Hi
We have recently lost our much loved lab and would like to get a puppy as can't bear not having a dog in the family!  My husband has suggested getting two puppies at the same time on the basis that a) they will give each other 'dog' company b) we would ideally like two dogs and may as well go through the puppy stage both at the same time c) we have two children who both desperately miss our old dog and they can thenpout their attentions into one puppy each. 
As we have not had a puppy before, my questions are - are we completely mad or is there a method to our madness - will it be crazy with a puppy anyway so we may as well have two together?  Is it wise to have two puppies (bitches) from the same litter?

Hope you can help
BG

only buy one puppy, no reputable breeder will sell two from a litter to the same home unless under exceptional circumstances such as going to a knowledgable show home etc.

Ther reasons are:

how will you toilet train two puppies, how will you know which one has eliminated and which one has not.
Be realistic, I don't know how old your children are but i know of very few, other than the fanatical that will devote themselves to the care of a dog religiously besides they will not have the knowledge, experience or strength to deal with a rapidly growing lab on their own.
the two puppies will have a fantastic time playing with each other and ignoring you.
Two bitches will probably end up bickering continuously.

So yes you are mad, don't do it.  Just get one, and then if you want a companion wait until the first is at least 18 months old.

ps have you ever had twins...............................? :D

Please don't get two puppies at the same time! They are more likely to bond with each other than with you. You've heard the saying "Two's company, three's a crowd"? Well, you'll be the unwanted third. :( Two aren't just double trouble, they're at least trouble squared! You will have to do everything with them separately as well as together. And two pups (especially bitches) of equal age can sometimes fight to the death when they reach adolescence.

Just get one to start with. Then when you've got that one trained how you would like, then get another.
:)

Thank you all for your advice!  We will get one puppy not two and look forward to many happy years together
Bambi

Hi there!

There is also another alternative that is worth considering if you would really like two dogs quite quickly.

I would go for a nice natured rescue adult bitch (say 3 to 7 years of age), and once you had her nicely settled in, and trained to your ways.

At this point get yourself a puppy, who will have a nice adult to learn good habits from :D

This way you will be helping a homeless one, and getting a puppy too :D

I said this on the other post and will say it again for not just you but anyone else who may want to view it who is thinking about buying 2 puppies together!

I would never recormend 2 pups of a similar age, we did it once, kept two puppis to show with 5 capable handlers (4 who lived with the dogs) and it was still a nightmare to train them and they edge eachother on and cause double trouble!!!  We now always wait untill the youngest is trained and they are at least 18 months before we get the new pup!

Remeber when you buy puppies ALWAYS make sure the parents have had eyes and hips done, and anything else nessercey in the breed!!!

Rox

Last year, we kept two puppies from the same litter - and all I would say is that it isn't double the work in training, etc, it is QUADRUPLE the work!!!

Firstly in order to have a well-balanced puppy, you need each one to bond with you - which means that you have to spend double the time with each one, in order to become "top dog" - so that YOU and not the litter mate is not the one who gives each puppy most fun - each puppy needs one-to-one training - and then you have to keep going over that training, because puppy 1 can see puppy 2 misbehave on one move - so puppy 1 thinks s/he will try that and so on.

Yes, we have had fun with the Piddles (as we called them), yes, it has been rewarding, but boy oh boy, it has been such hard work!!!   We still cannot let them both off the lead at the same time, as we just wouldn't trust their recall - although we can let either of them off lead with one of our other dogs.

I would also point out that there have been three of us involved in the training, etc - they are great fun, but also it has been hard work, and I wouldn't do it again.

Margot

Umm it annoys me how some breeder's talk people into doing this!!!  All I can say is don't do it, I've seen what happens to the families never mind the dogs!

Good luck in your search for your new pup :d

Just for the record - we bred our puppies (Australian shepherds) ourselves - then couldn't bear to part with 2 of the seven :).

Margot

I have recently bought two puppies, both labs, from different breeders, did not plan to but an opportunity arose that I could not pass up on, I have got one puppy with me now, he is now ten weeks old, but the other puppy is still with breeder and I have arranged with her that puppy stays with her until it is time for me to go and get her, maybe even another two or three months yet, I also have three older bitches, aged 9,5 and 3. I would never have two pups at the same time, it is not fair on the puppies, training needs to be on a one to one basis, you need to bond with your puppy before introducing another, and all your hard work can be undone if you introduce another pup too quickly, I also crate my pups and have bought another crate so that they will be kept seperately to begin with and they can then be with me on a one to one basis for bonding and training and brought together for playtimes, I also plan for them to sleep seperately until they are at least a year old, all this is because there is only one weeks age difference. My advice is do NOT get two as this is your first ever pup, I have had pups and dogs for at least 20 years and this is the first time I have done this. 2 to 3 years is my usual gap.
Get your pup and enjoy

Kay