Help and Advice About Raising Two Puppies at Once

By Jess Rollins
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When you enter a kennel, pet store or shelter to find which puppy you want to take home, you may be tempted to take more than one puppy home with you. You'll see all their adorable faces and may not be able to resist the temptation to go home with more than one of them. But you need to be cautious about the desire to have two new puppies around the house rather than just one.

There are many negatives about raising two puppies at the same time. The first and most difficult is that two puppies who grow up together will become very, very close. They'll be closer with each other than either will be with the human members of the household. That's just a fact. They're dogs, you're not. We're drawn to our same kind. And because of this fact, you will have a difficult time training them. When you are trying to set rules and communicate what you like and what you don't like, they may not listen to you. Or if one does listen to you, you need to be prepared that if the other isn't. You get lost in the shuffle. It is also more difficult to prevent misbehavior and to figure out who did what!

Recommendations: It's really important to begin by teaching the pups that it's okay to be separated. Do this by crating them side by side and then eventually crating them separately overnight and for a couple of hours during the day. Spend separate time on training and quality time with each pup. Make sure to hire a positive dog trainer to help guide you in raising these two puppies so that they learn to listen to you instead of just playing with each other! These tips should get you on your way. Good luck and happy training!

~ Jess