Why You Should Never Get Sibling Puppies (And How to Fix It If You Did)
I (Hope) started a new puppy class this morning. It’s an intimate group—just three puppies. Two of them are 9-month-old Golden Retrievers from the same family.
We’re generally of the opinion that two dogs are better than one. Three or four? Absolutely! But never get littermates. Ever.
Sara and Pete, the owners, rushed to assure me the dogs weren’t littermates—just born the same month, left their respective litters at the same time, live in the same house, and share the exact same lack of training. Okay... siblings. Never get siblings.
When owners sign up for class, they leave notes to tell me a bit about their pups:
- Carly (the girl): “Carly is the leader. Has a warrant in 5 counties.”
- Oscar (the boy): “Oscar is my big boy. He is sweet and cautious.”
After spending just one hour with them, we reiterate: Never Get Siblings.
Lost in the Crowd
When two dogs from the same family attend class, I place them on opposite ends of the room. Most of the time, this setup works great. Not this time.
Carly—the supposedly bold and confident leader—was practically hysterical without her brother by her side. She paid zero attention to her mom, kept her eyes glued to her brother, refused high-value treats, and was completely inconsolable. Meanwhile, Oscar was only 10 feet away in clear sight.
Oscar wasn’t thrilled either, though his meltdown was less dramatic; Pete managed to squeeze a couple of "Sits" out of him, but that was about it.
The Trouble with Sibling Dynamics
The problem with getting two puppies at the same time isn’t just that they’re harder to train. It’s that they form a tight, exclusive clique—and unless you’re one of the "cool kids," you’re not invited. They bond so strongly to each other that they stop relying on their humans entirely.
Unless your goal is to be a passive spectator in your dog’s life, that’s no fun. We live with dogs because we want connection, companionship, shared play, and a little exercise. (Do we even need to mention that Carly and Oscar have zero leash manners?)
What to Do If You Already Have Siblings
Sara and Pete were discouraged by their puppies' behavior, but they left class with a clear management plan to start wedging themselves into their dogs' exclusive social group.
- Separate Training Sessions: Play short 3-to-5-minute training games with each dog individually. Place one dog in a separate room with a chew toy while working with the other.
- Divide and Conquer: Ideally, one owner trains Dog A in the living room while the other works with Dog B in the yard or a back room.
Right now, these puppies don't even realize they are individual beings, and their owners haven't seen their true, independent personalities yet. Behind that hyper-attached exterior, Carly is actually a worrier. She’s going to thrive once she realizes her humans are handling the stress for her, leaving her free to just be a happy, confident pup.
It’ll come pretty quickly. We hope! But still... Never Get Siblings.
Have you ever raised two puppies at once, or struggled with Littermate Syndrome? What worked for your household? Let us know in the comments below!
2 comments
Evergreen – you must have had the exceptions that proved the rule! In all seriousness, for most people it’s just not as much fun as getting serial puppies. About every three years sounds right!
We twice had long lived Cocker Spaniel siblings (m. and f.) and it was a wonderful experience. They were very bonded with us, and had each other when we were out for a few hours. The only time it was an issue was in their puppy class, and they were like different dogs there, and it was not a pretty experience. I wish I had thought of putting them in different classes. But I don’t regret having siblings…..I miss those little soft eyed sweeties (the last one died 17 years ago, so it’s been awhile).