Grateful for advice / opinions on whether to start 2 new puppies in one large metal crate or 2 small ones. Also what size please for up to 9 months ?
I would have puppies of the same age (whether litter mates or not) in separate crates. You need to work on them being apart from one another more than they are together so they don't become dependent on one another and bond more with each other than with you. I would read up about littermate syndrome - it's something that can be really worrying so you want to do everything you can to avoid it. I have litter mates, so I know the struggle to walk them separately, train them separately, have them separate a lot of the time, but it's worth it to have grown dogs who look to you rather than to each other for their confidence and relationship.
I would always recommend 2 crates. To last until 9 months or so you'll need at least 36" crates and possibly 42" depending upon their size. If you use a large crate it's best to have a divider to reduce available space and help prevent toileting in the crate. Two puppies create a huge amount of work - 2 lots of toilet training, individual training x 2, walks x 2 until both walk nicely on lead and have a good recall, individual time to play with their humans to build a strong bond and also time away from each other to discourage dependence on one another.
