Adopting Littermates – What You Need to Know

You just can’t decide between two puppies, want to adopt two littermates so they’re not alone, or maybe one dog for you and another for your partner? There are many good reasons to bring home two young dogs from the same litter. However, you should pay attention to a few points to avoid the Littermate Syndrome and other issues.

Littermate Syndrome: Be Aware of the Danger

If you’re thinking about adopting two puppies at the same time or already have them at home, “experts” love to scare you with the Littermate Syndrome. This is when the sibling dogs fail to form a true bond with humans, become extremely dependent on each other, and are poorly or not socialized at all.

However, what these so-called “experts” don’t tell you is:

The Littermate Syndrome is the exception, not the rule.
You can easily prevent Littermate Syndrome with some simple steps.
They themselves never had littermates, so they don’t speak from experience.

I’ve been crazy enough to raise littermates multiple times and will continue to do so. For me, the benefits clearly outweigh the risks, and I’ve never experienced Littermate Syndrome. But I’ve also taken preventive measures, and I’ll share how you can do the same.

Choose Littermates Carefully

Choosing a dog based solely on its looks is always a bad idea. After all, a pretty coat pattern won’t help if you wanted a calm dog but end up with the outgoing and very verbal one. When adopting littermates, the wrong choice means not just one dog suffering, but both – and you too.

Therefore, it’s important to pick two siblings that get along well. Even at 8 weeks old, puppies already have preferences, dislikes, and independent personalities. A sensitive puppy might feel stressed by a boisterous one, while the rough-and-tumble dog will get frustrated if you constantly have to interrupt play and correct them every few minutes.

If you adopt two littermates that enjoy fair play, cuddles, and contact, you’ve set the best foundation for two happy dog lives.

Plan Three Times the Time for Littermates

Potty training, leash walking, learning the word “NO” – puppies need to learn a lot, especially in the first few months. Even if you put off teaching commands like sit and stay for now, the first period is stressful for both you and the dogs.

Now, imagine you adopt two puppies:

Puppy A just woke up, and you know that every second counts. So, you grab the puppy and rush outside, only to come back to find a puddle and a pile on the floor because Puppy B was still peacefully sleeping. So, next time, you smartly grab both puppies at once. Unfortunately, now you have no hands free to open the door, and while you set Puppy A down, things get a bit warmer around your arm… because Puppy B is happily doing its business there.

You’ll have to deal with such accidents and be sure to spend time with each puppy individually. Add to that the time and effort it takes to constantly say “no” to both. As soon as one stops, the other starts.

Raising two puppies into happy, sociable, adult dogs is no magic trick. But you’ll need time and may go a bit crazy in the process.

Build Individual Bonds with Your Dogs

One of the biggest fears when adopting two puppies is that the dogs won’t bond with their human(s). Why would they? They have each other.

For the dogs, this creates a danger of becoming too dependent on one another. One feels like it can’t exist without the other, suffers from severe separation anxiety, and experiences terrible stress.

But: you can easily eliminate this risk. Strengthen your bond with each puppy individually. Walks, training, playtime, and not forgetting cuddle time at least once a day separately with each of them is enough.

Be aware that you’ll need more time, patience, and repetition than if you had just one puppy.

Occupy and Socialize the Puppies Individually

Being alone, walking properly on a leash, car rides, visiting the vet, meeting other dogs – to ensure your puppies become well-adjusted individuals, you must treat them as individuals from the start.

In short: Train and socialize them separately!

Take each one for a car ride, bus ride, or train ride. Go with one to the pet store, to the vet, or to a dog park, and then with the other. At least at the beginning, try to take separate walks for each and occasionally have them looked after separately.

By doing this consistently, you achieve several benefits:

Being apart from each other will seem completely normal to your littermates, and won’t cause worry.
You’ll get to know your dogs as individuals, which strengthens your bond with them.
Each dog’s confidence will grow as they face new experiences and challenges alone.
You’ll also practice the art of leaving one puppy alone while you focus on the other.

By doing so, you are actively preventing the Littermate Syndrome.

Littermates Need Guidance and Role Models

Many people make the mistake of not taking socialization with other dogs seriously when it comes to littermates. After all, they have each other, so why do they need other dogs?

Because they can only learn clear communication from confident, adult dogs. Otherwise, they remain, in a way, “puppy-like,” only understanding each other and no one else. This can make unfamiliar dogs appear threatening, cause stress, and potentially lead to dangerous situations.

Littermates: Not a Guarantee for Lifelong Love

Two puppies from the same litter are exhausting at first. Then they become two adolescent dogs who will likely hit puberty around the same time. With a mind full of mush and a belly full of hormones, this phase is prone to fights, conflicts, and problems.

Depending on the breed, the dogs’ personalities, and their training, it may stay to short, loud but harmless spats. Or it could become serious and bloody. In any case, never assume that the littermates, who were once inseparable, will stay that way forever, in every situation.

From experience, I’d advise you to establish from the start that your dogs don’t have to love each other, but they do need to respect each other. They shouldn’t disturb each other while sleeping, steal from or bully each other. This golden house rule will ease many issues but doesn’t provide a 100% guarantee. This applies not only to littermates.

If you notice signs of aggression, play it safe and separate your dogs when you’re not around. This doesn’t need to be permanent, but it’s a good protective measure.

Don’t Be Discouraged, but Be Realistic

A few days ago, I researched the Littermate Syndrome to see what’s currently being said about it online. The results were, to put it mildly, shocking.

Everyone is Copying Each Other.

As the saying goes: If you know one article, you know them all. All the so-called experts have copied from each other. Many claim that littermates are a nightmare, and Littermate Syndrome will inevitably occur and will be causing the dogs, who can’t live without each other for a second, to fight to the death. (Yes, does articles are quiet dramatic.)

All my littermates are still alive and living together. Not one suffers from Littermate Syndrome, and from my years of experience, I can tell you: You don’t need to be superhuman or a magician to avoid it.

Experts with No Experience

Besides copying each other, a common theme is the complete lack of experience from these so-called “experts.” Far more often than Littermate Syndrome, everyday life with two puppies and later adolescent dogs becomes the real problem.

Unrealistic Claims

A statement often made to emphasize how common the problems are: “All dog trainers and veterinarians know about Littermate Syndrome and its disastrous consequences from experience.”

I asked all the trainers, doctors, and breeders I know. Not one of them has experienced Littermate Syndrome in practice, even though they live with or raise littermates themselves.

A strange result, considering the so-called “experts” claim that Littermate Syndrome is widespread and affects nearly all littermates.

So, my advice to you: Don’t be discouraged by opinions with no real experience behind them. But be realistic. Adopting two puppies at once and excluding Littermate Syndrome is objectively more challenging than raising just one puppy. However, with the right approach, it is achievable. The article “Adopting Littermates? Pros and Cons” will give you another decision-making tool.

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