Why Raising Two Puppies at Once Is Riskier Than It Looks
Over the years, I’ve raised many puppies and always found it incredibly rewarding. But years ago, during an already hectic period, I made the impulsive decision to take on three puppies at the same time.
I was training dogs and police officers for the Abu Dhabi Police Department while running training courses. I bought two Belgian Shepherd Malinois puppies thinking they would keep each other company while I worked. Just a week later, I was offered a promising Labrador puppy for detection work. Suddenly, I had three puppies under one roof.
What I didn’t consider was how strongly the puppies would bond with each other instead of with me. When I tried to separate them for one-on-one training, they struggled with separation anxiety. Training became incredibly difficult. Everything was going wrong. In the end, I sadly rehomed two of them and kept just one.
That experience turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Since then, I’ve worked with countless pairs of dogs — often littermates or puppies raised together — that came to me with serious behavioural issues that could have been avoided.
What is Littermate Syndrome?
Many people love the idea of raising two puppies together. They grow up as playmates, keep each other company when you’re at work, and comfort each other during boarding or holidays.
However, the downsides often outweigh the benefits. When two puppies (especially littermates) are raised together beyond 8–10 weeks, they can develop what’s known as Littermate Syndrome.
Common problems include:
- Extreme attachment to each other rather than their human family
- Severe separation anxiety and panic when apart
- Increasing aggression as they mature (especially between same-sex siblings)
- Poor social skills with other dogs because they were only heavily socialised with each other
By 8–10 weeks of age, puppies should be primarily bonding with their human owners — not each other — if you want the best chance at well-adjusted, trainable dogs.
Real-Life Examples I’ve Seen
- Two young Rottweilers (male and female) where the smaller female became highly aggressive. She attacked her brother multiple times, eventually tearing through his ear.
- Two sweet Golden Retrievers (sisters) raised together for 8 years. Even after intensive training and socialisation with me, they had a serious fight shortly after returning home, leaving one badly injured. Management of this pair continues to this day.
How to Avoid Littermate Syndrome
The best solution is simple: Raise one puppy at a time whenever possible.
If you’re determined to have two puppies, follow these critical guidelines from the start:
- Separate them daily — Walk, play, and train each puppy individually. This builds a strong individual bond with you.
- Never crate them together.
- Teach them to be comfortable home alone without the other puppy.
- Feed them from separate bowls.
- Socialise and train each puppy individually from 8 weeks old — expose them to lots of different people (adults and children), dogs, and environments.
If managing all of this feels overwhelming, wait until your first puppy is at least 15–18 months old before introducing another. Even then, continue the separation practices above.
Bottom line: While raising two puppies together can seem like a great idea, it often creates more problems than it solves. One well-raised puppy is far easier and more rewarding in the long run.
Check out Sidney’s YouTube channel (5015) Sidney Aarons Professional Dog Trainer – YouTube