# Two puppies at once



## GoldenMum (Mar 15, 2010)

Yes, I have Calvin and Hobbes, brothers....although I love them both dearly...I would never do two at the same time again. Much more than twice the work. I also have Bonnie and Clyde, now 10...they are half siblings and 4 months apart....now that i would do again!


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## Penny & Maggie's Mom (Oct 4, 2007)

Most will tell you it's an absolute no no, but we did it with Penny and Maggie ( littermates). I LOVED it... one of the most special periods of my life. It is alot of work, but we were prepared and since we work from home, it was easier in that regard. We each had a pup to take to class, to train, walk etc. They had separate crates and separate one on one time with each of us a couple times/ day. Even with two females, there has never been a snear or growl between them ( or between any of our crew). It's definitely not for everyone, but for us it was a blast.


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## MGMF (May 13, 2009)

They may be cute but it is a lot of work. One good dog and one bad dog does not make two good dogs. It is much better to take one home, train it and then get another later in time. You also want to think down the road. It is a lot harder to have two old dogs at the same time. It is hard enough to loose one I couldn't imagine loosing two together. I would get the puppy spend quailty time bonding and training. Then I would get another a few years later.


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## Jax's Mom (Oct 16, 2009)

I had Jax, who was 6 months, when we brought Lucy home at 2 months old, so they are 3 months apart. I didnt find it to be a huge problem, but it was alot of work. I must love the work though, because just when I had them pretty much trained, along came my foster puppy who we had to train, and right after she left, we got our new puppy who is 4 months old. I guess I am a gluten for punishment. If you dont mind a little bit of a messy house, then it should be fine. I dont get crazy if my floor isnt pristine, toys all over, dirt when its raining out from the mud so on and so forth....


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

Yes, we've done it twice actually. Reno was 4 months old when we added Phoenix to our family..they were 9 weeks apart in age. Reno is now 10 and Phoenix went to Rainbow Bridge in 2009 at the age of 8.

Last year, shortly after Phoenix passed, we brought Austin home; one month later we added Lincoln. They are 8 weeks apart in age. 

Raising 2 puppies at a time is hard work so you must be fully committed to doing so. We have sacrificed alot for our dogs. Having said that, I wouldn't trade it for anything......they bring us so much joy that it overshadows anything else.

Would I do it again.....probably not at this time in our lives.


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## LincolnsMom (Sep 28, 2010)

I read up about getting Lincoln a play mate and they say that it's better to get them at different times that way they bond to humans m oe than dogs.


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## Rhapsody in Gold (Dec 22, 2007)

I have three Goldens, ages 4, 3, and 2. They are wonderful together.


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## goldensrbest (Dec 20, 2007)

I got two, 6weeks apart, kopper, and brodee, yes it is more work, but also they entertained each other, most breeders feel that, they will bond with each other, and not as much with you, i did not find that, but it is alot of work.


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## lovemydoggiesx2 (Sep 5, 2010)

I have 2 four month olds right now...they are 2x the work but they are 2x the fun as well. They train, walk, eat, sleep, play, destroy and do everything together and are best friends. If given the chance in the future I am sure we would do this again....The only sad thing is you go through the baby stage at the same time so you cant enjoy puppyhood during 2 different times.

We get double the amount of comments on the street about them....lol...people think we are nuts for having 2 pups but I think its great.


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## jwemt81 (Aug 20, 2008)

It's not something that I would ever do and I would highly advise against it unless you don't have to work and have the entire day free to devote to them. It's WAY too much work and way too time consuming. When you have 2 puppies, they each need to be trained individually away from each other. If you try to train them together, you'll more than likely be in for a total disaster. The main reason is that they will be more interested in wrestling with each other than paying attention to you, so you will be spending double the time training as you would if you just had one pup. There is also housebreaking 2 pups at the same time, which is never fun. Tucker was a year and a half old when we got Tyson and I think that was perfect timing since Tucker was pretty much out of the puppy phase of his life and was more mature. I'm glad we waited until he was older before getting Ty.


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## Laurie (Sep 20, 2009)

LincolnsMom said:


> I read up about getting Lincoln a play mate and they say that it's better to get them at different times that way they bond to humans m oe than dogs.


 
I haven't found this to be the case at all with either of my sets of 2. Our dogs are very bonded to us and will focus on us, rather than each other, when we're out and about. Perhaps it depends on how much time the humans spend with each puppy....and we spend alot of time with our dogs, both together and separately.


