Hello, We have just bought 2 labrador puppies (a chocolate and black lab). Twix (choc lab) is 2 weeks older than Nero (black lab). They have the same Dad but different Mum. Twix has been absolutely fine for the past two weeks and adjusted to life at home very well. We brought Nero home today and they played at the breeders (they were both from the same breeders) fine, they slept next to each other in the car. As soon as we got them in the house,Twix will not leave Nero alone. Nero has been fighting back and saying no, but it is now at the point that Twix is literally on top of Nero all the time and he doesn't like it. This is causing lots of tension and fights. Is this going to be a problem? Will they grow out of it? Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Hi and welcome to the forum. I don't have any experience of having 2 pups but hopefully someone will be along soon with some advice. Have they got separate places they can go to relax and get some time out for each other?
Hi, yes we have separated some areas of the rooms they go in to. But as soon as they are together, Twix wants to be around Nero, which I assume is normal, but Nero is not even interested in Twix. He is continually walking away - or trying to - and then quite naturally gets annoyed and it turns into a proper fight - not play. Not really sure what to do at the moment.
Hi there, Congratulations on your 2 new pups....sounds like it's a bit hectic at the moment?Dexter is our first dog and he's an only dog so I'm not the best placed to advise but I've always arranged a lot of play dates for Dexter.Friends' dogs come to hang out with us as dog company for Dex and dog care for them...I found when he was younger ,there would be pretty hectic play with the dogs that were around the same age as him spaniels,labs,beagles ,a GR and a ridgeback .... I had the house set up to offer seperate areas where they could see each other but be separated for breaks from each other ( and to give me a break too, it can be knackering! ) so I would suggest that as a management tool.....it doesn't last forever.....all the before mentioned dogs still come round now and everyone mainly just sleeps...with occasional punctuations of play . I've read that it's really important when having 2 puppies of the same age to spend time with them and train them separately as well as together...there is a danger that they bond closely to each other to the detriment of their relationship with you .....seperate areas at certain times could help you with that too. Sorry I can't be more help ...I'll have a look on the main site to see if I can link you to any advice from Pippa ...... Good luck and Best Wishes Angela
I can't help with two puppies the same age....but when I got a new puppy it was difficult with my older dog. They didn't fight, but at first my dog really didn't like the puppy (they are fine now though!). She constantly bugged him, jumped on him, bit him, and he tried to get away all the time. Really it was lucky that he is such a dog that he would not react - because he's a big bruiser of a dog and could have squished her in a microsecond! It just wasn't fair on him though, plus meant I was nagging the puppy. So, they were mainly separated. I had crates all around the house and used them a lot so the puppy could be separated from my older dog, and yet not be isolated. Then she learned to stay on a mat, so they could be together while they had their kongs. I got a friend to help me feeding the puppy treats while I kept my older dog on the sofa and we just gently moved the puppy away if she approached him and so on. It was quite tiring and I found it quite stressful! It made living with the two dogs difficult for a while. But more and more the puppy could be around my dog without diving on him, and he got used to her. Then she lost her baby teeth and so being bitten didn't hurt so much, and the puppy slowly learned to tone it down...and now they are fine together. Charlie will play with Betsy now, and although she still does go in her crate time to time it's more to give me a break from the dogs playing than because my older dog has had enough. Anyway, not about two puppies but there might be something in that which helps.
Thank you, these have all been a great help to read. I genuinely think that they have such differing personalities that I don't think they will be able to get on (as much as it pains me to say that). Twix is just being the inquisitive puppy which is normal. But Nero is quite simply in his own little world and nothing around him is there...he doesn't interact with Twix. Except if he is fed up of being pinned down and will then fight. He will happily lick/bite me/my partner if we pick him up, but will not seek attention. I feel like there is a little anti social behaviour in there. Twix on his own is a lovely dog, and Nero is a lovely dog on his own, but I have tried everything I can think of/read and their behaviour just gets worse as time goes on. I'm at a loss so going to call the breeder to see if there is anything else we can try. Otherwise, my main concern is the happiness of the dogs, and if that means separating them, but sending Nero to another home, then I will have to grin and bear it. Even though I haven't stopped crying since yesterday!
I'm really sorry to hear that this is so upsetting for you. Only you can decide whether bringing up two puppies at the same time is the best thing or not. If you decide to rehome one, he really will settle in with a new family in no time while he is still so young. Best of luck with your decision making, I'm sure it's a tough time.
Welcome to you and I agree that @snowbunny will have some words of wisdom for you! She has two litter-mates but didn't get them at exactly the same time so similar to your situation.
