Adding Two Puppies At Once

 

 

                           Should you get one puppy, or two?

 

       Since I have had people ask me about the pros and cons of getting two puppies at once, I decided to write a little about the topic.
   There are definitely various opinions about the whether it's a good idea to get two puppies at once.  Various "experts" will give various viewpoints and opinions. I thought I would give some of the pros and cons, based mostly on my own experiences with this breed.

  In favor of getting two pups at once, they will have a companion their own size and age to play with.  Dogs are social creatures, and nothing can beat them having a friendly canine companion, especially when their people are not able to be with them. It will ease the transition from the birth home to the new home, as they won't have to lose all their siblings at once.   They can use up some of the boundless puppy energy, and continue to develop good doggy social skills interacting with their friend. For a family that wants two dogs, getting both pups through the early stages of training at once can be a good thing. However, it can help if there are at least two people in the family who will be responsible for the actual puppy training, so each can work with one pup at a time.   I get a lot of joy watching puppies play together, almost more so than playing with them myself. 

  On the downside, having two can mean a little extra work in some areas. They may want to focus on each other more than their people, though with Aussies this may not be as bad as in some breeds.   They may get into more trouble in the sense if one finds something, he has a partner in crime.  Care should be taken to give each puppy some one on one training and bonding time so it doesn't get too attached to the other dog.  There will be double the expense in the beginning, but you would have that anyway, should you decide to add the second puppy some time later. 

     Some people who want two dogs will get one through the early stages of training and housebreaking with the first dog, and once that dog is closer to a year old, the second is added.  The nice thing about that is the older dog can teach the puppy some things, as puppies tend to follow the older dogs in the pack.  The puppy will be comforted knowing there is another dog in the house.  It can help with the basic house routine, but of course the new puppy will need plenty of training from the owners to reach full potential.  The drawback with this is it can take a little time for the younger puppy to reach a size where it is a good playmate for the older pup, but it is usually just a matter of months.

  The next question is whether to get two littermates, and what sexes.  I find that overall, if they are spayed or neutered, a same sex pair isn't too much more at risk of not getting along than an opposite sex pair. I do think overall boys get along better than some girls though.  And as far as getting littermates, I can't say it is any worse than getting two unrelated but same or similar aged pups at the same time.  If you already know you like the bloodlines and parents of a litter, getting two just gives you two nice quality puppies. 
 
    So to sum it up, there is no right or wrong answer to the question of "should I get two at once?"  It has more to do with the lifestyle of the owners, and what expectations and goals they may have, how much time they can spend with each pup, their financial situation,and other factors specific to the situation. Just make sure to really talk about the decision before proceeding, and weigh the factors for your own situation.
     I will say that for me, the joy of having more than one dog far outweighs the extra work and expense.  One of the best things about having more than one dog is watching them play and interact with each other, and they have an automatic playmate at home.  It just is a matter of when to add that second, or third, or fourth dog!

 

 

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"For where two or three have gathered together in My name, I am there in their midst."

Matthew 18:20

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