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## Everything's Golden (Nov 1, 2010)

What is the minimum time you recommend between getting puppies? We are hoping to get our next Golden puppy in about 5-6 months. At that time, Mattie will be 7-8 months old. I know she will still be in training but she will be housebroken as she is very close already, and she isn't a difficult or rambuctious puppy at all. We really want a spring or summer puppy. I don't think I want a new one in the fall or winter again. So I suppose if not next summer, then we would wait for the next after that. 
I'm a stay at home mother so I do have plenty of time and we are financially prepared. My kids are 3 and 6, but very mature with our puppy, and not to mention they have more than made me at ease with dirt, toys, and messes in general.


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## Aislinn (Nov 13, 2010)

We have two sisters right now. Yes, it is twice the work, but with understanding and making the commitment, you can do it. We raise and show another breed, so in my house the kids have grown up with multiple puppies and their needs. Time is made for each puppy individually and together. My GR puppies are currently playing with my Phalene puppies, they are about the same size as the Phalene puppies are almost four months old.


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## DaisyGolden (Jan 4, 2008)

Thanks everyone for your thoughts on this. I'm going to get a golden puppy sometime next year, hopefully in the spring and I've never had two goldens at the same time (I've had two dogs but not two goldens) so I'm thinking about either getting two littermates or maybe getting a puppy then getting another one after the first one is done with its first puppy class. My dad lives with me so someone is almost always going to be home with the puppy.


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## RaeRae1706 (Nov 4, 2010)

Luna was 8 months old when we got Sunny, and it worked out perfectly. I don't think I would ever get two from the same litter at once, but with our age difference it worked well. Luna was well trained (at least with the basics) and still very puppy like for Sunny to play with. Plus, they are best friends!


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## RaeRae1706 (Nov 4, 2010)

On a side note, a friend of mine is getting a puppy near Christmas. She won't be able to have it at her house for a few months due to a roommate situation, so it will live with us. That will be a much smaller age difference than Luna and Sunny were, though Sunny is doing well with training and is fully house trained so I am hoping it will be as easy as Luna and Sunny were


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## baltic (Jul 4, 2014)

The consensus seems to be that it is double/triple the work to raise two puppies at the same time, even if they do have at least a few months difference in age. It also seems to be that they must be separated for the majority of time until both are of "mature age".

But since I live alone, I'm wondering how exactly to separate them at all times. For example, would keeping a puppy in an ExPen in the living room, and my other (older puppy) lying around as she usually does in the same room (while I am working on my computer), be enough of a separation? 

Or would separation be literally in a separate part of the home so that they cannot even see one another?


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## Anon-2130948gsoni (Apr 12, 2014)

It might depend on whether you have a second handler. I have seen couples bring both dogs to training classes and switch off each week as to who handles which dog and that seemed to work fine. I would think it would also be a big help if you have someone who can/will keep the first pup entertained while you train/walk the other one.

That being said, although I never say "never" knowing my level of dog addiction, I would prefer them at least a year apart in arrival time, if not in age. Having multiple dogs has always made adding a newcomer soooo much easier because they all know what the rules and routines are and speak dog far more fluently than I, so they clue in the new guy/girl pretty fast.


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## randomBvR (Dec 26, 2013)

We brought Jack home and immediately realized he needed a girlfriend... so we brought home little Apple. They were incredibly easy as puppies and as adults. Now I have my Posie who is a handful and I can't imagine having two puppy Posies at the same time.

It all depends.


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## connieg (Feb 18, 2010)

*The Three Brothers*

We have 3 Goldens, Hawkeye who is now 9, Trapper who is 8 and Radar who is 3. It's an interesting mix. Trapper and Radar are the "kids" - always running together. Hawkeye (who was a stubborn, opinionated old man from the age of 8 weeks just thinks the other two are totally beneath him. But, he will instigate most of the rough house playing, even waking Radar up from sleeping to wrestle. They all love one another, and us, of course!


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## MikaTallulah (Jul 19, 2006)

My Roxy and RIP Zoey were littermates. But they were totally different personalities- Roxy is full of spit and vinegar while Zoey was the quiet observer. Roxy wants action and Zoey preferred quiet cuddles. Mine did not have "sibling syndrome" but they are also so different!!


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