Raising two same age, same sex pups - Page 2

Sorry I didn't mention the breeds. I know that one of them is a male from West German working lines. The other is another large working line male from another breed. Both 8 or 9 weeks old

MPD22, advise your friend not to go ahead with this idea.

I can guarantee 99% he will regret it.

Julie

Wow two working line MALES that are to be house pets only? This is the biggest problem first of all. 

Wokring dogs really need a job and if you have two of them and expect them to be house pets life is not going to be fun.  If they want pets, and two of them get a male and a female if they HAVE to have two, but two males that are not being worked bad news!!!

It would be best to get one puppy, get the housetraining, bonding and foundation training sorted and, if this person still thinks a second dog is a good idea after coping with one, get the second one.  Works much better than 2 at the same time.  Why do they want two dogs anyway?  If it is so they are company for each other, then they should be asking themselves if they should have a dog at all if they can't provide company for it themselves.

Margaret N-J

I raise 2 males that are 3 weeks apart in age together with NO problems.  It is definately more challenging when it comes to housebreaking and training because you have 2 to work with.  They are almost 1 year old...both intact and are okay together. 

Ha Ha Ha are you in for a rude awakening.  I have 2 working line German Shepherds liviving in the house age 17 months and 4 months.  I have owned GSD's my whole life but american or show lines european  working GSD's are a whole different story.  Are you prepared to put in the time 2 pups are not twice as much work but 10 times as much work.

When I got my male a year and a half ago i was in shock  I  kept saying what a difference i had alawys had my dogs in the house but this pup almost completely destroyed the house we had to restirict him to 2 rooms but it was a lot of work I mean a lot of work but it was manageable with one then I had the bright idea I needed another one luckly I got a female pup not for breeding but so they would get along better so far so good  but OMG the amount of work is stagering with 2 european working dogs living in the house never mind 2 male pups the same age  MISTAKE big MISTAKE.

Here's my day get up at 6AM have to take them out to the bathroom separate when I walk them together they don't pay attention to business so that takes awhile.  Bring them back to the house and feed them in separate rooms.  then clean the bowls and take them for a 2 mile walk then let them play in the back yard for awhile take the little one out to the bathroom put her in her porter and go to work  Come home at lunch again take them out to the bathroom separate.  Take them for a 5 mile walk let them cool down feed the pup her lunch again the bathroom go back to work come back form work yes bathroom again then we head off to the beach for a run. Back home they rest i go back to work come home bathroom again then we head to a soccer field for training and play they come home rest eat bathroom and a 2 mile walk.  The end of the day thank God I have no trouble sleeping at night.If you don't exercise these dogs constantly they will destroy your house and bounce off the wall.

That doesn't take into account the vet bills and you have to keep them on a  very high quality diet because they are doing so much growing plus all the toys you buy so they won't destroy your house but you will find out they like your funiture better my male even ate the linoluim on the kitchen floor.  I have to buy all new furniture the question is when?

Two european working GSD  male pups from the same litter living in your house unthinkable.

I have to say my experience of two working line (Belgian/German lines) male siblings reared together in the house was actually a doddle.  They housetrained in a matter of days, have never chewed a thing and have been a dream to live with, but at the time, I devoted a large part of my life to rearing them as individuals, not as a "double dog" and trained them both seperately, one to Sch I and the other to Sch H II.  One is very dominant over the other, but it has never been an issue, they don't fight and are nearly 9 now.  I think a pair of male pups reared together in a pet home environment will be likely to take over if they are allowed to become a team or fight if they aren't, either way I wouldn't recommend it to a pet owner, I've lost count of the number of dogs of various breeds that have ended up in my rescue kennels because someone bought a pair and then couldn't cope.

Margaret N-J.

MPD22

You did not specify that the dogs in question are "working line" dogs, but some took it to mean that. I feel like a lot of others on this thread that two of the same age at the same time would be difficult at best. Having said that I must admit I bought two long haired shepherds about seven years ago. They were litter mates with their testicles intact. I did not neuter them because I thought I might breed them later on and because I neutered my firstt shepherd and it made him much more dog aggressive (did not accept others sniffing his butt).

My experience with having two shepherds from the same litter who were intact was 90 percent gratifying. I took them for obedience, agility, and protection training every week for four years. They were fantastic as a team in the protection training, able to keep four attackers at bay with relative ease. They did whine for each other when separated for individual protection training. The only problem I experienced  between the two of them was on bath day. The larger one who had superior scent skills would sniff the other one and try to mount him whick led to snarling and baring of teeth. I made sure in the beginning that they both realized that I determined their quality of life not them. I was told by the breeder that he had never sold two intact males to the same owner, but because of my previous experience he took a chance on me. There were times when they would trigger each other in public and go after someone who was moving in a way that was similar to what the protection baiters would move.

Unfortunately one of my shepherds developed spinal disease and had to be put down last September. This put the other one (not to mention myself) into a serious depression. In February I purchased another GSD and this has changed my older shepherd completely. He now has a new purpose in life and is excited about having a dog companion. The new puppy adores my older GSD and the older one in turn teaches the puppy new skills that he will need as he matures. I would now advise prospective owners to get two dogs of different ages, but I will never forget the joy of having two large, long haired GSD's from the same litter.

MaxVonPotterdam

2x the dogs, 6x the trouble.

SS

why why why why  did not the person that sold you the dogs tell you ahead what you were getting into.

All I have to say, everyone else said it