Thank you. If they got along together, then it would be fine - a handful and stressful, but that's the joys of raising puppies. But it's always enjoyable. At the moment, neither dog seems happy. It's a shame. I have spoken to the breeder, so going to see how they get along today, and make the decision later what to do. I really appreciate the support given on here and warm welcome to the forum
My Axel is almost 11 months now. when I got him at 8 weeks he was 15 pounds. My Pomeranian, Odie was 6 pounds. Axel being a puppy was very rough, constantly pulling hair out of Odie, pulling on his legs, swatting him in the face, jumping fully on top of him, etc. Odie handled this very well considering, he was very patient but as soon as Odis's patience faded out and he got frustrated I put Axel in his crate to separate them. I didn't always put Axel away, I often put Odie away in my bedroom for a combined total of some hours a day to give him time away to sleep and chill while I had Axel out playing and training etc. They spent more time apart then they did together for months! It was so stressful, Axel did not learn his size until he was about 5-6 months old and he was around 70 pounds at that age and Odie still 6 pounds. At one point he actually picked Odie up and walked away! Ahhh I'm so glad those days are over. But my point being is it is not easy, and I can't imagine two puppies of the same age and mentality, but it will get better. Don't feel guilty for separating them through out the day, it's for their own good and your own good. You want to create a bond between you and each puppy individually. Good luck with your decision. I can understand how hard it is.
I should also add that when they played together as puppies it would only last 10 or so minutes at MOST before Odie lost his patience. It didn't last long until they were separated. It was an all day ordeal separating them but now it's wonderful in the house again
Our Jesse is 6 month and Bella is 5 month in a few days. We didn't plan on two pups but when I saw the little girl at the animal shelter I decided to adopt her. They are both crate trained and Bella adjusted well. He is really good with her. I have to gates on my kitchen which helps me to separate them when they get to excited, or a short time out in their crates. I walk them separate but the other will bark and whine until we back , so hubby walks one and I walk the other. It is a challenge but she is sweet girl and needed a loving home.
Hi there, Whilst Fiona isn't about here is a link to one of her posts offering advice to someone starting out with 2 puppies...don't be put off by the title ,it evolves into something more helpful to you Leah http://thelabradorforum.com/threads/what-to-feed-them.15818/ I didn't realise things were so bad for you when I replied yesterday x I know from Fiona's conversations on the Forum that both her dogs both have very different personalities....I'm not sure how the dynamics were when they were younger as Shadow followed his Sister Willow at 15 weeks .....I do remember Fiona saying that you need to do more with them seperately than together when they are puppies....and I don't say that to scare you Leah ,I just remember thinking that it's a huge time investment As Julie said ,if you are considering rehoming then sooner is better than later and hopefully your breeder will help with that. Best wishes Angela x
Sorry, Leah, I'm travelling at the moment, so not about on the forum as much as normal. As the others have said, I have two litter mates. We brought Willow home at 8 weeks and Shadow followed when they were 14 weeks. It really doesn't matter that your two aren't litter mates; the similarity in age means you should treat them as such. That means they need to spend more time apart than they do together. You should take them on walks separately, and train them separately. They should sleep separately, if possible (I didn't have room for two crates, so didn't do this, but I'd strongly encourage you to if possible). Before bringing Shadow home, I had read up extensively on litter mate syndrome, and was as prepared as I could be, but also knew that there may come a time where giving one of them up was the only possible thing to do. I made my plan for this early, before I had a chance to become too bonded to them, and so that, if it did become necessary, I'd already made the decisions on what needed doing. I can't imagine being without both of them now, and if I had to make that choice, it would break my heart, so having already decided which would be the one to go would make the process that tiny bit easier. If you choose to keep both, then you have to steel yourself for the fact that they may not ever be bosom buddies. My two are so different and, whilst they play together just fine, they never cuddle up together. If you have one puppy that bullies the other, then you need to step in and stop it. It's not OK and can lead to behavioural problems down the line. If they're really not happy, then I would strongly advise you to consider rehoming one now - and, the sooner the better for you all. I've read - albeit it's just anecdotal - that LMS problems tend to be worse in same-sex pairs. Any problems there are will get worse (far worse) as they approach adolescence, and may force your hand into having to re-home. And rehoming even well-adjusted adolescents is far more challenging than finding a home for a puppy. I'm certainly not saying you only have that option, but I think you should consider it seriously to see if it's the best option for you and the pups. You should all be enjoying this time, not be worried by the relationships between them. Even though my two didn't develop the aggression towards one another that appears to be very common, I was constantly on alert for it, and couldn't help but read too much into every grumble and growl between them. Now they're two years old, I've chilled out about that, but it was definitely stressful through adolescence. There are also other behavioural issues that I wonder about, whether they're linked to LMS at all - things like Shadow's reactivity towards other dogs, which is far worse when Willow is around. Again, I don't want to try to sway your decision - it's your decision alone to make. I have to be open and tell you that, given the choice, I wouldn't have litter mates again. They are seriously hard work when trying to minimise the risks of LMS, and you're still not guaranteed to avoid it. It's a constant worry. However, it is possible to end up with two wonderful dogs (as I have), so, if you do choose to keep them both, then please stick around and stay in contact - I'm happy to help with any advice I can along the way.
