28/11/2022
It is always important to try and do one on one with your pups, even once a week. They all deserve that special bonding time with you 💜😍. Litter mate syndrome can happen with any bonded pair.
🐶🐶Litter mate syndrome is a serious behavioural issue. This is when two young dogs become so overly bonded with each other that it limits their ability to have a relaxed normal life. Litter mate syndrome does come from having two puppies from the same litter, however, it can also happen when two puppies of a similar age are raised together.
People may think that having them grown up together will keep them company and that they will entertain each other, but the truth is that there is an enormous chance of one, or both dogs developing anti-social and other fear-related behaviours when they get older.
In the beginning, you have the white picket fence dream of everyone getting along beautifully in the house with these new adorable little puppies, then over a period of time the dream starts to fade away, and you start noticing behavioural changes in the once joyful pups.
If one is shy and the other one appears more confident, the shyer one will most likely withdraw more. The bolder pup may also appear to start ‘bullying’ their sibling. At social maturity you may notice more reactive and aggressive responses towards one another – in some situations, these fights escalate and become quite severe.
Here is a guide in understanding why it is not a good idea:
- Genetics.
If you have a pup from an unknown background you double the chances of genetic traits being passed off to the offspring. If the parents were nervous, fearful, reactive, or anxious – you have an incredibly high chance of your puppy inheriting those traits.
- Double the costs in food and vet bills.
- Double the cost in training and time.
- Litter mates seem to feed off each other’s energy and they will learn from each other - the behaviours they learn from one another may not be desirable.
- They become overly bonded with each other resulting in emotional co-dependency behaviours. This is one of the biggest factors for pups developing separation anxiety.
- Prevents fully bonding with the human caregiver or other family members in the home.
- Litter mates don’t thrive in development the same way an individual pup would when they leave their little and are unlikely to reach their full individual potential.
- They can become fearful of other people and other dogs.
- Fear reactivity when facing a new situation on their own.
It is vitally important to teach litter mates independence away from one another from the get-go in order to help them develop life and coping skills if they are ever parted from their sibling, or left on their own in general. Preventing litter mate syndrome is incredibly hard as it takes double the work, consistency, and dedication.
- Daily confidence-building exercises should be done.
These are in the form of games, tricks, and enrichment.
- Each pup needs to be crate trained on their own.
You can start with the crates next to each other, and over a period of time slowly move them further away to opposite sides of the room, then to different locations in the house.
- One-on-one planned walks.
Taking each dog out on their own helps expose them to the outside world and socialises them individually without them having to rely on or being influenced by their sibling.
Socialisation isn’t just about dogs with dogs, it’s the whole process of learning and what the dog is going to be exposed to in their lifetime. The dog should be gradually and gently desensitised to anything they may encounter as an adult: Public places, cars, parks, bikes, bicycles, strollers, shopping carts, different people and different ages, etc…
- Go to training classes separately in the beginning. This helps with confidence building, encourages independence, as well as creating a stronger bond with the owner. If the pups are together they may be stressed which will interfere with both their learning and be disruptive in the class.
- Interact with dogs separately for play and social skills so they can learn without the interference of their sibling.
- Each pup needs individual time with owners to bond.
- Slowly introduce training sessions where you are in sight of the other dog then move out of sight.
The other dog should be left with something highly valuable to chew on while this is happening. If you notice either one is stressed then take notes and create a program to help the dog with the issue (always reach out to a certified professional if you are struggling).
Once you have gotten to the point where each pup has been socialised and trained separately then you would start phasing in some joint training sessions together, then go on outings.
The goal is to build each pup's confidence and independence, as well as prevent the puppies from developing unhealthy co-dependency issues with one another.
If the owner is able to accommodate each pup as an individual then there is a chance for everyone to co-exist happily.
It is not recommended to get two pups of the same age at the same time, however, if you are adamant about getting more than one dog then I suggest getting one as a puppy and the other 6 months later, or a more mature adult. Always seek out a certified force-free professional for guidance and help if you are unsure.
