07/14/2023
Littermate Syndrome - Why getting 2 puppies isn't a great idea.
Littermate syndrome is the name given when 2 puppies (usually littermates, but this can happen with puppies from different litters of similar ages) are homed together and develop an unhealthy level of attachment to each other.
Puppies with littermate syndrome often have trouble bonding with humans because they are so attached to each other. They are often anxious or nervous around different people and dogs or in new environments. They are much harder to train and often don't want to participate in training sessions.
The easiest way to prevent littermate syndrome from developing is to not get 2 puppies at the same time, especially littermates. Most reputable breeders will not sell 2 puppies to the same family, for excellent reasons.
If you have already recently gotten littermates, there are things that you can do to prevent littermate syndrome from developing but it can take some hard work and a lot of time and management in the early stages.
Things you can do:
- Have separate areas for each puppy so they can spend plenty of time apart from each other. This could be separate crates for sleeping, separate play pens to spend time in during the day and limit the amount of time that your puppies spend together while they are developing.
- Train the puppies separately and take them on individual outings to different places, so they learn how to cope with the world on their own and also learn to be at home alone without distress.
- Treat each puppy as an individual
- If you don't have the time or resources to be able to give each puppy as much alone time as they need to thrive, you could also find another loving home for one of the puppies so each puppy has the opportunity to live their best life and become confident, happy adults.
