Labrador Retriever puppies are adorable but think again if you want to bring home two or more from the same litter at the same time.
If you have had more than one dog in the past and think that two Lab puppies will be the same, you may want to take a moment and rethink that idea. It doesn’t matter which breed of dogs you have had in the past, as dogs are dogs.
“One puppy is like one tornado and two is like ten. It becomes even worse when you have two puppies from the same litter.” This was all told to me by my reputable breeder who has become like a dog fairy godmother to me in the five years I have been raising my own chocolate Labrador Retrievers. I wanted two Lab pups from the same litter and while a great number of other breeders quoted prices, she was the only one to rightfully warn me of the complications a family faces when bringing home more than one dog from the same litter.
The reasoning is that the two pups have already bonded and created their own dog pack hierarchy. They will look to each other on what to do, how to act and who to listen. This makes training highly difficult as the pups would much rather look to the other before looking at the human.
Pups from the same litter will also instigate each other to do things that the dog owner doesn’t want. For example, if you like your material items to stay whole and not be chewed up, you may have a surprise or two from your new puppies. They can easily pick up anything and start to play tug with it.
Housebreaking is also a problem, as they will, once again, look to each other for signals. If one has an accident in the house, the other may use that scent to determine it is a good place for them to eliminate as well. Using Nature’s Miracle may help with the dog odor and urine stains but those noses can smell things we humans can’t.
If you really, really, really want two Labrador Retrievers (or any dogs), it is recommended that you get them around 1 year apart. Bring home your first puppy and use that year to train and bond with it.
The reason for the 1-year waiting period is to:
- Training and bond with your dog
- Establish your pack order
- Understand the true cost of owning a dog
- Learn from your successes and failures in training for your next pup
- Appreciate puppy training, housebreaking and puppy teething
If you still want another puppy after the year is over, you can get one from the same sire and dame, like we did with the Lab Brats. They have the same bond as siblings normally have but without all the negative sibling rivalry, aggression and destruction of human processions.
{ 1 comment… read it below or add one }
Since I read the book Where the Red Fern Grows I wanted to get two puppies (male and female) from the same litter. I had the chance when I picked up my puppy Linus from the shelter. He was there with his sister. However, I read similar information in a book and had consulted friends and family who recommended not getting two puppies at the same time because (just like you mentioned) the bond they’ve already created.
After two years I decided to get another puppy. This time I raised a guide dog puppy in training. He didn’t make it as a guide and now I have a 3 year old black lab and a 5 year old Australian Shepherd mix at home.
{ 1 trackback }