I often get asked advice regarding buying a puppy, puppy training, just because I own dogs.  I know my mother would never sell more than one puppy from a particular litter to a family.  If they came back a year on/several years later, then she didn't have a problem, but not two from the same litter.

My personal view is that training issues arise when trying to train more than one pup at a time. 

I just wondered what other CDers thought, as I've just found out a person who asked my advice is now buying two pups, same sex from the same litter! 

I dont ....EVER!!

I'd never sell two pups together, and having reared two together (one was our pick, the other didn't sell so stayed with us) I'd never willingly do it again. It took about 5 years to get them to the level of training that would usually only take a year at most. Dreadful - and I was used to having multiple dogs.

As a general rule I would say no, never.  Certainly I've refused all requests so far - I've done as you suggested and said have one now and come back in 18months-2 years.  I would, however, consider selling two to people I know, people that I trust and people who know what they're doing - but it is most unlikely this would happen - in fact I just can't imagine it happening. 

Thanks Toolz, I was trying to be diplomatic when I responded to a phone call, I said as a breeder I would never recommend it.  Actually I turned away a family who wanted a pup for themselves & one for their daughter in law, but they were going to dog sit it while she was at work.  I said no because for all intents & purposes the two siblings would spend most of their time together.

As for this friend, I'll just wait fo the various phone calls asking how to sort it out :-(  wouldn't mind but they've never had a dog before, now to have two pups......!

Alarm bells should ring when two are wanted 'to keep each other company'.

Someone used my dog years ago and sold two boxer bitch pups to a grand house...they tore the place up and eventually the owner tied one out on the drive.

When the breeder arrived with me to rescue one of the pups, the owner couldnt wait to get down to one.

I must agree although I do have a friend who had two pups from the same litter and they have done brilliantly. She however was very dedicated and has now gone on to have other dogs and has bred one litter after some success with her dogs in the show ring
For myself I would never do it or suggest someone did having seen it go badly wrong more than once. My sister and I have siblings who dont live to gether but on the occasions we looked after the two together it was clear it would have been very difficult

i would never have 2 from same litter again ever!! we got 1st girl and then 3months later had her sister all was going great till seasons and hormones kicked in....its hard to separate dogs when thay all live together as i dont kennel any of mine thay are apart of our family, i know of a breeder, will sell them 2gether just to make sure thay havnt got any left so they can get on with next litter thats ready...BYB is what she is!!

I was sold 2 similar breed puppies from different litter, the breeders both knew I was a first time owner and that I was getting 2 puppies. Looking back (a) they were mad to sell, and (b) I was mad to get two at once! But we muddled through and I think both dogs (we still have one) were happy with each other and with me, and were fairly well trained - one has his Silver GC, the other got his Gold. They did fall out with each other when we got a bitch, but that's irrelevant for the OP's question re puppies. So it can work, but it's probably best to avoid if at all possible. :-)

I had this question last year - I had bred a litter and one person had been and there pup had been chosen etc etc, they then called a week later to see if they could have 2. I initially said no due to various issues such as being harder to train etc.  I asked my mentor and she said probably not a good idea howvere she had done it once or twice herself.

I had a very long in depth chat with this lady (who was home all day, had a big enough space and a big enough car for 2 big ish dogs) who had previously had gundogs and I decided that I would let her have 2 as long as if there were any problems either one or both would come straight back to me.

Anyway - we are now 1 year one since going to new homes, they are both grand. She has had them both castrated, she takes them to training separately and together and the same for walks - not always together.
Although they love each other she has not allowed them to become inseparable.

I believe it depends on the breed and of course the person. Every situation is different.

Never ever!
Even IF you have the time, energy, space and knowhow to get two pups training to a good level they would still bond very strongly to eachother and when the inevitable happend and one went to rainbow bridge you would not only have your own greif to deal with but then a completly lost soul who has never had to cope without the other dog there and would probably fall apart irreparabley very quickly and would follow the other, so then you would have that loss to bear aswell! Nooooo very bad idea, I would much rather have some time between dogs. There is 6 months age gap and a years owning gap between my two as one is a rescue and I think this is a minimum gap I would personally be comfortable with.

Never ever from me too. Don't care how big a friend they are, how much experience, how much time they say they're going to give each individual pup, I wouldn't sell 2 pups to same home.

Experienced handlers were interviewed by my breeder friend/mentor couple of years ago. Wanted 2 pups, breeder said no. They said ok they'd have just the 1. Breeder now had alarm bells ringing thinking they'd have one of hers and get another lined up for the same time, so refused them any. Apparently they went to a very nice accredited breeder who sold them their 2 pups from her litter. 4 months later they were back onto the phone to my breeder friend saying they were having enormous problems and would she help them to sort it out :-o As said, experienced owners/handlers.

Granted, there are exceptions to every rule ... the problem is working out who that exception might be and whether you want to risk stuffing up one, or more, of your pups in the process. I don't ever want to have any of my pups back, I am afraid there's every chance one will return if 2 sent off together.

Also would never sell two pups together. :-)

Why would any breeder take the risk of one of those pups perhaps needing to be re-homed in the future due to inner fighting or most likely behavioural issues in not being able to properly train without a huge effort on the owners part.

People can talk the talk on how they would train and give one to one for each pup, but every pup deserves full attention not split and why would an owner honestly wish to put themselves through that? We're never there to make sure it would happen, so not worth the risk IMO.

I would never do it again either. I did once let 2 go together to 2 ladies who shared the same house and they had one each. It worked out brilliant as they did train walk and spend lots of 1-1 time seperatly with the boys. Both were castrated and they have never had a problem but both had had the breed before and were committed to making it work . I have thought long and hard about it since and believe that I was very very lucky that it worked and I would never  trust to the same luck happening twice so No I would not do it again.
Aileen

I agree with Aileen, if it works - its mostly luck and who bases their judgement, where their pups are concerned, on luck!

I ran on two bitch pups until 5 months recently and I was reminded every day just why it is madness to keep two. Now the other has gone to her new home, Ive got my puppy back heart and soul. No longer half of a pair of whirling dervishes.

Yes there will be cases where the pair lived well together. but the owners will never know just how much more they would have had from having just one to one bonding.

I was very stupidly persuaded by OH that we would have two pups, the breeder told us it would be no problem & easier!. We were then offered (within five minuets) a run on that was looking for a home & fell in love with,  said no,  only to change our minds a couple of weeks later. Ended up with a pup & his cousin,  with 12 months between them. I put in as much time as I could (alot) individually with both, but have always felt quilty that it was never enough, coming to join us within a couple of months of each other, neither realy got my full attention, especialy when we found that the pup had severe problems. Madness, utter madness. They have always got on very well, but in hard learnt hindsight it just wasn't fair to either of them and as for being offered two pups, lunacy. When you choose your pup and bring it home to be part of the family, you want to be able to give it your full attention, it's a time that passes all too quickly and you need to get it right without divided loyalty. Never again.