you are mad. Get one dog, then once you have that one trained and through adolescence , then get a second.